The Athens Artisan Co-Op Shop Offers Handmade Fine Quality Products
Grace Dearing
When the Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ Advocacy, Training, Careers and Opportunities (ATCO) department dissolved in 2018, it recommended that patients, including Athens resident Dan Schoonover, move into a day habilitation center, which is designed to help people with developmental disabilities lead more independent lives.
Schoonover, a local entrepreneur, had other plans: to pursue his dream of owning a storefront where he could sell his custom line of t-shirts and sunglasses.
Though he already owned his own online brand called Shady Dan’s, Schoonover realized he did not have enough inventory to open a storefront on his own. So, he partnered with Darci Shields, an Athens native and a local jewelry maker. Now, more than a year since their partnership began, Schoonover and Shields run the Athens Artisan Co-Op Shop, which provides one-of-a-kind handmade artisan goods.
Located on Columbus Road (in the same storefront as Schoonover’s previous business endeavor, Wags & Whiskers doggy daycare), the co-op is still new to the Athens community — just over six months old. But that hasn’t hindered its impact.
What started as a desire of two local crafters to share their work with the community has now evolved into a full-fledged store with more than 13 artists involved.
“As a group, we decided to keep the co-op style because we all want to feel like we’re equal members in this shop,” says Shields, who is also the co-op’s secretary. “We can work collectively as a group to get things accomplished without having to have an owner or boss.”
This inclusivity is exhibited through the design of the store as well. The shop boasts an eclectic product line, which ranges from glasswork to sewn goods to ceramics and even includes a coffee line that isn’t sold anywhere else in Athens.
Rather than sectioning off each artist’s product like a flea market would, the Athens Artisan Co-Op proudly displays its inventory as a collective unit. Shields’ jewelry trees are set up across from handmade artisan soap which shares a display case with Schoonover’s t-shirts.
The goal, Shields says, is to encourage people to spend time browsing each of the unique products to support the co-op’s many artists.
Artists have the option to be working or non-working vendors. A working vendor will spend time inside the shop managing the register and assisting customers whenever Schoonover is unavailable to do so; a non-working vendor simply sells his or her products at the store. However, regardless of what category vendors falls into, they receive equal public exposure and make a profit from the pieces sold at the store.
As an artist, Shields reaps the benefits of being part of a co-op firsthand.
“To me, it means that my products are now going out to the people who are willing to shop local [and] keep it local,” she says. “There really wasn’t anywhere [for artists] like that in Athens.”
In fact, Shields, Schoonover and Teresa Grimes, the co-op’s treasurer, noticed this need within the Athens community and saw the co-op as the perfect way to bridge the gap. Shields says she realized that there aren’t many places in Athens where you can buy fine-quality art other than the shops uptown.
“Nowadays, people are looking for gifts that are unique to Athens,” Grimes says. “Whether it says ‘Athens’ in it or not, it doesn’t matter. It was purchased from somebody that makes it in Athens, and that’s a unique Athens gift.”
Despite its idiosyncrasy and popularity among Athens natives, the co-op struggles to draw customers from Ohio University’s student population. Shields says she believes it is due to the store being located away from the bustle of uptown Athens.
To combat that issue, the co-op hosted car shows in August and September. The allure of vintage cars displayed outside the shop enticed passers-by to stop in and learn more about the co-op’s mission. The success of the car shows encouraged Shields and the rest of the co-op board to try to continue community involvement with First Fridays. On the first Friday of each month, as the weather gets colder, the shop hopes to feature one or two of its artists who will then be invited to set up demonstrations inside the store or take personal requests from customers.
Shields says the co-op extends its offer for community members to get involved even further through its call to action for local artists. Vendors are not limited to any specific medium, age or gender. The co-op welcomes any and all creatives whether it’s a student looking to only contribute on a semesterly basis or an Athens resident hoping to grow his or her business in a more permanent way. Interested artists can stop by the store and talk to Shields during the week.
“It’s so worth it,” Shields says. “It’s worth it to be part of a community, it’s worth it to be part of a group, to belong. We may all have differing ideas, but as a group collectively we get together and we get things done.”
After an artist submits his or her work, the co-op board members share their opinions and make a final decision based off a majority-rules vote.
“[The co-op] makes it fair. When we go to vote on important topics, my vote is no more important than someone else’s. We all have a say,” Shields says.
For aspiring artists who feel insecure or nervous about submitting their artwork to the co-op, Shields adds, “[You belong] right here, at a locally owned shop, and we will welcome you.”
When Schoonover originally pitched the idea to open a storefront, he never could have imagined how much it would grow in such a short period of time.
“None of us would be here if it weren’t for Dan,” Shields says. “When things get looking tough, we just [have to] think about [the fact that] this is not just Dan’s dream [anymore], this is everyone’s dream.”