A store at Cottonwood Centre where everything is made by local artists will be shutting its doors at the end of February.
Dragonfly Arts and Crafts is a shop filled with handmade items by dozens of Chilliwack artists and artisans, and it has to move out of its location due to mall renovations.
”The mall has been wonderful for us,” said Siobhan D’Souza, executive director with the Chilliwack Community Arts Council. “They’ve given us a spot… for literally no rent for the last year, so we have nothing but gratitude towards them.”
Dragonfly Arts and Crafts is run by the arts council, which is a non-profit organization.
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“Chilliwack Arts Council received notice (Jan. 25) that the mall is renovating our end of the mall and, unfortunately, cannot renew our rental,” D’Souza said.
The store opened in December 2021 and over the past 13 months, it has grown to what it is today – a store filled with work by 54 local artists. All but three artists are from Chilliwack.
Because the Chilliwack Community Arts Council wasn’t paying rent and now that renovations will soon be underway, the mall no longer has a space for them come the end of February.
It was “devastating news” for the artists and artisans as they had a “super successful” year in 2022 and were excited for 2023, she said.
The store doubled as the arts council office and now they’re looking for a new space.
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“We have a lot of eager and lovely artists and we have a lot of talent in this town,” D’Souza said. “We’ve been – basically for the last 50 years – supporting 50 small businesses.”
Many artists found Dragonfly to be the perfect place to sell their items as craft markets can be a lot of work, she added. At the store, artists would drop off their work and the arts council would sell it for them.
Folks can find a wide array of handmade goods including paintings, towels, knitted items, soaps, candles, jewelry, woodwork, sculptures, pottery, cards, garden ornaments, and hair accessories, to name a few.
She hears the same comments from customers every day.
“Everyone who walks through says ‘This is such a beautiful store. This is exactly what Chilliwack needs.’”
They’re running at a 20 per cent profit margin which is what pays for staffing hours at Dragonfly. If they have to pay rent at a new location, they would have to find other ways to generate income, such as more fundraisers. Their three main fundraisers are the Christmas Craft Market, Chilliwack Mural Festival and Vedder River Art Walk.
They’re now looking for a new home, and D’Souza said almost any space will do.
“We’re not fussy at all, we just want to continue supporting local artists.”
Folks can hop over to Dragonfly Arts and Crafts in Cottonwood Centre now until the end of the month. They’re located at the west end of the mall (near where the former Sears was) and are open mall hours, seven days a week. The final day is Saturday, Feb. 25.
“We’re creating so much within our town by putting up murals and doing all this artsy stuff to make Chilliwack more beautiful and we just want to continue doing that,” she said.
Anyone who has a space available for Dragonfly Arts and Crafts can contact Siobhan D’Souza, executive director with the Chilliwack Community Arts Council at dragonfly@chilliwackartscouncil.com or 604-702-8823. Additionally, people can contact office@chilliwackartscouncil.com, and the store number is 604-795-6893.
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