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Yes, but we need to know a bit more information first.  Some items may be restricted from import into some countries.  Also, the cost of mailing may become too prohibitive.  If you live outside the US or Canada, and you see something that you like, please contact us by email and we will let you know the total cost and if we can ship the item to you.

There are also some countries that have very bad reputations as havens for fraud.  If you live in one of these countries, you have our sympathy, but we must make special arrangments for payment and delivery there.  We also reserve the right not to ship if we consider the risk to be too high.

We typically ship our packages through the United States Postal Service's Priority Mail. We believe that the cost savings one gains with parcel post is not worth the risk of having the pieces in transit for longer times.

However, you may request either the parcel rate ( usually about 10-14 days S&H within the US), or the express mail rate (usually about 1-2 days within the US, and the S & H is a much higher cost).  The amount of time needed can be influenced by the traffic at the post office, so expect things to take a bit longer around the December Holiday Season.

Although this is a matter of personal preference, Prairie House Gallery automatically insures all packages valued at over $50.00. We trace every domestic package and most global packages.

Generally, the United States Post Office is very reliable. Still, even the most careful carrier can have an accident. We know that it can happen, and we want to protect you!.

It's called a uvula. 

At Prairie House Gallery, we believe that when you compare our product to these other sites, you will be happy with our site and that you will return here when we suite your needs. Besides, when you comparison shop for quality and value, we at Prairie House believe we will compare favorably.

We have chosen to include ads for other web sites to help reduce the cost of maintaining our site. This practice allows us to keep our prices lower. We respect or customers, and have opted to provide you with addtional information on the items you might seek by using targeted ads from Google.   We have asked Google to block all sexually explicit ads, in the hope of remaining a friendly website for all.

Prairie House tries its best to be Earth-friendly when possible. We try to use recycled materials for shipping, but if none are available, we may use new packaging materials.  Our office supplies are often reused or recycled, or have a high post-consumer content. 

HOWEVER, we cannot demand this in our art work. The choice of paper, canvas, or other materials is really decided by the artist.  Most artists strive to provide you with long-lasting acid-free paper products whenever possible.  Unfortunatly, recycled papers have a high acid content and are thus not appropriate for use.

Recycling is good buisness!  It is one of those win-win-win situations where everyone benefits if done correctly. Despite our policy, we do not skimp on packing peanuts.  We do strive to reuse styrofoam peanuts OR to use bio-degradable peanuts.  Because of our location, we often need to use what we can get locally, and we try to strike a balance between recycling packaging and wasting gas and oil.

We hope to offer birch bark baskets and birch bitings in the future. First we need to be certain that we have an Earth-friendly source. Most basket makers are very responsible.  However, there have been problems with some basket makers taking too much bark and thus killing trees.

Before we take on an artist who works in birch bark, we need to know that they use bark in a responsible manner. That means getting to know the artists. We have a lead on a birch-bark artist among the Turtle Mountain Ojibwa, but we haven't had the opportunity to formalize our links yet.

Mata Ortiz is a Mexican Pueblo located in the Copper Canyon region. Currently, members of this Pueblo are reviving their tradition of making fine copper jewelry.  The pieces offerred by Prairie House Gallery are among the first products of this revival! 

Earlier, the Pueblo at Mata Ortiz successfully revived their pottery tradition. If the progression of the jewelry craft at Mata Ortiz mirrors their history with pottery, then these pieces of early Mata Ortiz jewelry will hold a significant historical place in the history of the community

It depends.  Sometimes, we know the jeweler personally. For most of us, we are denied that privilage.

Some jewelers may not sign their art work but they have a very distinctive style that is difficult to forge. Alternatively, their reputation just doesn't warent forgery.  Many great artists failed to sign their early pieces just because they never saw themselves as great artists, or because it was outside their cultural tradition.

More frequently, the identity of the unsigned piece can be authenticated by the gallery, who sometimes can trace the work back to the purchase from the artist or from a respected trader.  Much of our southwestern art was purchased from the a trading-post family that had been in the buisness for several generations. 

When Prairie House Gallery offers an unsigned piece of work, we will authenticate it in one of the following ways.

1. We confirm the identity by knowing the artist or the buyer who worked with the artist. 

2. If we cannot make a definitive atribution but the work and its history point to a particular artist, we will tell you state that the work is "attributed" to the artist.

3. If we are uncertain of who made the piece, we will simply state that the artist is unknown and give it history as we know it (usually our point of purchase).

 

(NB: Be aware that a signed piece of work is also not always a guarentee that the work is by that artist.  For example, "Maria", the Pueblo potter of the early 20th century, would often sign pots made by her friends.  Signing was outside of their artistic tradtion.  Maria and her friends saw nothing wrong with helping a each other sell pottery by having her sigin her well-known name to a similar pot.)

Overlay tends to get surface scratches that detract from its appearance. Assuming that there are no other metals or stones, the process is straight forward. 

