ART GUY WORKSHOP
For Valerie Bernhard, the signature TURKISH TOWELS bearing her son Arthur Guy’s name represent more than nice beach supplies. The New Orleans native views this product line as her own new chapter in life. The Louisiana mother gave birth to her son prematurely in 2015, and, after health scares passed with her infant, she was hospitalized with life-threatening complications from the birth. Facing death at 36 years old with an infant at home, Bernhard spent weeks in the hospital and begged to go home to heal with her family around. “I said then, I’ve got to slow down and enjoy the time I’ve been given with my baby,” she says. After her recovery, she turned away from full-time graphic design work and moved with her husband and child to Sarasota. She now runs the Art Guy Workshop from home, screening towels with logos and mindful statements. As for the product itself, Bernhard got introduced by her sister to Turkish towels and thought the lightweight product seemed perfect for baby time or beach use. She found a family-owned business in Turkey to supply the woven materials, and now sells towels, bags and ponchos, with special round towels becoming a sort of signature part of the line. She’s started attending flea markets but sells most of her wares online at artguyworkshop.com. –J.Ogles