"When Artique owner Mike Stutland calls his company "a celebration of creativity," he isn't just talking about the varied works of art that adorn his shelves, tables and walls.
"That goes for the artists we deal with, my employees, and our customers," Stutland said.
The three Artique stores owned by Stutland and his wife, Kathy, a batik artist, carry the work of more than 1,000 American artists from 45 states. Each piece of art is handmade, from the tiniest sterling silver earrings to a huge glass multicolor-swirled chandelier.
Between 20 and 25 employees work in the distinctly different shops at any given time. The downtown Lexington Center store opened in 1980. In 1996, Stutland added a second Artique location in Lexington Green. The third Artique store, directly across from the second, opened in 2001.
Although there is some similarity of artwork, each store is different. The downtown store carries more work from Kentucky artists, since many of its shoppers are tourists and visitors staying in nearby hotels. The larger Lexington Green store carries all types of artwork. The sister store across the entrance hall specializes in glass art, including kaleidoscopes.
Artique has developed a reputation for carrying art that's unique, that's worth collecting and giving. Stutland, who describes himself as "a talent scout, a beachcomber," has a simple guide to decide if he will add a new artist's work to Artique: "I want to be hit with a visceral reaction. I want a 'wow' response from myself."
This philosophy extends to how Stutland's employees are taught to interact with customers. "They are not told to sell them things, but to elicit that 'wow' from the customer." He also wants "both my customers and my employees having fun."
Stutland takes a contrarian view to the popular business concept that bigger is better. "I only grow when I can't talk myself out of it." Despite pleas from mall executives in Louisville and Cincinnati and suggestions from customers, he is adamant that he will not expand. "Artique is as big as I want it, in square feet."
Capping the amount of physical space would seem to limit the number of artists he can represent, but Stutland has found a limitless expansion site: cyberspace. What he calls his "multimedia center" is an innovative concept that allows him both to escape the costs of physical space and to market to each customer's preferences in art for collecting or giving. The first part of this center is Artique's Web site, www.artiquegallery.com.
Its home page has links for each type of art: glass, wood, pottery, metal, jewelry, mixed media. Each artist within a category has his or her own link. A customer who clicks on the link can see photographs of other art, learn about the artist, and connect to the artist's own Web site. Upcoming events, such as in-store shows connected to various holidays, are listed so that customers can come to meet the artists and sometimes watch them at work.
The second part of Stutland's multimedia marketing effort — his favorite — is a two-foot-by-three-foot, in-store flat screen monitor. Mounted on the wall, it displays Artique's Web site with all of its features, large enough to be seen by customers several feet away, but not intrusive. Eye-catching videos of artists at work in their home studios or past demonstrations or shows at Artique can also be shown on the screen.
This in-store marketing tool allows an Artique employee to show a customer more art created by more artists than could be displayed in the stores. And while any customer can be receiving personal attention, it also keeps the Artique stores small enough for all customers to feel comfortable, and to notice other art aside from whatever drew them into the store.
The Stutlands have given Central Kentucky a creative treasure in their Artique. Among its many awards, last year Artique won the Governor's Award in Arts and was named, by a national jewelers organization, as one of the nation's top 50 retailers of designer jewelry.
Artique's shop at 410 W. Vine St., Lexington Center, is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Artique's Lexington Green locations are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
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