HUDSONS


	art :: antiques :: jewelry :: persian rugs :: collectibles

112 Mass MoCA Way :: North Adams MA :: 01247 :: 413.664.6530 :: skimusic@gmail.com

Jane and Jeff Hudson at HUDSONS (photo: Charles Giuliano)

Showing off the arts of the Berkshires
By Jennifer Huberdeau, North Adams Transcript
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Monday, February , 2008
NORTH ADAMS — When artists Jane and Jeff Hudson made the decision to move from Boston to the Berkshires several years ago, neither one dreamed they would own an antiques store — let alone two.
The couple recently opened their latest venture, Hudsons, a 950-square-foot arts and antique store in the former Capacity space, next to Café Latino, at the Massachusetts Museum of Contem-porary Arts complex on Marshall Street.
"We officially opened about a week ago," Jeff Hudson said Friday afternoon. "So far the response has been very nice. People keep asking us how we're going to run two stores. My answer is that there are two of us. One of us works here, the other at the other store. We switch during the day and talk to each other on our cell phones."
The pair opened North Adams Antiques at 47 Main St. last March. But while each store features art and antiques, each has a different character and charm.
"We really want to show off the arts and crafts of the Berkshires, along with American antiques" Hudson said. "We believe that when people come out here, they want to see and buy items that are intrinsic to the area. They don't want to go to a
Advertisementstore of things they could buy on the Internet."
Included in the mix of locally-made pottery, jewelry and paintings at Hudsons are hand-woven woolen hats crafted from llama and alpaca wool by Lars and Gayle Garrison of West Mountain Farm in Stamford, Vt.
"We have handcrafted purses made by Martin and Alicia Zalud of Adams, along with vintage purses and bags," Hudson said. "A lot of the local items are on consignment, but we also buy some of the jewelry items outright to help the artisans out."
While Hudsons offers more high-end antiques and rugs than North Adams Antiques, he stressed that he and his wife strive to keep a mix of lower-ticket items among its offerings as well.
"Jane and I don't necessarily price our items at market price," he said. "We price them fairly. We don't want people to come into our antique stores and be intimidated by the prices."
One shopper, an artist from Washington D.C., who is staying in the area while she uses the Gravity Press at the Beaver Mill, re-marked on the unique appeal of the store.
"It's a really beautiful store," she said. "It's very unexpected as well. I've been all around, and its an amazing find."
Hudson said he hopes to drive traffic from the museum to the store on Main Street as well.
"North Adams has great opportunities," he said. "With the Sol LeWitt gallery opening this year (at Mass MoCA), I expect it to draw in at least another 50,000 people a year during the first few years. Carol LeWitt, the artist's widow, was here during our first week. She bought a lovely rug."
He's also hoping the store will attract more local people to the museum complex.
"Once you get over here, you realize exactly how much is actually going on, with all the business and the activities and programming," Hudson said.
He and his wife believe they will have little trouble making both stores a success.
"It's so much easier to do business here than in Boston, where it's just cost prohibitive," he said. "Here, you can come in and get a start. Besides, Jane and I love working for ourselves. We've spent most of our lives working for other people."
He also credited the support of Mass MoCA officials, including museum director Joseph Thompson and Blair Benjamin, along with Mayor John Barrett III and officials at city hall, including City Clerk Marilyn Gomeau, with making the process as easy as possible to make the store happen.
For more information or store hours, call 413-664-6530.