Joel Weidner, the Board Chairman of the State College Ten Thousand Villages store, showed off a bronze singing bowl made in Nepal.
“They’re really cool. They can be used for meditation or just as beautiful pieces of art,” Weidner said.
The bowl is one of many fair-trade international goods sold at the nonprofit store that opened on South Atherton Street last month. On Friday, the store will kick off a welcome week to celebrate its opening.
Weidner says events will include a ribbon cutting, meditation sessions, a drum circle and musical performances.
Ten Thousand Villages sells products from 30 developing countries. Among the handcrafted goods are jewelry, pottery, pillows and books.
Store Manager Kieran Holland said the goal is to create sustainable income for artisans.
“I could tell you a dozen stories about each item in this store about how it helps people break out of the cycle of poverty,” Holland said.
It took two years of fundraising, but the store is ready to welcome visitors.
