BUTTE — A new arts and crafts store has opened in Butte, filling the creative retail gap left when Joann Fabrics closed earlier this year.
Highland Creative Supply, owned by Cass Weber, offers a wide range of creative supplies including fiber art materials for knitting, embroidery and crochet work, as well as fine art materials for both children and professionals.
"Whenever I have a bad day, I want to buy a pen," Weber said.
Weber said the community response has been overwhelmingly positive since opening the store.
"There's just been an outpouring of support from the community, and excitement, and just over and over, hearing like, 'We need this! We need this! We need this!'" Weber said.
Located at 43 East Park Street, the store occupies a historic building that has housed many businesses over the years, including an 1890s liquor and cigar store called "Boesmann Bros. and Company."
"This funky old building that has lots of history... We keep getting all the fun Butte stories from people that come in," Weber said.
Weber's vision extends beyond just retail. She plans to create a makers' space complete with classes from professionals and has established an "orphaned" supply corner for gently used arts and crafts materials.
"I think everybody who is a crafter or an artist has a little pile of things they did 10 years ago that are wonderful but they just walked away from and they want to just let have a new home," Weber said.
WATCH: Butte's new art & crafts store now open
Donations for the orphan art supply items will be given to the Orphan Girl Children's Theater.
