MiNZ members (from left) Anne Johnston, Sandra Lansdown and Rosemary Hicks have been busy, with others in the collective, getting their new store ready to open.
MiNZ members (from left) Anne Johnston, Sandra Lansdown and Rosemary Hicks have been busy, with others in the collective, getting their new store ready to open.
MiNZ, the Whanganui-based Made in New Zealand craft collective, is back in business after the Thain's building was destroyed by fire.
The collective was based on the ground floor of the heritage building on the Victoria Ave/Taupo Quay corner and its members are delighted to have found a new locationafter the July 20 fire.
MiNZ, which has been operating for about five years, was originally at 139 Victoria Ave, the shop next door to the new premises, but spent the past two years in "the lovely Thain's building".
"It took us a long time to find a shop after the fire," Elliott said.
They were fortunate that very little of their stock was damaged in the Thain's fire, with the ground floor mostly suffering water damage, and they had been able to retrieve it from the building. However, they weren't so lucky with their fittings and those have had to be replaced.
The shop stocks the Tranquillity range of kawakawa products, handmade bracelets and necklaces, wooden toys and bowls, Faberge-style eggs, photography and paintings, glass lampwork beads, harakeke flowers and boxes, felted hats and crocheted and knitted garments.
"We have someone who makes cutlery into rings, someone who does paintings on old furniture and a unique range of pottery," Elliott said.
They are looking forward to next week's reopening and hope other artists might join them in the future.
"We welcome new members and commission sellers," Brown said.
"People who are interested can ask in store for more details."
MiNZ will be open weekdays 10am to 4pm and Saturday-Sunday 10am to 2pm from Monday, October 14, at 137a Victoria Ave.
