Permanent Handicraft Expo Launched

A permanent exhibition of handicrafts was launched on Wednesday at the premises of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, during a ceremony in which selected artisans were also honored with the national award of excellence.
Marking the national heritage week (May 18-24), the event features over 750 handmade works of art that competed at the 2nd Fajr International Handicrafts and Traditional Arts Festival held from January 21-30. 
ICHHTO head Ali Asghar Mounesan honored the winners of the festival with the national award of excellence for handicrafts, ILNA reported.  
"The award encourages the competitive spirit among artisans and helps promote quality," Mounesan said. 
  Tapping the Potential 
Speaking at the ceremony, Mounesan emphasized the handicrafts' potential for creating job opportunities and earning added value with the least amount of investment.
"Although highly profitable, the handicrafts industry faces a big shortcoming in marketing," the official said.