Our Inspiration
The idea of The Culture Shop was borne in 1998 from love of art and anthropology; close contact with an extensive collection of international treasures found within the Smithsonian Museums; and ultimately, an appreciation for the richly diverse and welcoming community of Historic Takoma - which borders both Maryland and Washington, DC. The owners had a vision of one day introducing the artistic beauty of our global community to a sophisticated and yearning audience. This passion has grown into The Culture Shop.

Our Mission
The Culture Shop provides an exciting offering of personal and decorative accessories sourced from indigenous craftspeople around the world, including the United States. We promote social and economic progress of talented artisans in developing countries by marketing their products in a fairly-traded manner. We educate our audience through socially and culturally conscious events; through our book store, we host educational programs for children and adults. We aim to become the region's top destination for an ethnically rich selection of handcrafted objects that exude the spirit and culture of these artisans; we will offer our discerning friends and patrons a varied selection of high quality and rare products -- each representing the best, the very best our global community has to offer.