All craft enthusiasts will be in heaven with the opening of Craftworks Collective in McLennan.

The business opened its doors to the community March 1, much to the delight of artistic and crafty people throughout the region.

Craftworks Collective is located at 100 Centre Street SE, or as owner Savannah Adam says, “Where the second-hand store was before they moved across the street.”

Adam says she is excited to share her passion with people whose interests align with hers. “We moved here at the end of July and I like to dabble in all different kinds of art and crafts with my kids,” she explains, noting she came up with the idea for the store in December.

“I was struggling to get my hands on the supplies I needed for painting and resin pouring. Driving to Grande Prairie to go to Michaels isn’t reasonable all the time, and even just making the trips out to High Prairie or Peace River felt daunting some days.”

Adam explains she decided to peruse and question local Facebook groups to see if anyone else in the area was having difficulty obtaining the supplies they needed in the area.

“I think the region lacks a lot of diversity when it comes to small retail shops,” she explains. “We have ample hardware, agriculture, etc. But there isn’t a lot to fill in the gaps. There are a lot of kids in the area and a lot of homeschool families as well. I wanted to bridge at least a few of those gaps,” she adds.

The store is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. The store currently offers in-store consignments of craft, art, and hobby supplies and homeschool and teaching supplies.

“People can bring in their leftover supplies from a project, or things they bought for a new hobby that didn’t quite pan out for them, and it offers a resale other than just Facebook marketplace,” she explains.

“We also have several local creators and artisans hosting their wares in store. Everything from printed canvas, honey, candles, clothing, blankets, decor, accessories, and more. We have more coming in later this month as well, and I am really excited to have a really great supplier of bath bombs coming.”

Adam says her goal is to slowly build the store’s inventory to have a little bit of everything craft related.

“This entire project was funded out of pocket as I didn’t qualify for any of the business startup programs,” she explains. “So, I have been working towards the inventory and store upgrades and will continue to do so.”

Adam explains she believes art is a great outlet to ensure sanity and mental health.

“At the start of COVID, we saw an uptick in art supply purchases across every demographic, art medium, and country,” she explains. “One of my favourite quotes is, ‘Art is the only way to run away without leaving home’ by Twyla Tharp, and it’s true. You can lose yourself in a project and come out feeling completely different than when you sat down to it. It’s a great way to channel your emotions and bad days.”

Kids’ programs will start on a monthly basis at first, with a St. Patrick’s Day themed event on March 11. More information can be found on the business Facebook page.

“We are requesting anyone who has leftover paints, stickers, markers, and other supplies to donate to the store, as it helps to keep the cost of programs down,” she explains.

“Essentially, the prices will range, offering discounts for multiple kids. Once we’re fully balanced with all the start-up fees and inventory, I will be doing more free classes and drop ins for the kids.”

Adam explains her children are homeschooled, so they will be in the store most of the time with her.

“Local creators and consignors are invited to contact me for space,” Adam says. “I keep my fees low because I know all about being a starving artist. I want to see every artist succeed, no matter what their medium. I also want to do showings for artists, so if anyone wants to contact me to arrange that for their work, please do.”

If you would like to reach Savannah Adam for more information, or to consider adding items to her store, please phone (250) 486-3332.

Emily Plihal Local Journalism Initiative Reporter - South Peace News - southpeacenews.com

Emily Plihal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, South Peace News