Last fall, when Nelle Jurgeleit-Greene drove past the empty Portage Street building vacated by Sarah J’s cafe, she thought to herself, “There’s an opportunity waiting to happen.”
By May, she had opened the doors of Cottage Arts. The store specializes in Haines-made and Alaskan-made gifts and art.
“During the holiday season this past winter, I approached several bazaar vendors to let them know I would be opening a store, and that I would love to have their items in my store,” Jurgeleit-Greene said. “Several of them jumped on board. And some are still trickling in.”
Items include jewelry, clothing, specialty foods, birch bowls, art and photography. Several Skagway residents are represented in Cottage Arts, as are other creative Alaskans, she said.
“I have been successful in retail as a store manager, and have worked in tourism for several years here in Haines. I decided to put the two together, and to promote our local and Alaskan artists/artisans,” Jurgeleit-Greene said.
The store has been participating in First Friday events throughout the summer, highlighting the work of local artists. The most recent First Friday event featured Jurgeleit-Greene’s niece Elizabeth Jurgeleit’s watercolor, ink, oil and pen artwork.
Jurgeleit-Greene has lived in Haines since 1993. She has substituted at the Haines School and worked in tourism for the past five summers, and is a volunteer at the library, Haines Arts Council and Southeast Alaska State Fair.