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  Angela Jones November 22, 2011 at 5:09pm

  Ok. I have found the smoking gun evidence here are the links: This one is their trademark info for the EU and it names  different person from the "artists" selling the product and the owner is based in Columbia: http://trademark.markify.com/trademarks/ctm/mistura/009221292

  Here is the US trademark info naming yet another different owner who supposedly lives in TX but had an attorney in Puerto Rico file for the trademark: http://www.trademarkia.com/mistura-85217134.html

   

  And finally, here is a link to a distributor of goods based in Prague who lists Mistura as one of the companies it represents. Note that they deal in import/export goods and the description for Mistura says they are a South American based company and have "specially trained artisans" producing the watches: http://www.pragueconnect.cz/en/s650/Business/Business-Directory/c17...

  Anyone can print this information out and keep it on them for the next time these people send their employees to an art festival to take valuable income away from true artists.
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  Angela Jones November 22, 2011 at 12:20pm

  I've been seeing them around too and it is always a different person selling the product. Without naming names or shows here, I would recommend that anyone else who wants to pursue this do an internet search for the names of the two supposed artists creating these watches and add the words 2011 artist list in front of their names. It will not take you long to discover that they are getting in two different shows for the same weekend multiple times per year. As most fine art/fine craft shows contract states, if more than one person is creating the work, both need to be present at the show. They are not allowed to send reps. If we all band together, by e-mailing shows to inform them of this travesty, or print out the artist lists for future reference as evidence. If you see them at a show, present this evidence to the show directors. I know I have gotten rejected from shows where these people are being given a booth. There is no telling how many other real artists are losing income because of this highly commercial company.
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  Kittie Rue Deemer September 29, 2011 at 4:32pm

  Coming late to the party, but reading through the whole thread.   I'm currently on page 6, interesting stuff, for sure.  I just now went to the Mistura website.  The statements remind me of a program that circulated around IBM in the 80's.  It was kind of a prank document generator.  You could put in parameters, like "serious", contemplative, sincere, etc.  The document generated would just be a bunch of words strung together to sound that way.   And here's a sentence that made me snort out loud from the website: "Resuscitating the seeds of life, Mistura is the epitome of understated elegance that moves with the demands of today’s lifestyle, accompanying exotic woods and organic materials that metamorphose comfort couture and personify “Green” luxury."  Pretty long run-on sentence.  

     I mean really?  "resuscitating the seeds of life?"  Are they growing tree seedlings?  How do you bring a dead seed of life back to life anyhow?    Oh well, on to page 7.  Oh!  And I'd be happy to be a juror.  I have an opinion.   :-)
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  Barry Bernstein September 29, 2011 at 3:27pm

  There are copyright laws, in this country, that say that anything made in a foreign country, must have a Country of Origin label on it.  If it doesn't a complaint filed with the FTC or perhaps the justice department might solve the problem.  It may require a session with a lawyer knowledgeable on the subject. If a show writes in it's brochure, or, contract that you sign, that the work must be made by the exhibitor, and after you point this out to the promoters, like in the Baltimore case stated above, they do nothing.  It may be possible to successfully sue the show for not living up to it's contract. That would stop the behavior really fast.
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  Jillian Cori Lippert September 29, 2011 at 2:36pm

  Ok, now that we've worked on the Mistura watches, how about those people selling the hideous beaded hair combs?
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  Deborah Schran September 29, 2011 at 10:45am

  I did a show at Timonium (Baltimore) a few years ago Everything was supposed to be 'made by the artist'. My husband took a 'little' walk and found someone selling knock off handbags (Coach,Dooney,Kors, etc.). He went to tell the promoter that someone was selling bags they did not make & that is was illegal to sell knock off items. The promoter's response......Well,someone had to make them somewhere.  WE COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT RESPONSE. We will not do a show again with Country Peddler.  The promoter was just trying to fill empty tables.

   
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  Bonnie Eastwood September 29, 2011 at 10:14am

  I was at an art show in NY this Summer, for once I was not the artist questioning this buy-sell "woodcarver", but it was brougt to her attention.  She said "I am the boss, you're OUT"  they said" prove it", she said, :"I don't have to." Simple as that, she got the police and they left.  I still say it is not rocker science.  Tables brimming with carvings of flowers with a bird upon them, for 48 bucks.  They are at least 70 years old, it isn't that difficult to figure out.  I really is the integrity of who ever is running the shows.  Some just don't care, the buy-sell folks seem to do better, price points are better than a real artist, making one by one, one at a time.  Consistency in a booth is a dead give away, I mean LACK of Consistency.  Most artists present a body of work.  Just a thought
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  Lois Songer September 18, 2011 at 9:53pm

  These people applied and were accepted to our show about 4 years ago......... after I called and "grilled" them about their work and who made it and all that....... they had the story down well.  I should have stuck by my gut impression......... after the show the artist next to them came up to me and told me about what he heard during the show and that they unpacked sealed boxes with packing material, shipping info on outside and stuff with their "products" in them from South America somewhere.  They were in based in Texas at that time.  When they applied the next year I sent all the materials back including application fee and said, they were not invited to apply to our show as they didn't meet the requirements of artist made work.  I've told every show director I know and they have been the subject on many forums.  The thing is they are wonderfully designed watches ...... they need to just sell wholesale to  boutiques or gift stores and they would be fine.  Just don't misrepresent yourself! RAzZin FrAZzin!
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  lori kay September 18, 2011 at 12:50pm

  That's awesome. I just emailed a show where they are exhibiting in a few weeks, I'll post the reply if I get one.
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  Connie Mettler September 18, 2011 at 12:34pm

  This morning I received an email from the "anonymous" show director and she asked me to post the following information: She has emailed Juan Barreneche and Daniel Schemel with the allegations against them - giving them a fair opportunity to explain themselves. She is specifically asking about 4 people working for them that are not listed on their application and what their roles are, how they have time to make 85 hour watches while providing stock to over 15 stores and 3 online sites while attending many art festivals and specialty shows and asking them to elaborate on how they create their watchbands, which have been rumored to be purchased not handmade. She has set a response deadline of tuesday at 5 pm central. If they are unable to explain themselves sufficiently or fail to respond, she is removing them from the show. She wants to thank everyone on this blog for giving her enough clues to be able to approach them.