The Cambridge Artists Cooperative began on Harvard Square’s Brattle Street in 1987 as a seasonal holiday store called Christmas Secrets. It was a success, and members decided to try it as a year-round business, renaming it and moving to a new space. This turned out to be a good idea: The cooperative has now been selling the work of artisans on Church Street for close to 40 years.

I was lucky to visit on a day when the store was staffed by Marcia Dean, a jeweler and quiltmaker who has been a member since the beginning. She told me that initially, all the artists were from New England, but makers from other parts of the country were soon allowed to apply for membership. (I wasn’t surprised to hear this, as I recognized Mohawk ceramic wall pieces that I know are made in Michigan.) All the work is on consignment and juried in by members, except during the always busy November-December holiday season.

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The membership has good taste! The work I saw in the shop was uniformly high quality and covered a wide range of media: woodwork, ceramics, weaving, prints and collages framed or matted, quilts, blown glass, stained glass, blank books, silk neckties, mobiles, kid’s sweaters, hats, gold, silver and enamel jewelry, greeting cards and more. All the jewelry is beautiful, and Dean told me that jewelry and glass are the biggest sellers, with handmade greeting cards a strong category too. I particularly liked the cards that had actual tiny knit pieces on the front (with toothpick knitting needles) sporting captions such as “Knitters Have Balls!” or “Don’t give her money, she’ll just buy more yarn.”  Other cards feature birds, landscapes or drawings. 

Some of the things I saw that really caught my eye: lovely and mysterious – as in “how did he make that?” – glass “implosion flower” marbles by Peter Zimmerman of Lowell; small praying-mantislike bugs made of bent silver forks; a print of a rather dour-looking woman titled “Without a Single Redeeming Vice”; porcelain asparagus and other vegetables by another Lowell artist, Myong Jung; Liz Lurie’s striking earrings and neckpieces made of real leaves or flower petals; Dean’s contemporary quilts, to cover your bed or hang on the wall; Barbara Goldstein’s adorable baby onesies with nature and animal themes; glass snowy owls and simple ceramic fountains; a stoneware platter by Ann Schunior with an octopus design. And don’t forget to look up! Wire mobiles and glass ornaments hang overhead by the sales desk. 

As American-made crafts are not inexpensive, I appreciated the price range of items the cooperative offers. Less-pricey items include fun and colorful pins for $12, glass heart magnets for $15, felt animal ornaments and, of course, the greeting cards. Knowing the expense of maintaining a glass or ceramic studio, or the time involved in making an intricate quilt, though, I found the shop’s prices very fair. And bonus: You can feel good about supporting people who make their living through art and craftwork. None are wealthy – it is definitely a labor of love.

When I moved to this area some 40 years ago, the American Craft movement was flourishing. There were two excellent galleries in Harvard Square alone, and many others throughout the Boston area. They’re much harder to find these days, but if you want to see the range of what craftspeople are making, and maybe buy yourself or a friend a gift in the process, the Cambridge Artists Cooperative is the place to go.

Cambridge Artists Cooperative, 59A Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge (noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday, with extend hours during the holidays and open on some Mondays. Call for specifics at 617-868-4434)