Local entrepreneur providing a space for creatives to shine

Exterior of a beige building with a white sign stating Makers Square — Makers Square is located at 1022 West Grand Ave. in Wisconsin Rapids. Photo Courtesy of Makers Square

Rachel Sankey

Staff

July 8, 2024

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Like many others did during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nina Cartwright said she pivoted.

“I’ve been a radiologic technologist for the past seven years – I work at Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin Rapids,” she said. “During COVID, I ended up going down to a casual position, and I started a small home business called Scented Wonders in 2022.”

Starting a business making bath and body products – such as perfume rollers, lip balms and wax melts – Cartwright said, led to her meeting other makers and creatives in the area.

“Eventually, I started attending local markets and craft fairs and met a lot of wonderful, talented makers along the way,” she said.

As she continued to connect with other artisans, Cartwright said she realized many of them wanted the same thing – “to be able to grow our business and showcase our creations.”

“(We all wanted to) share our products with the community and have a place where customers can find us locally daily,” she said.

Combined with her dreams of opening up a small retail store of her own, Cartwright said she began looking for a designated space for her and her fellow creatives to showcase their work.

“I found a brick and mortar not too far from home…,” she said. “I couldn’t turn the offer down.”

And that, Cartwright said, was the beginning of Makers Square, LLC (1022 West Grand Ave.).

More on the store

Cartwright said the shop, which had its official grand opening in April, features different handmade items from area makers.

“You can find anything from apparel, jewelry and lighting to clocks, coasters and crocheted items,” she said.

Interior of a store showing racks with paintings, signs, and other handmade items. — Makers Square offers various goods from area makers, such as soaps, decor and apparel. Photo Courtesy of Makers Square

Other homemade goods include:

Photos/photography
Kids clothes
Bath and body products (such as Cartwright’s Scented Wonders products)
Handmade cards
Hand-spun yarn
Wall decor

“It’s a clean, open and friendly environment,” she said.

Additionally, Cartwright said Makers Square plans to have a refilling section of Scented Wonders products by August or September, to promote low-to-no waste and eco-friendly options.

“Customers can come in with their clean reusable containers and fill them up with bath, body and cleaning products,” she said.

When it came to finding vendors for the shop, Cartwright said she had a “great response.”

“(I was) reaching out on Facebook in our local groups,” she said. “That is where I found the majority of vendors (that are now) in here – besides the ones I know or became friends with. And then word of mouth (as well).”

As of right now, Cartwright said she has more than 40 vendors featured in Makers Square.

Creative events

Cartwright said the community she has found amongst other makers is as impactful as the connections Makers Square has had with the Greater Wisconsin Rapids community.

That, she said, is why the shop has already participated in and collaborated on several events with other organizations in the community – such as hosting parking lot craft fairs once a month.

“For other vendors that aren’t in the store, it allows them to come, hang out and showcase and sell their products, too,” she said.

One of the vendors at Makers Square hand-spins her own yarn. Photo Courtesy of Makers Square

Cartwright said the fairs have also provided an opportunity for the shop to help raise money for an important need in the area.

“Pub Pilots has a brat fry or hamburger cookout to provide food,” she said. “(The organization) raises money for the local taverns to give people a safe ride home.”

Makers Square also hosts creative workshops, Cartwright said, such as making terrariums, acrylic paint classes and stained-glass workshops.

“(People) are excited we hold classes,” she said.

Fulfilling a need

Cartwright said, as far as she knows, Makers Square is the only business of its kind in the area – which she said has in turn led to a positive community response.

“People are excited to have a place to shop (for) handmade stuff like this,” she said. “(It’s) an opportunity for makers and customers.”

Having a physical space to showcase their work, Cartwright said, also affords makers with an opportunity to connect with customers.

“The makers are allowed to come in whenever,” she said. “Some come in and they’ll work for a little bit, doing their own thing… Let’s say someone is interested in jewelry, they’ll be back to (buy more), and then they end up meeting the maker.”

With a young vendor already showcasing their work at the shop, Cartwright said she hopes to attract more.

Makers Square plans to have a display area featuring more creations from other young makers.

“I feel it is important to allow them to help build entrepreneurial skills and knowledge that can benefit them in their future career paths,” she said. “I’ve had a few come in and show me what they make, and it is great to see how passionate they are – and how supportive their families are.”

Since opening, Cartwright said she’s also noticed that people are making more of an effort to shop local.

“It inspires them,” she said. “A lot of people are like, ‘oh, I want to try that,’ or, ‘I want to do that’ or, ‘maybe I can make something like this,’” she said. “It’s nice to hear all the positivity the store sparks – and creativity as well.”