Our Store and Products
Located in scenic,historic downtown Chelsea, The Mission Marketplace is situated across the street from the delicious Common Grill and around the corner from the renowned Purple Rose Theatre. The Mission Marketplace resides in a century old building, where you will see remnants of a turn-of-the-century stone Tobacco add and a bricked in window. 
Guests will learn about the talented artisans from around the world while browsing through artful displays in a soothing and playful atmosphere bathed in nature's most beautiful palate. The Mission Marketplace represents a global marketplace and as guests wander and linger they are often reminded of their own travel experiences. People have generously referred to The Mission Marketplace as a global marketplace of peace where your purchases empower the artisans to build a better life for themselves and their families.
What's new at The Mission Marketplace?
One of the biggest benefits of being part of the Fair Trade movement is discovering new items and new ways in which people are choosing to make a positive impact upon the world. We are thrilled to share with you these new and exciting items at The Mission Marketplace. Please visit us to see these beautiful handmade items.
Tagua Nuts – You may have already thought we’ve gone nuts, (and we may already have!) but we have some new Tagua Nut carvings, jewelry, key chains and many other cool items.
Long before the introduction of inexpensive plastic buttons, about 20% of buttons manufactured in the United States were made from tagua nuts. In the 1920's tagua exports brought $5 million per year into Ecuador. Conservation International and other ecological groups have been instrumental in increasing the number of major companies who are once again using tagua, a sustainably harvested natural resource including the replanting of deforested areas. The Tagua Nut, commonly known as "vegetable ivory", earned its name from its ivory-like color and texture. With the near extinction of animal ivory, tagua nuts have become a highly valued commodity by artisans and consumers alike. In Ecuador, tagua is skillfully carved by artisans into figurines, key chains, Christmas ornaments, jewelry and boxes.
Children's Dreams Artwork – We have some lovely children’s drawings from the Kristan Refugee Camp in Ghana, inspired by a poem written by a local resident. These children, upon hearing the poem, drew pictures of their own dreams: some happy, some scary, some touching. The sale of these pictures help underwrite the Webster Scholar Program, helping children attend vocational school in Axim, Ghana.
Winter Warm Clothing – We are slowly starting to receive our quality knitted sweaters and winter wear. We have some wonderfully warm ‘Glittens’ (part glove/part mitten) in many colors and a few children sweaters.
New Jewelry – We are constantly challenged, amazedand inspired by the creativity and imagination of theartisans we represent.We have some incredibly beautiful horn necklaces andearrings from Kenya, Coconut inlayed pendants and earrings, and intricately woven reed earrings and rings from Ecuador. These pieces must truly be seen to appreciate.
Weaving Hope for Women: A Benefit Sale for the Women's Foundation of Nepal We are lucky to be featuring products benefiting The Women's Foundation of Nepal. This organization is a grassroots, social service organization dedicated to addressing issues of violence against women, human rights, and poverty. Products:
- DHAKA is a cotton textile, traditionally woven by Nepalese women in the high mountain areas. The finished products are rich, colorful, and vibrant, looking much more like silk than cotton. The inlay patterns of DHAKA are unique, and because it is hand woven, few pieces are exactly alike
- PASHMINA has become well known as the softest, warmest wool on earth. Its wonderful draping qualities, combined with stunning colors, beading, and embroidery, make it a versatile yet elegant accessory. The wool is combined with 30% silk for durability and warmth. The processing does not use the harsh chemical softeners, used by most producers to fluff up the wool fibers, which ultimately leads to unsightly pilling and a shorter life for the product. When these chemicals are used, they are a source of toxic water pollution in Nepal, as well as endangering worker's health. The colors used come from environmentally friendly dyes.
Chinese Calligraphy Scrolls, We are thrilled to be carrying beautiful hand made calligraphy scrolls from L.P. Imports, an ethically traded organization committed to bringing Chinese culture to America. These scrolls are done by Xinchun Peng, a senior teacher of calligraphy (ShuFa) in the Henan Provence. His work preserves a traditional art form and passes his talent onto future generations. We are able to work with the supplier to custom order your name, phrase, brief poem.
MotherTongue Tee Shirts, Michelle lives between her mother tongue, Afrikaans, and American English. As someone born and raised in South Africa, she brought to the United States 
values of community and being that are very different from North American culture. Eleven years after leaving South Africa, however, she is more convinced than ever that one culture can educate another. And so MotherTongues, was born. They started with words known to us that can't be directly translated into English. They print these words on T-shirts and defined the words in a poetic description on the back of the shirt. The first T-shirt they did was “ubuntu,” a Zulu or Xhosa word from South Africa. Ubuntu is a term for humaneness, for caring, sharing and being in harmony with all of creation. In “No Future Without Forgiveness” Archbishop Desmond Tutu says this about the concept of ubuntu: “Ubuntu is very difficult to render into a Western language. It speaks of the very essence of being human. When we want to give high praise to someone we say, ‘Yu u nobuntu’; ‘Hey, so-and-so has ubuntu.’ Then you are generous, you are hospitable, you are friendly and caring and compassionate. You share what you have … We belong in a bundle of life. We say, ‘A person is a person through other persons …’” Tutu adds: “A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.” There are already six shirts in the MotherTongues line. Besides ubuntu, they have:
- gezellig (Dutch): togetherness that knows no time
- abrazo (Spanish): may our souls unite
- shalom – salam (Hebrew – Arabic): let peace and justice kiss
- dadirri (Aboriginal Australian), listen. wonder. nurture. Mother Earth
- satyagraha (Sanskrit – India): my soul at peace with yours
RESTOCKED ITEMS AT THE MISSION MARKETPLACE
- Brushkins
- Puzzle Boxes,
- Kites
- Jackaranda Earrings
- Putumayo CDs
- Recycled Map Stationary