February Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - please pass onto any media contacts you may have.

Dubai, 20 January, 2011


ARTE - Artisans of The Emirates to host special Valentine’s Arts and Crafts Fair

Love will be in the air at ARTE February Markets
on Friday, 4th & 11th February, 2011

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, ARTE - Artisans of the Emirates - is hosting its first-ever ‘Handcrafted with Love’ Market, a special Valentine’s Arts & Craft Fair featuring high quality and creative hand-crafted gifts – ceramics, jewellery, fashion apparel & accessories for children & adults, plush toys, glass works, and home goods – as well as fine art works at affordable prices. This will be an ideal opportunity to buy some extra special handcrafted gifts and cards for your loved one, or you may just want to treat yourself.

The next ARTE market will be held on Friday, 4th February, 2011 at Festival Centre (12pm-9pm) and on the following Friday, 11th February, 2011 at Times Square Center (12pm-7pm).

The market will feature over 60 extraordinary artists, craft artists, and artisans, representing diverse genres. All live and create their work in the UAE. Some of our favourite local crafters will be selling their V'day themed wares - including felt and tin love hearts, handmade chocolates and toffees, as well as a large selection of one-of-kind costume and precious jewellery pieces.

Moreover, Feline Friends will return once again to host their fundraising book sale at the ARTE Market at Times Square Center on 11th February, offering a budget friendly option to stocking your library with brand new books. All books at the sale are donations from the community, and are in fair or good condition. Both fiction of all genres and nonfiction will be available.

About ARTE

Artisans of the Emirates was founded in 2005 by Miriam Walsh, a felt maker, and Paul Townsend, a silversmith; both experienced artisans regularly featuring at the fairs in Dubai and long-term residents of Dubai.

Many of the craft fairs in Dubai at that time included a high percentage of imported goods of varying quality and often produced in bulk. Mixed with a sense of dissatisfaction of how other events were run, Paul & Miriam decided to set up their own Artisan of the Emirates community to showcase the quality work produced by talented individuals living in the UAE.

ARTE has seen a rapid increase in membership since 2005; it now boasts over 1800 members, from at least 30 different countries, with items as diverse as contemporary silver jewellery, haute couture clothing, artistically designed cakes for special occasions, Waldorf dolls, pottery, crochet items, silk & wool felted scarves, hats & bags, photography and digital art plus painting styles ranging from oils, watercolours and acrylics to pencil drawings and 3D mixed media pieces. The souks offer the ideal venue for gift buyers and souvenir hunters, or those just looking for locally made quality art and crafts as a lasting memory of the Arabian region.

The ARTE markets are now the regular haunt for around 100 different vendors and continues to offer a relaxed family atmosphere with plenty of hands on workshops for the visitors to try out. For more information about ARTE, please visit www.arte.ae.


For media enquiries, interviews and high resolution images please contact:


Miriam Walsh or Paul Townsend
Co-Founders of Artisans of the Emirates
Tel: +971 50 4567481
Email: info@arte.ae
Web: www.arte.ae