Community
10 December, 2020
Making Artisan dreams come true
A LITTLE boutique in the heart of Port Douglas is doing big things to support their talented local artists.
MAKER, a unique homewares shop in Grant St Port Douglas, showcases products created by Australian and local artists.
Opened in July 2020 during the peak of COVID-19 lockdowns, Maker is the brainchild of young local entrepreneur Raine Ward.
“I wanted to create a platform to celebrate and showcase local artists” said Ms Ward.
“Often our local artists rely on the local markets, and their own social media channels alone to showcase and sell their pieces. With COVID restricting travel and events, I wanted to create a space that could connect buyers with artists, not just through our boutique in Port Douglas, but also through the online shop and our social media channels.
Through her online blog “Meet The Maker’s”, Raine celebrates the local artists behind each piece of art in her shop. She wants buyers to appreciate the talent, time, and dedication that goes into each piece.
“Maker is a like a hub, a small market-place that allows buyers to browse hand-crafted artworks from local artists, whilst providing a platform for storytelling,” Raine said.
“It’s not just about buying a beautiful piece of artwork – it’s about knowing and appreciating the story behind it.”
Local artists showcased in Maker include Port Douglas local Annetta Mills of Kokee & Ko. Annetta began making her now famous kokedamas as gifts for friends and family. After word spread of her hand-crafted little treasures – effectively living planters, demand for her kokedamas took off, and it wasn’t long before she caught the eye of Raine, and was welcomed into the Maker family.
Another local artist, Lana Van Hulst from Lana Nas Studio, has been hand-sewing headscarves from her workshop in Port Douglas since 2014. Lana is proud to use only certified sustainably sourced fabrics, and her inspiration for making her headscarves is to make women feel good about themselves. The head scarves have become quite an icon of the local maker scene, and are a fitting addition to the Maker collection.
Also part of the Maker family, is local artist, illustrator and designer, Stephanie Cowley from Stephanie Elizabeth Artwork. Steph’s passion for all things nature shines through in her art. Best known for her watercolour animal artworks, Steph’s cockatoos, turtles, and sea-creatures are right at home on the walls in Maker Port Douglas.
Like last week’s Merry Go Round of the Big Breakfast, Makers is another story of true community support, collaboration, and spirit.
#DoItInDouglas this Christmas
