There has been a Coach store at the fifth Avenue Mall in Anchorage for as long as I can remember . It's a high -end store and most of the time when I walk in I am just looking . I am always greeted with a warm hello . Coach is one of the leading lines of classic American accessories . I think most people recognize them for their leather handbags . But they carry fashionable shoes ,scarves , watch bands , belts and many more items .They make beautiful things crafted to last . I was surprised when reading my weekly Plein-Aire group email to see that Coach had put a call out for a local artist to paint handbags for them at a special event . I went to the store and learned that one of their goals was to become more involved in the local community by promoting local artists thru some of their events . As you can see in my pictures I did attend the event and was afforded the fun opportunity to hand-paint one of their exquisite handbags . I was delighted and so were their customers . The manager and all the employees were welcoming and knowledgeable . They were proud of the Coach heritage . I applaud our Coach store for supporting our art community . read more