Jeanne Kaplan described how her store, Artifacts, originated in Broad Ripple.

"My mom (Ann Kaplan) and her friend, Dotty Goldberg, decided to start the business. They were both new to Indianapolis and grew up on the East Coast. They didn't see that kind of shopping opportunity here. My mom ran a food co-op in Columbus, Ohio and had some business experience. She studied ceramics at Bennington College in Vermont. Dotty was a social worker. They opened Artifacts at 6418 Carrollton Avenue in 1977. We moved to 6327 Guilford Avenue in approximately 1980 into the former Handy Hardware location. I helped out from time to time during high school and college. I returned back in 1993 when I moved back to Indianapolis. I have a Fine Arts degree from Smith College," she explained.

"The focus of the shop has always been American contemporary crafts. We do have a few carefully selected imported items and often choose fair trade sources. We carry ceramics, glass, wood, furniture and jewelry. There are different ways that we find an artist's work for our store. Some artists contact us. We also go to national, juried shows to buy items in New York, Baltimore, Indianapolis and sometimes in Kentucky," Ms. Kaplan said.

She noted that Artifacts reached a retail milestone in October. "We are going to participate in the Broad Ripple Art Walk on October 13. The following Friday, October 20, we are hosting our 40th anniversary party from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. All are welcome. There will be snacks, drinks and live music. The space will be transformed by a local floral designer, Molly and Myrtle."

She reflected on the rewards of her business over time. "Two things come to mind. One is how grateful I am for our longtime loyal customer base; we have customers that have literally been shopping here since the store opened in 1977 and I enjoy that. I would also say that I enjoy the relationships with individual artists and small manufacturers-following what they are doing and what's going on their lives."

"We have been in Broad Ripple through so many changes. The goal from the beginning was to highlight high quality, hand-made objects - to bring the human touch into people's homes. One of the biggest things that I learned from my mom was not to pick something just because it might sell well, but because it's made well and priced reasonably. There is a definite criteria that has to be met and I think that customers have definitely recognized that," Ms. Kaplan noted.

"I think that my mom was ahead of her time. We had a kiosk at Embassy Suites downtown in a mini shopping mall area that was attached to the hotel, before the Circle Center mall opened. One time, we thought about moving north, but always concluded that the strip mall setting didn't seem to fit us," she mentioned.

Artifacts hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from Noon to 5 p.m. Inquiries about their merchandise can be answered by calling (317) 255-1178, faxing (317) 255-5319 or e-mailing: info@artifacts.com. Their website is: www.artifactsindy.com.

Artifacts remains a unique retail destination as they celebrate their 40th anniversary in Broad Ripple.