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Port Jefferson’s new artisan marketplace The Shelf held its ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday.
As previously reported, The Shelf, located at 218 East Main Street, features work from local artists, artisans, and entrepreneurs.
“There has been a lot of interest, a lot of eyes looking through the windows, so we are so excited to open,” said the company’s founder Diana Walker, who opened the shop with her son Kyle.
According to the two, the goal of The Shelf is to promote creators who live in the nearby area by either giving up-and-comers a storefront for their products or by giving more established vendors another avenue to sell their goods.
Originally, the store aimed to hold 20 vendors in its 650-square-foot space, but as the word got out and more people inquired, Walker decided to host 35 sellers at a time. Overall, she has 100 contracts with merchants, where she cycles their products through her store 35 at a time.
“People love that the store is always going to be changing,” said Walker. “The array of talent is phenomenal and there is a lot of energy here.”
Among the talented sellers includes Crystal Wyllie, a ceramic pottery maker, who opened Crystal Marie Pottery earlier this year.
“I love being able to share my art with other people, especially in such a local, awesome shop like this,” said Wyllie, who lives in Setauket.
Other works being displayed include original paintings, jewelry, photography, and clothing.
The Shelf hours are Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
To learn more about The Shelf, make sure to follow them on Facebook.
