I'm not sure how I discovered Cultural Cloth online, but once I did I knew I wanted to visit them in person. It just so happened that our vacation trip took us close enough to turn my wish into reality. We spent part of an afternoon roaming through the textile-filled rooms of their old house-turned-into-a-shop in Maiden Rock on the Great River Road in Wisconsin. We didn't come home empty handed and the owners graciously let Mark snap enough photos to give you a sense of their shop and to lure you for a visit!
Cultural Cloth describes their shop as "Handmade Home Décor made by women artisans from around the world for discriminating buyers." But the real story is much deeper and more meaningful. The business is the brainchild of Mary Anne Wise and Jody Slocum who opened their doors in 2011. The two textile artists now work with women artisans around the world helping them make their indigenous artwork in a way that will attract contemporary buyers.
They purchase work outright as well as teaching, collaborating and mentoring the artisans so they are "better prepared for the challenges of the marketplace," as they put it. The end result is that the women earn a fair wage with their work — which has a critical ripple effect which influences the welfare of their families and extends out into their wider communities.
In essence the women who own Cultural Cloth and the women artisans are role models for social change. And we as consumers, know where the beautiful items we buy at the shop were made, often who made them and where our dollars are going.
And when I say beautiful items, I mean an amazing array that runs the gamut from jewelry to rugs. The rug above is one of the most incredible felted items I've ever seen.
Don't you just want to move right into these bedrooms? I love the row of tiny chairs hanging on the wall, each one with a bird making a temporary stop.
The shop had some great pieces of furniture upholstered in textiles from their artisans.
You can seem from the image below that you can find textiles with subdued colors or ones that are as bright as you wish.
Lots of wonderful blue and white textiles and many florals as well. Note the antique chair upholstered with one of CC's fabrics.
A closeup of the bed in the photo above.
The shop has scarves, shawls, jewelry bags and all manner of adornments.
A nice array of decorative items like baskets as well.
They also offer fabric by the yard for home sewers as well as unusual trims and buttons. It was all enticing enough to make me think about buying a sewing machine again!
Looking the opposite direction from photo number 8.
We came home with a large textile to use as a throw on the bed or couch, a small rug, jewels and a shawl for me, and a little Indian doll for me and a metal man for Mark. When I first discovered Cultural Cloth online I thought about ordering because the quality of the items looked very good from the photos. Our visit only confirmed the high level of quality and creativity of the work by these world-wide artisans and the commitment of Mary Anne and Jody to fiber arts and female artists. Do check them out online or in person.
STORE HOURS: THURSDAY - SUNDAY 10 A.M. TO 5 P.M.
OR BY APPOINTMENT.
PHONE: 715-607-1238
ADDRESS: W3560 STATE HWY. 35
THE GREAT RIVER ROAD
MAIDEN ROCK, WI 54750
What beautiful photos of amazing work. I too follow their online presence and this reminder of what I'm missing will hopefully get me moving in that direction.
Posted by: Jane Miller | Friday, August 18, 2017 at 09:37 AM
Wow, that's a great find. There's a lot to love in those photos as well as their business model.
Posted by: Loree / danger garden | Friday, August 18, 2017 at 10:42 AM
An impressive array of gorgeous work. Glad you took home some treasures!
Posted by: Peter/Outlaw | Friday, August 18, 2017 at 10:51 AM
Not far from Stout's Island Lodge for a 1-2 vacation treat! There is so much great stuff that you really want to see and touch it in person. Great necklaces.
Posted by: Linda Brazill | Friday, August 18, 2017 at 11:39 AM
Thank you for sharing this wonderful resource! I am filing it away in my "Travel: Wisconsin" folder (along with Stout's Lodge. Susan
Posted by: Susan Adler Sobol | Friday, August 18, 2017 at 08:44 PM
This looks like a place I would love. I could drop a chunk of money in a place like this. All of those colors and textures are fabulous.
Posted by: Lisa at Greenbow | Saturday, August 19, 2017 at 06:41 AM