Karli IngersollIn 2014 Window Dressing launched with a little window display of handmade goods and art by locals. I stopped by to check it out with excitement and took a few photos. It was new, different and mixed art, design, crafted goods in a public space. It was colorful and vibrant in a space that otherwise would be stark and vacant. I knew it would be the start of something cool…mostly because Ginger Ewing was behind it.
Window Dressing started as a little (ok maybe not so little) dream to fill vacant storefronts downtown with beauty created by Spokane artists. It was originally modeled after Spaceworks Tacoma’s Artscapes project, a similar effort to fill an empty downtown with beautiful art and employ artists at the same time. It continued with installations and added a creative enterprise track where local artisans could refine their business model and understand what it might take to move to the next step. Dozens of local artists have gained so much wisdom about monetizing their craft and going from hobby to business owner because of the Window Dressing Creative Enterprise Track. Some artists move forward with rapid success and others have a gut check and maybe realize it’s not quite what they want to turn their hobby into. It’s realistic and super helpful. And it has been so exciting seeing how the artists who have been through the program have evolved.
The Enterprise Track then created Pop Up Shop over in the Steam Plant Square. This all went down while I wasn’t posting on Collect but it was amazing. The very first boutique in Spokane full of locally made stuff. Art, skin care, clothes, paper products, jewelry. A lot of it sourced from the Creative Enterprise Track. Smart. The little window display of furniture and art and crafts now had a permanent home where you could stop by and pick up gifts or treats for yourself and be supporting local artists.
But the story goes on. The symbiosis has evolved and is even bigger and better. Pop Up Shop is now From Here and has a permanent home in River Park Square downtown.
The effort is stunning and the aesthetic matches. This space gives so much room for local artisans to expand and grow and gives the audience of local consumers so much more to explore. There’s even a space for workshops.
A lot of times we just applaud new things. Like, “oh yeah, that’s cool!”. But I think taking a step back and looking at the amount of effort and iterations it took to get to this place is important. Ginger especially has championed this symbiotic project which has given life to a corner of the arts scene here in Spokane that was relatively dismal before Window Dressing existed. And it has been A TON OF WORK. We are already starting to see similar types of shops emerge, which is awesome, but I doubt any of them have the core desire to support artist growth like this one.
Brick and mortar projects are draining, worrisome and expensive which makes it especially challenging to be the first one working towards pioneering a certain vibe and culture. But that’s exactly what Window Dressing has done. The inspiration and heart behind this project has pushed it forward into a really exciting space and Spokane will be affected greatly in the long run.
Now go shop there! Post on insta, tag us, tag popup shop and tag the artists you bought from. Keep the love going so that awesome things like this will continue. And if you are an aspiring artisan, gear up! Maybe From Here is your next step.
Congrats to Ginger and the whole Window Dressing team. xoxox