NICHE magazine, a trade publication for retailers of fine
craft, has announced the jurors for next year’s NICHE Awards competition for
American and Canadian craft artists.

Named were David W. Cochran, president and CEO,
Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America; Tara Gentile, editor of
Scoutie Girl blog; Cheryl Hartley, general manager of Tamarack: The Best of
West Virginia, which showcases West Virginia handcrafts and regional cuisine;
Oanh Nguyen, a retail jeweler and president of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the
Women’s Jewelry Association; Paige Reed Riley, owner of Hillyer House, a
gallery in Ocean Springs, Miss.; Diane Shelly, executive director of the
nonprofit Florida Craftsmen.

NICHE will announce the finalists in late November and
invite them to display their work in a special exhibit at the Buyers Market of
American Craft trade show scheduled for Feb. 18–21, 2011, in Philadelphia.
Winners will be announced at the show.

This year the professional division drew more than 850
entries in nearly 40 categories. The NICHE Awards also has a student division,
which is judged separately.

JCK