The latest casualty of the nation’s economy is Innisfree World Artisans, joining the list of closing businesses on the east end of the Downtown Mall with Sage Moon and Migration galleries. Innisfree will officially shut its doors on January 30.
The store is an outlet for Crozet’s Innisfree Village, a community of mentally challenged adults, and sells crafts made by residents there as well as items from other fair-trade programs and artisans worldwide.
“We are not breaking even,” says Manager Astrid Bailey.
Innisfree has faced hardships in the past. When Coran Capshaw bought the Jefferson Theater, Innisfree, which used to occupy a small storefront adjacent to the theater, had to find an affordable new space. Although the new monthly rent is almost triple what they used to pay, Bailey says the community was better off on the Mall than anywhere else. “We have been here for 10 years,” she says. “We wish we could keep going.”
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