Get the finest grade of steel wool that is available, preferably a "000" grade or a lower number, andbrush the surface in a single direction (not back and forth). This revives the shine and beauty of the overlay.  If there are other metals, or if there are inlayed stones, then you should take the piece to someone who has experience with restoration.

Not really.  Some great artists have painted on really poor quality papers.  Often they did so because they lacked the funds for better stock.  Norvell Morriseau, for example, painted his first works on butcher paper because that is all he had.  Many works by Tom Thompson, the Canadian Impressionist, were oil sketches on little sheets of wood.

However, the kind of paper does impact the longevity of the piece. A good paper for art work  would be low acid or acid free paper. Papers that are low acid or that are acid free are the traditional prefered choices by most artists.

Sometimes artists choose other papers to get a specific effect. Some finishes, such as satin, gloss, and semigloss, are not yet available on acid-free papers.  When using these papers, the artist typically looks for a reduced acid content. In this case, you can minimize the damage from the acid and extend the life of your picture by using pH-buffered matting and backing.  Your framer will be able to help you with this choice.

The terms are often used interchangably. However, many artists restrict the use of the term "print" to images produced specifically for a medium designed for reproduction.  These media include etching, lithograph, serographs, monoprints, and photography. 

If the image was originally designed to produce a unique image in a different media, such as painting or drawing, THEN the images produced in multiple copies in a second media are called "reproductions". Many artists make drawings and paintings specifically with this goal in mind.

Both prints and reproductions are valued forms of art, but as a buyer, you have a right to know which of these art forms your are buying.

Prairie House Gallery observes this basic distinction in all of its labeling.

A Limited Edition print, reproduction, or other work of art, is an image reproduced in a specific number of times. Usually, this is expressed as a series of numbered images.  The total edition size is the numbered images plus all the "proofs". Typically, the artist signs the print.  He or she then places a fraction somewhere on the image.  The bottom number gives you the size of the edition or "run."

The top number of the fraction is a bit more tricky.  In traditional print making, it gives the order in which the image was reproduced ("pulled") from the plate or stone.  Lower numbers were considered more valuable by collectors, because these prints came off the new master image.

Some modern printing processes, such as Giclee, have images that are crisp and clear throughout the run.  The last image can be as crisp and clear as the first.  However, by tradition, some collectors still prefer the first 10% to 20% of the numbers. Many artists restrict these lower numbers, selling them in portfolio sets, offering them first to repeat customers or to specific galleries.

In addition to the limited edition (LE) prints, an artist can make as many open edition prints as he or she wishes.  However, these are not numbered, and are not considered as collectable as the LE prints. Artists often use a different kind of paper to produce these prints. This prevents forgers from altering them to forge an LE print.

No.  Typically, variations in the prints are very minor. In traditional print making, there can be variations in pressure, in ink, or in plate preperation that can lead to variation within the run of prints.

Other artists may actually vary the colours, the paper, or add hand-done highlights to produce purposeful variety among their prints.  In the Prairie House Collection, Diwali by M. Readeyis one such hand-finished print.

Prairie House Gallery will let you know if there are significant purposeful variations in the images it sells. 

Some artists also hand finish their prints to make each one a slightly different work of art.

This is a great question and a sore spot with many serious artists.

The answer is No set size.  Some artists will use this designation for runs as high as 10,000!  Obviously, by that point, the concept of "limited" becomes a bit silly.  (Salvador Dali was infamous for just such behavior.)

Prairie House Gallery currently has no limited editions by our house artists that are sized over 400. As policy, we will not carry limited editions with over 1000 signed and numbered images in the run without a disclaimer to this effect. 

Similarly, Prairie House Gallery also does not knowingly allow artists to produce "multiple runs" (sets) of the same image.  For example, Salvador Dali would produce a large LE run of the same image in Japan, in Europe, and in the United States.  Prairie House Gallery considers this practice to be unethical.

However, PHG does allow the artist to produce an open edition of a limited edition print or photo. We also allow the artist to produce a single, second limited edition set of smaller images, such as greeting card images. This practice is considered to be ethical. It can help meet the demand for a popular image without devaluing the investment of the collector.

Both limited and open editions may also have one or more "proofs" associated with the image. 

A proof can be an initial or early print used to test the quality of the image, as the print maker perfects the colours and the papers for the run.  Sometimes, these proofs are more valuable or less valuable because they are in a different colour or have a different tonal value than the other prints.

Artists Proofs (AP) are images outside the edition number, and have some special connection to the artist.  Traditionally, they were given to the artist as part of their payment for a series by a gallery. Today that rule does not always apply. Just as limited edition prints are considered more collectable than open edition prints, numbered proofs are considered more valuable than proofs that are not numbered. Some collectors also prefer prints marked as proofs.

Several factors can damage works on paper. The more important of these threats include acid, ligands, light, temperature, and humidity.  Framing is meant to protect the works against these foes.

Matting and tape should be acid free. Use only tapes designed specifically for matting art work.  Other tapes contain glues that can transmit acids or that can leave a layer of glue that will feed a colony of bacteria that can eat your art work!  (Masking tape is right out!) Also, the tape should only be applied as a narrow hinge at the top.  Traditional framers would often use an acid-free rice paper and a quality starch for this process.

