Old Brazil Crosses Borders

Wednesday, 09 November 2011 22:35

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Tucson is a place where cultures constantly converge. Old Brazil is a prime example of this never ending convergence. The furniture and home décor shop features items from Brazil which the owner hand selects during trips to the South American country.

Located in The Lost Barrio downtown, Old Brazil has been in business for the past seven years. Owner Carolyn Murphy opened up the shop after living in Rio de Janeiro and studying there as a student for several years.

Of the items sold at Old Brazil about 80 percent of them are directly from Brazil, while the other 20 percent come from other countries like Morocco and Thailand, as well as from Tucson.

“Some stuff is local by artists, but primarily the furniture is all Brazilian,” said store manager Eliza Craig.

The furniture from Brazil includes massive tables, armoires, chairs, hutches, shelves, trunks and end tables. The items are hand painted and made in Brazil. The enormous tables are made from reclaimed wood.

“The pieces are created by local people down there, it’s not a mass produced thing it’s more of an artisan,” said Craig. “So it’s giving employment to the people in Brazil.”

The store sells jewelry, paintings and photography by Tucson artists. There are tiled tables from Morocco and metal angles from Thailand. Also featured are woven tapestries from a village in Ecuador made by the local people there. And that’s just the beginning.

The Lost Barrio will host a block party December 1, 2011 featuring music, food and festivities for the public. Old Brazil will participate along with the other shops located in the shopping district.

Old Brazil store manager, Eliza Craig, describes the process through which owner Carolyn Murphy gets the furniture from Brazil to her shop in downtown Tucson:

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