The Upstart Crow is open again after closing for two weeks to build an in-store art studio.
The Ladner Village store had a small studio in the back but it mainly centered on retail, selling everything from art supplies to home décor items.
"We had a lot of people asking for more classes," said owner Megan Anderson.
She said the old studio was so small it limited the size and type of classes the 48th Avenue shop could offer.
So Anderson and "the Crows" closed shop. They eliminated a lot of the offshore and home décor items, shrinking the retail front and expanding the studio space to almost triple its original size.
Now that the new studio is ready, Anderson has a number of artists lined up to teach workshops. Jewelry making, mixed media, journaling and more encaustic classes have been added to the schedule.
Anderson hopes people won't be disappointed when they see the retail space is smaller.
"I think people were afraid for the change and nervous about the change but we are really excited and we are looking forward to showing people what we can do and spreading creative wings."
The Upstart Crow still has a retail section and will continue to sell art supplies and lines of handcrafted jewelry, cards, books and teas that were popular before.
"We wanted to only keep the things that were really unique to the Crow," said Anderson.
She said it's the only store outside Granville Island that sells Vancouver-made Korma paints.
Not only can the bigger studio accommodate larger projects, Anderson said the new space allows for a more social experience.
"I think when you are creating art there is a social aspect that's really important and so being able to have more people makes it more social. It's nice to see people connecting in different ways."
She said many people are seeing items in places like Pinterest and wanting to create similar pieces for their homes.
"They've seen some of these things and when they see that they can do it they feel really empowered. And that's what we are going for, we're really trying to encourage artistic expression."
