Consumer tip: Making the Most Out of Gift Cards This Holiday Season

According to a new NRF survey:

 

·         One in four adults (22.1%) choose not to give gift cards because they feel they are too impersonal

·         One in ten (12.6%) are concerned about expiration dates or fees and others would rather stretch their budget farther by buying items on sale (9.1%).

·         Others worry that the recipient will lose it or never use it (5.3%),

·         Consumers are concerned that the company will go out of business (5.6%)

·         Consumers aren’t sure which company to buy a card from (6.6%).  

 

As the popularity of gift cards continues to grow, NRF offers tips for all consumers considering gift cards this holiday season:

 

1.       Know the difference between gift card policies from retailers and banks.

2.       Personalize your gift card.

3.       Buy gift cards from reputable retailers.

4.       Spend your gift card, don’t save it.

5.       Keep your receipt.

 

Read the details at the National Retail Federation: Making the Most Out of Gift Cards This Holiday Season

 

New book puts a spotlight on the Bauhaus movement

"The Bauhaus Group: Six Masters of Modernism" In this informal group biography, art historian Nicholas Fox Weber, author of "Le Corbusier" (2008), profiles six key artists and architects from the experimental teaching institution known as the Bauhaus, which flourished in Germany amid the cultural ferment of the Weimar era only to be shuttered by the Nazis. Read: Bauhaus movement

 

 

the starving artist

Contrary to what you might hear about the starving artist, there is a great demand for people with artistic training, especially graphic designers and those with multi-media skills. Web and software companies hire thousands of artists each year. The advertising and publishing industries constantly need illustrators and photographers. All schools and small studios need art instructors, and museums recruit Art majors for staff positions. In fact, employment of artists is expected to grow by 16 percent through 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What is the Pinnacle Hills Arts & Food Festival?

Imagine a fine art and craft show and sale, live stage performances, and a picnic in a park set among the upscale shops and restaurants of the Pinnacle Hills Promenade in Northwest Arkansas.

 The Pinnacle Hills Arts & Food Festival features the very best chefs and  restaurants, the best in fine art and craft, and live entertainment from across Arkansas and the USA. Plus, the festival also presents the annual Living It Green Expo, the region’s leaders in sustainability, health and nutrition, eco-friendly products and services, and outdoor living and recreation.

 Join thousands of shoppers, art lovers, and foodies at the 4th annual Pinnacle Hills Arts & Food Festival this September 10-12, 2010.

 Admission and parking is free to the public.  Visit www.pinnaclehills.org for details and directions.

Henry T. Hopkins, painter and museum director, dies at 81

Henry T. Hopkins, a distinguished museum director and educator who played a leading role in establishing Los Angeles' art scene, has died. He was 81. From the LA Times:  Henry T. Hopkins dies at 81

The National Parks: America's Best Idea

Celebrate the new Ken Burns documentary The National Parks: America's Best Idea, a six-episode series that airs this week on PBS, with tips about enjoying and protecting our natural heritage.