The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG - If you've been curious about the new storefront on Waits­burg's Main Street, wonder no more. Treasure: An Art­ist Cooperative - located on Main right next door to The Times -- will open its doors to the public on Friday. The store is a joint effort between three local artists: Leroy Cunningham, Jamile Scherief and Mickey Richards.

Richards creates antler art and folk-style furniture and accessories. Jamile Scherief is a potter who adds a bit of "bling" to each of his pieces. Cunningham creates one-of- a-kind items from reclaimed wood. His work includes furniture, platters, kitchen items, cheese racks, and more. He makes only two or three of each item and each is unique.

"We want to provide a venue for local artist to showcase their artwork," said Richards.

"It's all about making things," said Cunningham. "I get goose pimples when someone likes something I've made. When they like something I've done I want them to have it. We all need to use and give the gifts that we have. Everything I do is geared toward that."

Cunningham explained that his pieces come from the heart - inspired by either love or anger. A tall, rectan­gular lamp in the window was inspired by the Twin Towers and 9-11. An attrac­tive stained, wooden box sitting on a back shelf is a model for a coffin. Cun­ningham was inspired to make the model after the tragic death of a young local girl who fell from a tree. "I decided that I wanted to be able to provide a beautiful coffin for people who have lost a child and can't afford one," he said.

Cunningham has been working on renovating the building -the former home of Crossroads Mercantile - for many weeks. Refinished wood floors and freshly painted walls give the space the feel of an upscale art gal­lery, which is exactly what the artists are going for. "We want to be upscale but af­fordable," he said.

The store will initially be open Thursday through Sunday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Plans for the future in­clude adding gift and tourist items to the inventory and expanding store hours in the summer.

"Sixty-six hundred peo­ple a day go through that intersection in the summer," said Cunningham, referring to Highway 12 and Coppei. "We need to find ways to bring them on into town."

Cunningham sees the store as "the first collabora­tive effort toward revitalizing the retail core of downtown" and hopes other businesses will follow suit. "We're tak­ing a big risk but we want to show that this is the way to do it -- building owners and renters working together. Building rent is too high for one business, but if several come together, we can make it work."

Developing and growing that spirit of cooperation in the community is one of Cunningham's main goals. "I'd love to see these empty buildings filled with busi­nesses working together - joining together for advertis­ing and sales - to help build a vibrant downtown," he said. "Right now everyone is working in their own sphere. If the different organizations -- Commercial Club, Lions Club, City Council, etc. -- all worked together we could really do something!"