Artisan 133 showcases fashion, jewelry and other artworks
Sisters Beth Benoit and Cindy Riesing recently launched a business that resembles a year-round art festival.
The sisters, who grew up in Arlington Heights, have always enjoyed shopping at art fairs. In an effort to give this experience to shoppers on a daily basis, they opened Artisan 133 at 133 W. Prospect Ave. in Mount Prospect.
The shop, which opened just over a month ago, features handmade, one-of-a-kind items crafted by about 25 artists both locally and as far away as the Virgin Islands.
Shoppers will find a variety of items including beaded and semi-precious stone pieces, fine silver and other jewelry, pottery, wool hats and bags, luxury scarves and handmade cards. Paintings, photographs, collages, paper mache and prints are also available.
Art pieces run from $45 for a print to $1,400 paintings. Photographs range from $45 to $195. Jewelry is in the $17 to $195 price range.
"There's nothing else like this around here," said Benoit, a resident of Des Plaines. Benoit, 51, has worked as an urban planner and a reading tutor in the past.
Riesing, 55, resides in Mount Prospect and is employed as a CPA.
Artisan 133 will host a featured artist reception from 4 to 8 p.m. on the third Friday each month. Joni Allen of Palatine is featured March 21 with her pottery collection that includes works in porcelain, raku and stoneware.
The shop is open from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call (847) 670-8780.
Growing fast: Benefit Express, a benefits administration services and technology company in Arlington Heights, recently announced it reached and surpassed the $5 million mark for their 2007 revenue.
Benefit Express Services Ranks No. 720 on the 2007 Inc. list of 5,000 fastest-growing businesses.
Recent new local clients include Alexian Brothers, Cancer Treatment Centers of America and Fellowes.
New office opens: Jeanne Trigueros-Miller, a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist, recently expanded her practice in Des Plaines.
Trigueros-Miller operates Seeking Out Solutions at 946 Thacker St., Suite 132. She also provides children, adolescents, adults and couples with a broad range of confidential counseling services in Lake Villa.
In addition to individual counseling, the center also offers group counseling in the areas of anger management, assertiveness; and Take a Chance, a program that helps compulsive gamblers and their families regain control and healing and assistance in eliminating abusive relationships.