“HoonArts” is the fusion of the Tajik/Persian word for “craft” and the English word “arts,” which reflects our mission. We offer extraordinary hand-crafted gifts and accessories for the true lover of world culture, while building community and empowering artisans. Travel the exotic streets and mountain back roads of this little known corner of the world, explore the culture that reflects 3000 years of civilization, meet the people in our HoonArts community, and shop for one-of-a-kind and limited edition treasures crafted by master artisans on the other side of the globe. We are committed to Fair Trade principles in all aspects of our operations, so you can rest assured that your purchase is helping impoverished artisans build a brighter future for their families and communities. Come join us on this journey of a lifetime.
HoonArts is the fusion of the Tajik word “hoonar,” meaning “art” or “craft, and the English word “arts.” This linguistic fusion reflects our mission to serve as a bridge between Tajikistan and other Silk Road countries of Central Asia, and the US. Our mission is to bring unique, high quality hand-crafted products from Tajikistan and other Central Asian Silk Road countries to the US market, often for the first time, using Fair Trade principles. By introducing Tajik art and culture to America, we hope to help promote and preserve the traditional folk art methods, designs and techniques, while improving the economic well-being of the artisans.
Integrity: We honor our word in all we do. As one element of our commitment to integrity, we provide a 100% money-back guarantee on all our non-custom products. If you are not completely satisfied, you may return any non-custom purchase within 60 days of purchase for a 100% refund, provided it is returned in the same condition in which you received it. The return policy on custom products will be defined at the time of order.
Quality: We are committed to quality in every aspect of the HoonArts business. That means we sell only products that meet our high quality standards. Our 100% money-back guarantee on non-custom products is one aspect of our commitment to quality. We are also committed to making sure that our customer service and our business processes meet these same standards of quality. We welcome input from our customers and business partners to help us meet these standards.
Partnership: HoonArts is dedicated to the idea of partnership and mutual benefit with all the stakeholders in our enterprise, including our artisans, our customers, our volunteers and employees, and our other business relationships. We value input from all our stakeholders. Our goal is to create long-term, meaningful relationships with all our stakeholders.
Education: We are committed to sharing knowledge as part of our business process, in order to build closer relationships with all our stakeholders, and ultimately a more peaceful, prosperous, and connected global community. We will share information about our artisans, their history, culture and artistic traditions. We will also share general information that we believe our stakeholders will find useful and interesting. Our educational resources currently include:
This website and our online store.
We anticipate expanding these resources over time.
Global Community: We are committed to building a more peaceful, prosperous and connected global community. One aspect of that commitment is our “Community Counts” program. We donate 1% of each sale to Bridges to Tajikistan, and 1% of each sale to the nonprofit organization of the customer’s choice. For more details about our Community Counts program, click here.
Balance: We believe that one of the keys to creating a peaceful, prosperous and connected global community is balance in all aspects of life and business. For HoonArts, that means that as a business, we are committed to a triple bottom line: people, planet and profit, i.e. a focus that reflects our commitment to balancing social, environmental, and economic considerations. Our commitment to Fair Trade principles is one aspect of our pledge. We also value work/life balance for all the stakeholders in our enterprise. That means, for example, that we work closely with our artisans to take into account the family and other commitments that may impact their product delivery schedules.
If you see any aspect of our business that you believe is not consistent with our values, please send CEO Rikki Quintana a personal message at rikkiquintana@hoonarts.com, and we will respond within 48 hours (unless we’re traveling, and out of internet reach, in which case you’ll receive an automated message telling you when you can expect to hear from us). If you do not hear from us within 48 hours, you’ll receive a coupon for 10% off your next order.
Rikki QuintanaOwner and CEO
Rikki Quintana is the owner of HoonArts and co-founder of an affiliated nonprofit organization, Bridges to Tajikistan. She grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, attended the University of New Mexico, where she majored in Spanish, and went on to Law School at Stanford Law School. After a 31-year career in business law, Rikki returned her focus to her first passion—international communication and global connections that bring the world closer together
HoonArts, which is the first and only company working to build a sustainable US market for handcrafted products from Tajikistan, grew out of Rikki’s volunteer work in hosting short-term professional exchange delegations from around the world. She considers HoonArts her contribution to building a more peaceful, prosperous, and connected global community for all of us.
Bakhriddin Isamutdinov
Executive Director, Tourism Development Center of Tajikistn
HoonArts would not exist without the partnership of Bakhriddin, one of the Open World exchange delegates who was hosted by Bridges to Tajikistan in October 2014. As Executive Director of the Tourism Development Center of Tajikistan, Bakhriddin is one of the moving forces behind tourism development in Tajikistan, including the promotion and preservation of traditional Tajik handicrafts and the development of projects designed to improve the economic welfare of the rural population through ecotourism and craftsmanship. Bakhriddin has served as our primary coordinator on the ground in Tajikistan, helping with selection of artisans and products for our collections, quality assessment, photographs, shipping and so much more. Bakhriddin is a graduate of the Tajik National University.
Munira Akilova
Armughon Handicrafts Manager
Munira Akilova, of Khujand, Tajikistan, is HoonArts’ gateway into the world of the textile arts in Tajikistan. She owns her own textile handicrafts business, Arinumcrafts. Munira also acts as handicrafts manager for Armughon Handicrafts, the handicrafts arm of the Zerafshan Tourism Development Association. Munira began her professional career in economics and spent 14 years as a university teacher, before she decided to leave the university and turn her embroidery hobby into a full-time business. Whenever she creates a new design, she “always tries to put a part of Zerafshan into it. It means all of products should have Zerafshani ornaments/patterns.” She also thinks deeply about how the product will be used, by whom and when, and then focuses on color. As she explained, “Each piece has its own meaning.” This is the process that led to the development of Munira’s product designs that have received the UNESCO Award of Excellence for Handicrafts. Munira’s passion is teaching and empowering the rural women with whom she works.
HoonArts could not function without its extraordinary team of volunteers. They assist with research, local craft and trunk shows, marketing, and so much more.
Gayle Ewing
Gayle is a retired foreign language teacher and she also worked in the retail art business. She is passionate about singing and pastel painting.
Sarah Atkeison Sarah is retired from the health care industry. She keeps busy with her passion for sewing and other textile arts.
