How Samantha Wadley Is Supporting Local Artists at Artful Ellijay

Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Wadley.

Every small business has a unique story. Can you share yours and how you work with local artists?
Artful Ellijay’s story is really one of a group of family and friends coming together to create a business that is more than just that. We wanted to create a business that aids in elevating the already charming downtown Ellijay community. In the fall of 2016, my husband and I were preparing to get married at my parents’ property in Ellijay, GA. I had been visiting their cabin in Ellijay for ten years and knew it was the perfect place to marry (my now husband) Damon. While getting the farm prepared for the wedding my father, Steve Wadley, and his friend of more than 50 years, Paul King, came up with the idea to create unique, metal art pieces to adorn the cabin.

As they were flushing out the metal art idea, the building at 10 North Main in downtown Ellijay went up for sale. They decided it would be the perfect retail storefront. The metal art idea evolved into a place where customers can also find one-of-a-kind art pieces from local artisans, furniture, unique gifts and much more! Fast forward 12 months, eight amazing team members coming on board and many learning moments and Artful Ellijay was born. We opened our doors at the end of September 2018 and have been amazed at how the community of Ellijay has embraced us.

Please tell us about your business. What can customers expect to find at Artful Ellijay and what makes it unique? How do you hope customers will use your items? What should we know about the offerings and services provided at your store?
At Artful Ellijay, it is our belief that your home should be a place of refuge and comfort. With that belief in mind, we take care to offer merchandise that will allow you to curate a home that not only looks beautiful but also lends itself to functional and artful living.

Customers can expect to find one-of-a-kind pieces from local and regional artists. We hand-pick each artist with the intention of promoting not only their work but what it represents to the community. A lot of our artists are retirees who have turned what was a creative hobby into a lucrative artistic outlet. It speaks to the idea that it is never too late in life to reinvent yourself or your life. In our effort to promote and support artists, we are also in the process of opening a workshop where artists can come to create their art. Providing a space for these individuals to do what they do is very important to us. We never want an issue of space to be what stops someone from doing what they love. We also invite our artists to join us in the store and create their art live for our customers! It’s just another fun way to showcase the talent that is all around us.

Aiding our customers in creating a living space that speaks to them and their families is our number one goal. We don’t want to just sell you something to sell it to you. It is our hope that you can find that perfect painting for that perfect space in your home that you have been looking for forever! We want our customers to show us their space, tell us what interests them and take that information and translate it to a space that not only looks appealing but FEELS just right. Another way we accomplish this mission is by offering complimentary design services. We have four interior designer professionals on staff, ready to come to your home and work with you to design a space that you won’t want to leave! We are also in the process of building out a dedicated design facility complete with custom cabinetry, fabrics, flooring and anything else you would need to consider what’s right for you and your space.

As a small business and one that supports local craftsmen, do you have a definition of success, outside of profits?
When building our business, we have consistently kept in mind that it is the people who walk through our doors and support our vision that will ultimately aid in our success. We are extremely humbled by our customers’ support, both big and small. At the end of the day, it’s about a feeling. How did we make the customer, the community, the artists, our employees, feel? Success will come if all those people leave the store feeling uplifted, supported and inspired.

A big part of our vision of success is an Ellijay where people come not just in the fall for apple festival, or in the summer for hiking, but year-round because small-town America is still alive and doing well. We don’t want to change our town but rather, enhance it for those who live here and those who come from near and far to enjoy its many offerings. If we are lucky, Artful can be one of those offerings.

Where can customers find your items? How do you support your customers and the community?
Customers can find our items at our brick and mortar storefront in downtown Ellijay, GA., as well as online at www.artfulellijay.com. From the beginning, we pledged to inject more into the community than we take. A major driving force for us at Artful Ellijay is to invest in the community of Ellijay. We truly believe that one business doing well elevates the entire community and helps to bring more business to the town as a whole.

Our team is involved in many of the various community entities in Ellijay such as the Chamber of Commerce and DEBCA (Downtown Ellijay Business & Community Association). Supporting and participating in these organizations helps us to stay in line with the pulse of the community and its needs. In our effort to support the community of Ellijay, we are also in the process of developing a community of 21 cottage style homes in the downtown area. Our goal with this community, which is called The Ridge at Harrison Park, is to offer in-town living that is unique and affordable.

Contact Info:

• Address: 10 N. Main Street
  Ellijay, GA 3-540
• Website: https://www.artfulellijay.com/
• Phone: 1 877-244-7755
• Email: info@artfulellijay.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artfulellijay/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artfulellijay/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/artfulellijay/

Image Credit:
Artful Ellijay

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.