On February 8, 2020, the Gori Municipality Administration hosted Andrea Dee Harris, a 2019-2020 Fulbright Scholar and ceramic artist. She gave a public presentation entitled “Selling the Handmade: An Artisan’s Journey.”
The presentation was focused on the principles of successful product design, concepts from the business world drawing on theories of market research, and examples of cooperative marketing models utilized by U.S. artisan organizations.
More than 20 artisans from Gori and nearby communities attended the workshop. These artisans work in fiber arts, woodworking, metalworking, ceramics, and basketry. The workshop was organized by the Georgian Heritage Crafts Association, which receives support from the U.S. Embassy Democracy Commission in Georgia as well as the USAID Zrda Activity in Georgia.
With the support of the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, Harris is conducting research at the Georgian National Museum for Folk and Applied Arts. Her project is titled “Trialeti to Tbilisi: Collections, Connections, and Continuum through the Lens of Georgian Ceramics.”