The criteria for arts, crafts and other unique items to find a space in the Eagle Valley Artisan Gift Shop is minimal.
“It has to be handmade,” said Jennifer Taylor, a co-manager of the new store located at Sicamous’ Parkland Mall.
Giving a quick look around the shop’s already well-supplied shelves and floor space, Taylor adds, “if we start getting too much of one thing, we say we can’t take any more of that product right now.”
Eagle Valley Artisan Gift Shop opened at the beginning of October, and there is already a wait list of artisans wanting to sell their wares there.
“We have new vendors come in every week,” said Taylor. “Right now, I think we’re up to 39 vendors… we have people from as far away as Saskatchewan… We have people from Nanaimo, Kamloops, Kelowna, Vernon, Revelstoke.”
Artisans with work on display rent the space for a commission.
Taylor describes the store as an artist co-operative, run by a family co-operative including Taylor, her husband Jeff, daughter and son-in-law Lynette and Jeff Delorme, and sister Debra Cooper.
“It was mostly (Cooper’s) idea, saying we really should do an artisan shop because there’s nothing down here like this,” said Taylor. “So I guess, collectively, we figured it would be a good idea, an outlet for our staff as well as everybody else.”
The store is currently open Monday to Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information, visit the Eagle Valley Artisan Gift Shop’s Facebook page.