A new pop-up shop, The Trove, features handmade goods and original art
Best friends turned business partners Jennifer Bilton and Mandy Little love art, connecting with artists and makers, and working together.
That is why they launched The Trove, a new pop-up shop featuring handmade goods and original art from more than 60 makers and artists. It first opened in May in the retail space once occupied by the Makers Collective, the nonprofit that founded Indie Craft Parade. Makers Collective closed its shop last year to focus solely on hosting the annual festival.
After meeting in 2019, Bilton and Little volunteered and worked with the nonprofit and the festival for years. “We didn’t want being part of the community and connecting with artists to go away,” Bilton says. “We took the leap into creating our own business with a similar concept. We’re hoping to expand it as we continue.”
The lessons learned during their time with Makers Collective proved invaluable in starting their independent pop-up. “We could not have done this without having that background and the founders’ support,” Little says.
The Trove of Handmade Treasures
While the pair compiled a long list of potential names for their venture, The Trove most accurately reflected their vision for the shop. They have brought to life the word’s meaning—“a collection of valuable or delightful things”—through stacks of stationery and stickers, bins of original art, and shelves filled with ceramics, candles, jewelry, perfume rollers, and more.
“There are things you won’t find in very many places,” Bilton says. “We have some makers who are nationally recognized, but also some who live down the street, and they’ve just started [creating]. This is an outlet for them to grow their work.”
Bilton and Little will curate the offered items through an application process before each pop-up, “so that there’s a new mix and new makers get an opportunity to join in,” Little says.
The Trove will open again this fall, and plans include hosting outdoor markets during the holiday season and future workshops with some of the artists.
“Getting to work closely with the makers is really special and bringing them to a space accessible to everyone to shop is another great benefit,” Little says. “It’s wonderful to see everyone come in, light up, and look at everything. And it’s great for the makers to have somewhere to sell.”
Three Days to Shop Handmade
When The Trove reopens in the fall, “we’ll probably have a lot of makers from the festival,” Bilton says, referring to the Indie Craft Parade. Since 2010, the Makers Collective has presented the juried craft event to celebrate handmade goods—from fine art and ceramics to jewelry and stationery—created by more than 100 makers from the South and beyond.
This year, the festival will expand from two to three days at Judson Mill, 701 Easley Bridge Road, Greenville. It will kick off with the First Dibs Party on Sept. 12 from 5–9 p.m., followed by two full days on September 13 (10a.m.–5 p.m.) and September 14 (10 a.m.–4 p.m.).
Individual tickets range from $5 (for last-call hours) to $40 (for a weekend pass) and are available online at indiecraftparade.com/tickets. For more about the event, visit indiecraftparade.com or makerscollective.org.
The Trove is located at 2909 Old Buncombe Rd. For the pop-up shop’s fall dates and hours, visit thetrovegvl.com and sign up for its newsletter, or follow @thetrovegvl on Instagram.
