Welcome to "The Cumberland Shop" Blog!

Welcome to “The Cumberland Shop” Blog! As often as we have news, we will try to articulate what is happening at The Cumberland Shop and keep you informed about new works, new artwork, new product, new classes, and the outreach to the community through the shop.

To begin, we want to offer a brief ‘in a nutshell’ view of how we came to be. Here we go...

In late August, as I sat reading on my porch, my mind began to wander to a place it had gone to quite often. I began (again) to see a shop, a unique shop, that would host and house Artisan works and the creations of entrepreneurial people in the great and vast Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania. Though it seemed a far reach of what I could possibly do, the dream seemed to take root, and suddenly I thought, “I can do this!”

I have had the privilege of traveling across the world and in the USA and usually am thirsty for some kind of meaningful ‘piece of the area’ I have travelled to. I always seek after locally made whatever. Maple Syrup,  Jewelry, Fabric Art, Hand Crafted clothing, art work, pottery. Due to space restrictions traveling, I usually find jewelry to be the easiest to bring home, but I have been known to occupy space in many “over sized” luggage compartments on international and domestic flights! LOL! And then there is the domestic cheese out of Amsterdam that has filled my carry ons and multiple extra bags. Good Times!

The "soon to be" Cumberland Shop space!

But getting back to my point, in the last few years I have been happily stunned to find any number of super talented artists and entrepreneurs  that have no brick and mortar space in Shippensburg to display their works and creations. My thought process said, this has to change, someone should do it. Divine inspiration said, why not you?

Of course, as I spread the vision to others, our team formed and it would enable us to really “get busy” with all the paper work that needed done in order to become a non-profit. With advice from those who know these things, we moved forward and began to shop like crazy for fixtures and furniture!

I never knew shopping on Marketplace was so much fun and that the deals were so amazing! We could NOT believe how much high quality stuff was out there, practically for the taking! We begin to wonder, oh my goodness, did we buy too much stuff! No, we did not... and as artists and makers began to fill out applications and bring the wide variety of goodies into the shop that they did, we stood back stunned, and then as we filled the shelves, I have to admit that we had more than one tear filled moment standing in awe at what we had accomplished since the beginning of September.

The Public Opinion did a beautiful feature on the shop!

Our Grand Opening window announcement...

A proud moment...watching our sign installation.

Open & ready for business!

If you are reading this short blog about our beginnings, I assure you that this is JUST the beginning. I love expressing myself thru writing, and I’ll try not to bore you here. But piece by piece we dedicate our blog to all the amazing Artisans and makers who have filled our shop with love by way of pottery, creative works, home grown recipes, luscious fabrics, yarns, woven pieces, paintings, photography, pastels, watercolors, jewelry, etc. Each week, and some (whenever the inspiration strikes to write) we will individually feature an Artisan/creator whose works fill The Cumberland Shop. Journey with us, then step inside our home to so many, beautiful things!

A montage of some of our incredible Artisan works!

“We will call this place our home, the dirt in which our roots may grow. Though the storms will push and pull, we will call this place our home. We’ll tell our stories on these walls, every year measure how tall. And just like a work of art, we’ll tell our stories on these walls. Let the years, we’re here be kind, be kind. Let our hearts like doors open wide, open wide. Settle our bones like wood over time, over time. Give us bread, give us salt, give us [life].” ~ North, Sleeping At Last