Woolworth Walk’s Seconds Sale
By Kathleen O. Brown
Throughout February, the Woolworth Walk arts gallery and crafts emporium in downtown Asheville is holding its 13th annual seconds sale, giving its participating artists an opportunity to free up space in their studios and shoppers the chance to find locally made original works at discounted prices.
Located in the historic F.W. Woolworth Co. Building on Haywood Street, Woolworth Walk is a private, locally owned business featuring a gallery with 170 regional artists selling their works in individual booth spaces. Complementing the vintage appeal of its setting, Woolworth Walk also has a 1950s-style soda fountain that serves nostalgic menu items.
Now in its 25th year, Woolworth Walk features nearly 20,000 square feet of display space with decorative and functional art pieces by local artists including jewelry, glasswork, metalwork, pottery, mixed media pieces, fine art, photography, apparel, fiberwork, woodwork and digital art.
Woolworth Walk artists pay monthly rent for their booth space and a small commission on sales to the gallery, Woolworth Walk assistant manager Kaela Campanella says. This arrangement allows the gallery to have full-time staff so that artists are able to set up their spaces and sell artwork seven days a week without having to be present themselves.
From pottery to jewelry, prints to original paintings, the Woolworth Walk seconds sale features hundreds of discounted artworks by local artists, Campanella says. During all of February, she says participating artists will continually replenish their offerings and bring new items to the sale.
For the seconds sale, Campanella says some artists offer pieces of art which don’t quite live up to their standards, with often only the artist being aware of the imperfection. Other seconds are true seconds, she says, that might, for instance, have a scuffed frame, glaze blemishes or other possibly noticeable defects.
“Our seconds sale allows artists to clean out their studios while still being compensated for their work,” Campanella says. “Artists often bring in extremely marked-down pieces that have small imperfections, are in a different style than their usual or they are just looking to clear out to make space for new artwork. During a time of year that is historically very slow for businesses here in Asheville, the sale also helps to provide income for the local artists, gallery and gallery staff.”
Potter and ceramics artist Katherine Owen of Clay Dreaming Pottery says participating in the Woolworth Walk seconds sales allows her to “sell some pottery that’s been sitting around my studio for a while.”
“Some of these pots are simply things I’m no longer making or selling because I’ve moved on to other things,” Owen says. “Other pieces have small flaws in them. The sale gives me the opportunity to clear some space and energy in my studio and make some money doing it. It also gives customers a chance to buy usable artistic pottery at a well-discounted price.”
Woolworth Walk is located at 25 Haywood Street in downtown Asheville. Learn more at WoolworthWalk.com.
