The Wilds Cooperative of PA held a special PA Wilds Makers Market online market July 11 and 12, however you can still visit local businesses from the Pennsylvania Wilds that participated in this event to find your next WILD Thing!

The artisans and entrepreneurs in the Pennsylvania Wilds region have been impacted by COVID-19, mandatory closures and social distancing guidelines. This is particularly true of service sector businesses and establishments, organizations and events that rely on foot traffic.

“This is an opportunity for you to support small businesses and help them in this time of need. Normally you would be having fun at a festival or show, where artisans could set up their tables and show off their products. That won’t happen this year. But this event will. Join in on the conversation, find new products and support the rural, regional economy!” said Abbi Peters,

Participating Businesses

-- Alabaster Coffee Roaster & Tea Co. -- Alabaster Coffee is a family owned, nationally award winning coffee bar & roasterie based in Williamsport. Alabaster also operates an online retail space and wholesales coffee and commercial coffee equipment to partners across the USA.

-- Blackberry & Sage Market -- Tara Heckler at Blackberry & Sage Market specializes in homegrown and handcrafted plant-based products for oneself, garden and home.

-- Cottage Glassworks -- As a glass artist for over 30 years Kathleen Schnell has grown to teach fused glass techniques in her studio, Cottage Glassworks, which also features a retail space in Wellsboro. Schnell also enjoys creating her own artwork and producing custom work.

-- DRW Designs -- Juried artisan Danette Wightman creates handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gourds for all occasions.

-- Elk County Council on the Arts -- The Elk County Council on the Arts is a non-profit sales gallery located in downtown Ridgway. The Wilds Cooperative is well represented through our roughly 60 artist members who sell their work in the gallery. Additionally, we are the regional partner for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts' PPA and AIE programs which provide grant money for public art and educational opportunities to a broader 6 county PA Wilds region.

-- Ellen Paquette -- Artisan Ellen Paquette specializes in original acrylic paintings and limited edition prints of Renaissance style animal portraits. She also crafts soft sculpture plushies and art dolls.

-- Foggy Mountain Studio -- Lynn Kibbe is a fine artist working in scratchboard. Scratchboard is like drawing in reverse with a knife instead of putting on graphite. She draws with a knife to remove the ink layer creating the image.

-- From My Shelf Books & Gifts -- Kevin Coolidge is a bookstore owner and children's author based out of Wellsboro in the Pine Creek Valley and PA Grand Canyon landscape of the Pennsylvania Wilds.

-- Lucky Shot Photography -- Allison Shanbacher at Lucky Shot Photography offers photography services, as well as writing and graphic design. She loves sharing her images of the PA Wilds to help tell the region’s story and she enjoys thinking of and creating new ways to display them. Allison is currently working on a book based in the PA Wilds that she hopes to publish by the end of the year.

-- Moments in Time Studio -- Karen Heltzel at Moments in Time Studio is a photographer who primarily prints photos on metal, as well as photographic paper and canvas.

-- PA Made -- Mickayla Poland at PA Made is a painter and graphic designer who focuses on Pennsylvania, Elk County, and outdoor-related designs for t-shirts, stickers, and other merchandise.

-- Peaces of Me-- Cheryl Oknefski at Peaces of Me has a wide variety of skills and interests in her creative work. She enjoys making chainsaw carvings, as well as metal smithing, and making salves from natural products, many of which come from the Pennsylvania Wilds. She is a Yoga instructor and Reiki master with a Wellness Studio in Ridgway.

-- Pine Springs Pottery -- Pine Springs Pottery offers modern artisan stoneware made completely by hand, with love. From coffee mugs to casseroles, Marie Lewis crafts each piece to serve your every day meals and very special occasions beautifully. With designs created to reflect your personal style, this unique and durable dinnerware will bring a little extra joy with every use, for a lifetime.

-- Smith + Front -- David and Staci Egan are a husband and wife maker team focused on supporting local + handmade within their shop, Smith + Front, which is located in historic downtown Philipsburg, PA.

-- Stephanie Distler Artisan Jewelry -- Stephanie Distler is a jewelry artisan using nature for inspiration. She designs and creates jewelry with hand tools, using precious metals in wire or sheet form. Distler’s working studio is located in Elk Country where her focus is on materials and technique.

-- The Gallery at New Bethlehem Town Center -- This juried art gallery along the Redbank Valley Trail in New Bethlehem features works by PA Wilds artists and also provides tourism information.

-- Your Fired Pottery -- Your Fired Pottery is a gallery and ceramics studio offering handmade, lightweight, wheel-thrown pottery that is both beautiful and functional. Stacie Johnson-Leske also makes hand-built pieces featuring intricate textures by using antique doilies and foliage local to the Pennsylvania Wilds area. All pieces for sale at Your Fired Pottery are made in the studio by Stacie Johnson-Leske. Custom requests are welcome.

The PA Wilds includes Warren, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Lycoming, Clinton, Cameron, Elk, Forest, Clarion, Jefferson, Clearfield and northern Centre counties.

For more information, visit the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship.  For information on visiting this unique region, stop by the PA Wilds website.

Related Articles This Week - Recreation:

-- Natural Lands, Partners Receive PA Park & Recreation Society Award For Coatesville Park Revitalization

-- DCNR Good Natured Pennsylvanians: Tim Herd, PA Recreation & Park Society

-- DCNR Good Natured Blog: A Greater Appreciation For Parks & Recreation

-- Bay Journal: COVID Lockdown Unleashes Swarms Of Visitors At Parks, Trails

-- DCNR Highlights Economic Importance Of Outdoor Recreation Industry At Organic Climbing In Centre County

-- DCNR Reminds Pennsylvanians To Wear Masks While Enjoying The Outdoors

-- DCNR, Dept. Of Health Expand Free Sunscreen At State Park Beaches

-- Dept. Of Health: Protect Yourself From Ticks, Mosquitoes When Spending Time Outdoors

-- Penn State Extension: Tick, Lyme Disease, Tick-Borne Illnesses Thursday Webinar Series

-- Op-Ed: PA's Howard Zahniser Should Be Included In National Garden Of American Heroes

-- July 8 Resource Newsletter Now Available From DCNR

-- July 10 Take Five Fridays With Pam, PA Parks & Forests Foundation

-- PA Environmental Council In Case You Missed It In June Now Available

Related Articles This Week - Land Conservation:

-- Eden Hill Conservancy Donates Conservation Easements On 207 Acres In Huntingdon County -- To Western PA Conservancy

-- Allegheny Land Trust Protects 155 Acres In Elizabeth Township, Allegheny County

-- Westmoreland Conservancy Expands King Reserve By 26 Acres

-- Natural Lands Helps Add 14 Acres To Nockamixon State Park In Bucks County

-- Powdermill Nature Reserve In Westmoreland County Receives $1 Million Avian Research Grant From Mellon Foundation

-- Brandywine Conservancy Seeks Public Input On Birmingham Hill Preserve

-- Pocono Heritage Land Trust To Merge With Pocono Avian Research Center In Monroe County

-- PA Clean Water Academy: Learn More About Streamside Buffers

-- Wildlands Conservancy: Land Protection 101, Bat Counts, Other Programs Coming Up!

[Posted: July 7, 2020]

7/13/2020