About Us
Hi, and welcome to Art Gecko, a locally owned and operated shop in Madison, WI. Art Gecko travels to source the goods that it sells and can say that there exists a personal relationship with the suppliers. We've been buying from some of them since 1993!
Over the years we have maintained the bohemian edge that has tempered the taste of the items that we trade, as well as the the atmosphere in the shops themselves. We strive to provide a personal shopping experience and we hope that you like our choices as much as we do! The mix is eclectic, ranging from elegant to fun, vintage Native American Turquiose to contemporary designs in Jewelry, Clothing, Accessories, Housewares, Furnishings and maybe a painted wood cat or two!
Art Gecko started with a duffel bag and a free ticket. From there the world has been our oyster. If not our oyster, at least our Bakso (Indonesian meat ball soup of beef or chicken, made with copious quantities of MSG). From over night buses to all night vending, the character of Art Gecko has always been molded by it's experiences. We have made many 'platform friends' in India, played Capoeira in Bkk, and played alot of drums on the beach in Bali. Art Gecko has always been about exploration, cultural awareness as well grass roots commerce.
This is trade that is done from a motor bike, that goes directly to the source of production, small shops or vendors who are, or represent the crafters of the items. We deal primarily with small manufacturers of cottage industry crafts. This unique approach unables us to gather an exciting mix of goods. They are sometimes beautiful and sometimes irreverent, but always have a story.
Our local knowledge extends to both sides of the globe, kitchy cool in Madison or trendy in Thailand, we like to mix it up with quality gear from arould the globe. We take the feedback from our customers and pass it on to the suppliers, creating a bridge between the two worlds. This helps us keep our quality up and helps our suppliers know which items are viable in other markets. We are the mutual 'facebook friend' that might not happen otherwise.
Time has passed and sometimes we fly instead of taking the 3rd class bus, use fedex instead of running the gauntlet at customs (homeland security, in the parlance of our times). Yet we maintain the face to face personal connection that has been the bedrock of the business. We appreciate you giving us the opportunity to present the artifacts, stones, jewels, historias y peliculas that make up the fabric of ours lives
Thank you come again,
ART
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