Artists of the World.com touts itself as the world’s first fine-arts company to go public and distribute art worldwide. Illusions of global grandeur aside, this first-class art destination is going to find itself right at home on Calgary’s 11th Avenue S.W.

The Design District is the brainchild of art and home decor businesses in the section of downtown Calgary that stretches west from 5th to 14th Streets and north and south from 10th to 12th Avenues, says Margrit Mortensen, general manager of Kai Mortensen’s and a vocal supporter of The Design District.

A group of merchants in the area started meeting about 18 months ago and soon began calling themselves The Design District, says Mortensen. Monthly meetings typically attract 24 area businesspeople. Together, they’ve organized cocktail parties and spring and fall Design Walks.

The former cater to area merchants, with special invitations sent to others in what Mortensen calls “the design community.” Design Walks are open to the public. Both events are meant to bring people to the district for a glimpse of the selection of businesses largely focused on home decor and decorating.

Whereas other business organizations in Calgary’s core communities have opted to set up formal business revitalization zones, The Design District is keeping things a little more casual, at least for now, says Mortensen.

With so many Design District businesses housed in refurbished warehouses, similar to Vancouver’s funky Yaletown district (renowned as a fashion and design shop hub), The Design District “has a little more of the Yaletown feel” than neighbouring business districts, says Richard White, executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association.

He likes the way The Design District adds another “character district” to inner-city destination retail and entertainment areas that already include Eau Claire, Kensington, Stephen Avenue, Inglewood, Fourth Street and Uptown 17.

Merchants should be praised for capitalizing on their area’s natural strengths and for working together to bring customers to their stores, adds White.

When Kai Mortensen’s moved to 11th Avenue some 36 years ago, the store was flanked by houses, recalls Mortensen. Today, there are carpet stores on either side, Chintz & Company across the street and trendy bedding, hardware, art galleries and restaurants throughout the district.

Mortensen likes the eclectic mix and says The Design District’s co-operative approach to business makes sense.

They may seem to compete for the same consumer dollar, but even stores carrying similar product lines “all seem to be doing something a little bit different,” says Mortensen, whose store actually features bedding from a neighbouring boutique. (In return, that store breaks the same rules of independent retail businesses and uses beds from Kai Mortensen’s in its displays.)

It’s a long way from the district’s earliest days as a railroad warehouse district – and nearly as far from 11th Avenue’s former walk on the wild side as Electric Avenue.

But it works, and more Calgarians should check the area out, says Mortensen.

“It’s really a neat transformation,” agrees White.