For original art, visit Eva Wilkin Gallery, Clay Ghaut, Gingerland (tel. 869/469-2673). Wilkin was the island's most famous artist; even Prince Charles showed up to look at her work. Until her death in 1989, she painted island people, local flowers, and scenes of Nevis life. Prints are available in some of the local shops, but originals sell for $150 and up. You can visit her former atelier, on the grounds of an old sugar-mill plantation near Montpelier.
In a stone building about 60m (197 ft.) from the wharf, near the marketplace, Nevis Handicraft Cooperative Society, Cotton House, Charlestown (tel. 869/469-1746), contains locally made gift items, including unusual objects of goatskin, local wines made from a variety of fruits grown on the island, hot-pepper sauce, guava cheese, jams, and jellies.
Island Fever, Main Street in Charlestown (tel. 869/469-9613), has a tasteful and varied selection of items that might range from puppets and batiks from Indonesia to caftans, informal ware, steel drums, painted fish, or handmade jewelry. It's closed in September.
Some newcomers develop a fascination for the local postage stamps during their time on island, interpreting them as a combination of nostalgia for the British Commonwealth, pride of independent nationhood, and a celebration of the natural beauty of Nevis. Postage stamps issued under the auspices of the Nevis Philatelic Bureau are available for sale at the philatelic office, on Market Street (tel. 869/469-5535), about a 2-minute walk from the main Post Office (also on Market St.) Especially prized are stamps commemorating the late Princess Diana, Alexander Hamilton, or anything to do with Nevis's flora, underwater fauna, and architecture. Because of their relative rarity (if not in Nevis, then within the world at large), Nevisian collectors' stamps sell for a slight premium over their face value.
A craftsperson worthy of mention is Kennedy Tyrell (tel. 869/469-3442), who sells hand-carved wooden figures of monkeys, birds, pineapples, and other objects from his workshop along the road in Zion's Village, in Zion, on the eastern side of Nevis.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
