Another domino falls. The latest casualty of the nation’s economy is Innisfree World Artisans on the east side of the Downtown Mall.
The store is an outlet for the Crozet’s Innisfree Village, a community of mentally challenged adults, and sells crafts made by residents there as well as items from other fair-trade programs and artisans worldwide.
“We are not breaking even,” says Manager Astrid Bailey. She stresses that the goal of Innisfree has always been to expose their work to the community and not to make a profit. The store has been a viable outlet for the higher functioning disabled people who used to come in the store and were able to socialize and work, says volunteer Arvin Cohen.
The store will officially shut its doors on January 30.
More about the store’s history on the Mall after the break.
The store has faced hardships in the past. When Coran Capshaw bought The Jefferson Theater, Innisfree, which used to occupy a small storefront adjacent to the theater, had to scout to find an affordable new space. Although the new monthly rent is almost tripled what they used to pay, Bailey says the community was better off on the Mall than anywhere else. “We have been here for 10 years,” she says. “We wish we could keep going.”
As for the village, “it’s still thriving,” she says. Bailey says the community hopes to start selling crafts and food on the village’s website in the future.
