City Council approves all mayor's re-appointments
Jun. 16, 2010 · 3:42 a.m.
After much procedure, Ypsilanti City Council approved six mayoral re-appointments to city boards and committees Tuesday, including the two postponed from earlier...read more
Council postpones two reappointments
Jun. 4, 2010 · 4:57 p.m.
Two of Ypsilanti's volunteer board members were not reappointed on schedule Tuesday night, owing to a 4-2 vote by City Council to delay the appointments until...read more
Downtown properties to be rehabilitated
Jun. 4, 2010 · 10:40 a.m.
Three recently-vacated properties in downtown Ypsilanti, two of them condemned, will soon be renovated owing to recent purchase by a local development company and...read more
Ypsilanti Township authorizes litigation against Liberty Square
May. 28, 2010 · 6:53 p.m.
Residents living in the Liberty Square complex of townhouses will see a sticker appear on their homes Tuesday, when the Ypsilanti Township Building Department places...read more
Ford plant granted tax exemption by township
May. 24, 2010 · 5:44 p.m.
New machines and equipment will soon be wheeled into Ford's Rawsonville Plant in Ypsilanti Township as it begins manufacturing a line of batteries for the new global...read more
Photo by Christine Laughren
Michelle Shankwiler stands with her children Donald Tafini and Sharlene Shankwiler. Shankwiler 123, located at 35 E. Cross St. in Depot Town, will close its doors next Friday.
Owner cites lack of foot traffic, slow economy
Feb. 11, 2010 · 4:33 p.m.
After a year in business, Shankwiler 123 announced today it is closing its doors next week.
The business, which has functioned as an art gallery and a drop-off location for an eBay store, also sells sports cards and collectibles, as well as stained glass and jewelry. Its final day open to the public will be next Friday.
“I’ve been scattering in the last months to find some way to keep everything alive and it just hasn’t been working,” owner Michelle Shankwiler said this afternoon while her daughter, Sharlene, worked at the children’s art table and her son, Donald rummaged through baseball cards.
Shankwiler 123 opened its doors at 35 E. Cross St. Nov. 24, 2008. Shankwiler started the business with her father, Craig and his girlfriend Naomi Rentfrow, but said she has been doing much of the work keeping the business running in the past couple months.
“I just can’t do it all on my own,” she said.
Shankwiler also cited a lack of foot traffic as reason for closing her doors.
“It’s been extremely slow,” she said. “I knew I couldn’t entirely rely on foot traffic, but there hasn’t been much at all.”
The “Free Fun Art Fridays” for children over the summer and artist receptions throughout the year are Shankwiler’s fondest memories of being at the Depot Town location. She said many of the artists who displayed work never displayed in a gallery setting before.
“Almost every artist in here had never had a reception or had never been in a gallery, so I think we inspired a lot of artists,” she said.
As Vice President of the Depot Town Association and and member of the Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority’s Promotions Committee, Shankwiler said would still be active in the community. She said she would find out her status on the DTA board at its meeting next Wednesday and hopes to continue work on the DDA committee.
Shankwiler said she wished she had more time to transfer the space into a working artist studio or cooperative. But she can no longer afford the rent with so little money coming in.
“I just wish I had more time,” she said with a sigh.
Shankwiler 123 is offering 25 percent off all glass bowls, 50 percent of all jewelry made by Shankwiler and 50 percent off all prints from Jeff Hudson.
© 2010 The Mojo News Group - Ypsilanti Citizen Home - About Ypsilanti Citizen - Contact Us - Advertising - Calendar - Archives - Terms of Use