Metal frames are safer than wooden frames.  Woods contain ligands that also slowly destroy paper.  If you must use a wooden frame, make certain that the framer uses a barrier tape or barrier paper to protect the paper and the mat.

Light damages images. Ultraviolet light really degrades images over time.  UV bleaches the colours and changes their values relative to each other.  This problem is particularly troublesome with many digital printing inks.

Light damage can be minimized in two ways.  First, a UV-resistant glass can be used in front of your work on paper.  (An even better option is museum glass, but then you are talking big bucks.)  Second, the work can be hung away from direct light.

Humidity and temperature vary with your climate.  Within your home, you can take some basic precautions with works on paper.  Keep them away from obvious sources of humidity, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and above fish tanks. If a work is particularly valuable, you may consider a museum quality framethat seals the work in the frame.  If you are going to buy that kind of frame, be certain to also get muesum glass in the protective set.

Your best bet: If you have spent the money for a good piece of art work, spend a bit of time looking for a really good framer.  It can make the difference between many years of enjoyment or an ugly premature death of the artwork.

Prairie House Gallery is pleased to offer

North Dakota Wheat Weaving!

Wheat weaving is a form of folk art practiced in Ireland and in the British Isles.  The traditional weaver started by choosing the specific shafts of wheat, prepared them, and wove then wove them into a decorative form. 

Prairie House Gallery has obtained works by such a wheat-weaver, Ms. H. Gilbert.  Ms. Gilbert controls the entire process from growing and selecting her own wheat to weaving the pieces into a finished art work.  She learned the art from her mother, who learned it from her grandmother, who broght the art to the Dakotas from the British Isles.  She trained in art, and spent many years as an art teacher.  She is now retired from teaching, but she continues her practice of weaving masterpieces in wheat.

Despite what many dealers will tell you, dream catchers are NOT traditional products. They appear to have been evolved in the late 20th century among the Plains and Woodland nations. Although stories differ, most accounts indicate that dream catachers originated in the last half of the 20th century, probably with the Ojibwa or with the Sioux (Lakota). Originally, they were little more than souvineers, but they have evolved far beyond that.  Other art forms that started the same way include the Pueblo Story Tellers, black Pueblo pottery, and the Tesuque Rain Gods.

Despite their modern origins, dream catchers are now a common art form common among many Plains and Woodland peoples. In their basic form, they consist of a web pattern within a frame.  

String, rope, leather, and fishing line are commonly used. Items are imbedded into the web based on the type of dream desired. The net is designed to be hung in the sleeping area, catching desirable dreams while leaving the undesirable ones slip through the holes.  (Because of their connection to sleep and dreaming, it is unnecessary to hang a dream catcher from a car mirror, unless you plan to sleep while you drive.) 

Today, the Dream Catcher has started its path of recognition from a novelty to a respected form art.  Proficient makers now make three dimensional catchers, beaded catchers, and feathered catchers in a variety of shapes and colours.  Makers of Dream Catchers are now becoming recognized for their artistry. Prairie House Dream Catchers go beyond the typical spider-web patterns and into the realm of fine works of art.  We offer 3-D dream catchers and small ones in the form of animals! 

The trouble with success is that it invides fakes. Today, many dreamcatchers, especially those offerred by some large department stores, are made in China. 

All of the dreamcatchers on our site have been purchased directly from the artist.  Upon request, we will include a COA that authenticates the piece with the name of the artist, and his or her tribal affiliation. 

The Jingle Dress has its roots in Ojibwa (Chippewa/ Anishnuabe) culture. There are various stories about its origins.  The most accepted history holds that a shaman had a dream that women should wear these dresses (probably made with hooves then) to help in healing. 

In the beginning,  women would then have adorned the dresses with antler or hooves to make a pleasant noise.  Later, women used spent bullet casings. The next phase used lids of cans, especially from tobacco cans, shaped into the jingles.  Today, women make jingles specifically for this purpose.  However, by tradition and from economic necessity, many women continue to fashion jingles from can lids. 

The Ojibwa shared this dance with other nations.  Today, many First Nations do a version of the jingle dance, and the tradition now spans much of North America.

We don't take credit cards for a few reasons. 

First, the costs of accepting cards is prohibitive.  The monthly charges would be outragous and could more than double our overhead.  It would cost you far more to shop here if we were to accept them. 

Second, there is so much credit card fraud over the net, both by buyers and by sellers, that we would prefer not to be involved in processing credit card numbers in any way, shape, or form.

Third, we are striving to become more pay-as-you-go in our own consumption.  We would be hippocritical if we actively encouraged credit-card use, especially in this difficult economic time.

However, for your convenience and safety, we encourage you to pay via PayPal. We've used it frequently and we love the service.  You can link a credit card to that account if you so wish, or use it for on-line debit.  We find it safe and secure, and no, we don't have any vested interest in the company.  It just provides both of us with an extra layer of protection.