Anatolian Artisans of Bethesda, MD
An Ark of Handicrafts in a Sea of Mass Merchandising
Albert Nekimken, Special to The Turkish Times - In Istanbul, Christ shines in Byzantine mosaic in the 5th Century church of Hagia Sofia and 16th Century Iznik tiles glow in the neighboring Blue Mosque. The descendants of the people who created these wonders live in modern Turkey, whose artisans still create beautiful plates, jewelry, and objects of stone, iron, bronze, silver and gold, using the ancient patterns of the Sun, the Moon, and other objects of nature. But they are at risk and their numbers are declining dramatically as manufactured goods gradually take over global markets and displace handicrafts everywhere. Anatolian Artisans aims to turn back the flood of standardized consumerism by winning New World admirers for hand-made functional art based on millennia-old traditions.

The founder of Anatolian Artisans, Yildiz Yagci, spent 18 years working in the export/import industry in Turkey and the UK. Since settling in the U.S. in 1984, she has been a free-lance writer with several major Turkish daily newspapers and magazines. Her interviews with the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa and Ela Bhatt, who innovated the hugely successful Microcredit Movement, sparked her decision in 1999 to found metro Washington, D.C.-based Anatolian Artisans, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of low-income artisans whose skills embody their country's heritage. Her newest passion is introducing Americans to the richness of Anatolian handicrafts-and transforming the lives of their makers.

Background
Anatolian Artisans is a 501©3 nonprofit and nongovernmental organization whose purpose is to provide artisans and the communities in which they live the opportunity to develop sustainable livelihoods. Sponsored programs target primarily women in low-income areas of Turkey, such as:

•Training in micro-enterprise development through existing artisan groups;

•Education for artisans in Turkey through a print newsletter for artisans who lack access to the Internet;

•Market access through exposure to regional and international specialty retailers .

Also important, Anatolian Artisans brings together the experience and talents of international advisors in the fields of entrepreneurship and micro-enterprise development that require very small cash outlays, as well as in marketing and finance, art, craft, and history. Using this expertise, Anatolian Artisans projects transform the skills and creativity of artisans in Turkey, who benefit tremendously from access to training programs and access to international markets.

Anatolian Artisans funding comes from a combination of grants from development institutions, in-kind contributions and donations from its own membership, and sales of artisans' merchandise. Expanding the scope and range of its funding is a top-priority focus for the organization.

The Turkish Connection
In the southeastern part of Turkey that comprises the GAP project, Anatolian Artisans is working closely with the GAP administration and local community centers to establish a model income generation project through crafts production. The goal: Empowered with technical and business skills training the members of the community centers will be able to generate sustainable income through their traditional skills. Marketing experts who surveyed the region in March 2001 found fertile ground for optimism that local women could generate significant incomes through the production of high-quality crafts. After a year-long product development and marketing effort, Anatolian Artisans recently obtained a large order from a U.S. company that specializes in handmade cultural products.

In addition to product development and marketing training, the community center managers in the southeastern region received micro-enterprise management and entrepreneurship training in April 2002. This was crucial if they were to acquire the business planning and management skills required to succeed in filling this important, new order.

Anatolian Artisans obtained the rights to the Turkish version of a state-of-the-art, micro-enterprise management training course that was developed elsewhere. This hands-on learning experience provides participants with core business concepts and practices. -. Starting in 2002 Anatolian Artisans will replicate the pilot project developed for the GAP region in other parts of Turkey working with artisans specialized in a variety of traditional skills. Anatolian Artisans is represented in Turkey by a core group of coordinators.

The Washington Connection
One key to the impressive success of Anatolian Artisans is its stellar Board of Directors, whose chairman, Mary Lee Settle, is the author of more than 15 novels and nonfiction works, including Turkish Reflections: A Biography of a Place. Her novel, Blood Tie, set in Turkey, won the National Book Award. She is also the founder of the PEN/ Faulkner Award for Fiction. With her expert knowledge of Turkey's history and cultural heritage, she helps shape the mission of Anatolian Artisans. Vice President-Treasurer, Catherine C. O'farrell, works at the International Finance Corporation (a unit of the World Bank) as an international financial analyst.

Zeyneb Lange, Vice President-Secretary, has more than ten years of multifaceted experience from working for the World Bank as a special administrative assistant for 29 World Bank resident missions in sub-Saharan Africa. She presently works for the Global Coalition for Africa.

In addition, Anatolian Artisans has a stellar group of advisors, which includes: Dr. Esin Atil, the celebrated Smithsonian Islamic Art scholar who curated the renowned "Age of Suleyman the Magnificent" exhibition held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. in 1987; Ela Bhatt, founder of SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association) in Gujarat state, India; Belkis Balpinar, a well-known expert on Turkish carpets and kilims, and the Founding Director of the Vakiflar Carpet and Kilim Museum in Istanbul.

Raising American Awareness Of Turkey's Artistic Heritage
In January 2002, Anatolian Artisans launched a six-week exhibition of Turkish traditional arts and crafts at Montgomery College, Maryland. The highlight of this well-received show was a Turkish film and dinner, attended by a record number of students, teachers and friends of Turkey. Such exhibitions in colleges and universities advance Anatolian Artisans' goal to raise awareness of Turkey's artistic heritage-and to increase demand for Turkish handmade products.

Anatolian Artisans took part in the Smithsonian Institution's superlative "Silk Road" event on the Mall. Assisted by the Turkish Embassy, the Turkish Foreign Ministry and Turkish Airlines, Anatolian Artisans worked hard to make this unique event a success. "Hundreds of exceptional items, bought directly from artisans, were offered during the Festival, which ran from June 26-30 to July 3-7. As a special attraction, Anatolian Artisans invited the prominent ceramic artist Meliha Coskun Tuna to demonstrate the different stages of her work. Ms Tuna specializes in early Ottoman ceramic traditions and her work is carried at the Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as other museums and exhibitions. The Smithsonian Institution placed an order for her work for its gift stores.

Future Plans
Under the passionate drive of its CEO, Yildiz Yagci, and the strong support of its board and slate of advisors, Anatolian Artisans has high hopes for expanding market access and training for their artisans groups.

In addition, Yagci hopes to secure additional funding from both governmental and nongovernmental sources that will permit the organization to establish a combination office/showroom, enabling it to showcase products for potential buyers.

The waters of standardized commercialism may be rising, but this Washington-based ark is riding the waters with high hopes to establish a support and client network across the United States.

Contact information:
11325 Empire Lane, North Bethesda, MD 20852, U.S.A.
Ph: 301-231-6677;
Fax: 301-231-6668
Contact: Yildiz Yagci, Email: yyagci@anatolianartisans.org
Webpage:www.anatolianartisans.org