CASA NOVA Where Craft and Art Meet Photos Linda Carfagno
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atalie Fitz-Gerald likes to refer to her shop as a “visual feast,” which accounts for how often she produces that special “wow” factor among her customers. The Santa Fe resident owns Casa Nova, an up-market gallery located in the city’s historic Railyard district. Creating a medley of cultural fusion, Fitz-Gerald personally sources her stock from primarily African countries, though other regions of the world are also represented. “I was born in South
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Africa,” she notes, “and for many years I admired all the wonderful art being created in rural cooperatives. I knew I wanted to open a store one day and sell those exceptional products.” “I work with anywhere from 25 to 30 cooperatives at any given time,” says Fitz-Gerald. “It’s a collaborative effort with regards to design, product development and marketing, and I always strive to be very sensitive to issues of heritage and tradition.”
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