New Boutique Features Handmade Art

A new art shop is redefining the word vintage in Shorewood with its focus on handmade and repurposed arts and crafts.

The Hummingbird Art Boutique is the newest shop to line North Oakland Avenue's booming business district. The artsy shop opened just a week ago at 4415 N. Oakland Ave., but has been a dream of co-owner, artist and physical therapist Leslie Phillips for years.

“It’s really been a dream for me,” Phillips said. "I want it to be a place people want to be."

Offering handmade arts and crafts items under $50, the shop hopes to hit a niche market for affordable artwork.

The dream came to fruition in July, after Phillips and business partner and massage therapist Leslie Spencer became curious and called about the vacant space.

"It felt like it was meant to be," Phillips said.

The shop features 14 artists, most of whom use repurposed, recycled, and reclaimed objects in their artwork, Phillips said.  They hope to add the work of more artists soon, including paintings. 

“Everything is handmade and every artist is local,” Phillips said. “One of our artists makes her beads out of old print newspaper, but you can’t tell they're newsprint paper … she paints each by hand.”

Another artist makes hand bags out of old hard-cover books.

The shop is under 500 square feet, but Phillips said they have gotten creative in  displaying the artwork, filling the walls. She added she wants the shop give off a comfortable vibe, like a living room.

“Shorewood has a community feel, and we definitely want to be apart of that,” Spencer said.

The cost of starting the shop was minimal, as the two Leslies did most of the work to get the shop up and running. They did all the painting, art hanging, scrubbing and cleaning since being handed the keys on March 1. And, all the artwork is brought in on consignment.

Spencer said they want to create an atmosphere that is different from a typical art gallery, where you’re afraid to touch anything and all the pieces are $500 paintings.

“We hope to gain a loyal local following,” Phillips said.

“We have affordable, unique, one-of-a-kind stuff that anyone can buy,” Phillips said. “We have stuff for kids, we have stuff for adults, but we need more man gifts.”