MODERATION — “Art” is the main focus of Gathered Creations. Owned and operated by the Fisher family, husband and wife Michael and Lynette, and their daughter Jocy, the store is part art studio, part antique shop, and part music store.
The store opened in September 2020 in the midst of the COVID pandemic. The original goal was to provide Jocy with a studio space for her art (glass fusion) and to provide a platform for local artists to sell their work during the COVID pandemic. The store has since expanded its offerings to include antiques, guitars, and art classes.
“So we’re not trapped in a niche where we only have antiques or guitars or we only have a small gift shop or we only offer classes,” Lynette said. “We have multiple things going on, so all kinds of people come in.”
Art of all kinds is a big theme at Gathered Creations, Michael explained, from the guitars he sells to the classes Jocy, Lynette and other artists lead and the guitar circles he hosts each month with members of the community.
“We really believe in it … look at some of our messages on our website or in the trifold brochure: We really believe in (arts) therapy,” he said. “I’ve seen it come to life in our lives and other people’s lives, and music is as important an art as anything else. So it’s a way to support that and get the word out, and it’s beautiful.”
The antiques section of the store was born out of a long-standing passion of Michael and Lynette. The couple has had an interest in antiques for years and have learned about them through estate sales, thrift stores, flea markets and online purchases.
“I think the more you travel and the more you are passionate about old things or enjoy finding old things, the easier it is to pick up knowledge as you go around and research,” says Lynette.
The main benefit of this multi-pronged business approach is seasonal support. Each area, from antiques to art classes, has a season where one is more popular than the others.
“That’s part of the secret sauce: all of these things under one roof,” Michael said. “When one is seasonally weak, right, and the other is strong, that helps us stay afloat as a business. And I also think that really, really benefits the community.”
— Contact reporter Connor Veenstra at [email protected]
