In the Spotlight Downtown Johnstown artisan shop offers eclectic treasures, handcrafted items

Kelly Urban, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·3 min read

May 12—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — A love of eclectic treasures and handcrafted items led Jim and Laura Argenbright to establish their artisan shop in downtown Johnstown.

The Artique Gallery Market at 128 Walnut St. opened in December 2021, sharing space with ArtHouse6.

"We started the Gallery Shoppe at Bottle Works in 2012, and we were the first ones to set it up there, but eventually we turned it over to them," Laura Argenbright said. "We loved doing it and working with artists and sharing what we've collected. We always kind of had that hope of having a shop of our own."

The Johnstown residents created the gallery to focus on unique artisan pieces from local and regional creators, fair-trade goods, and vintage and antique items.

"We want to offer things that you can't find in other places," Laura Argenbright said. "We also want to offer some sustainable and socially responsible products."

The gallery features a vast collection of estate jewelry, mostly artisan or fine jewelry.

"We just introduced costume jewelry about a month ago," Laura Argenbright said.

The shop features pottery, serving ware, glassware, handmade baskets, international spices and soups, honey, upcycled metal wall decor, soaps, an array of art posters from the '80s and '90s, vintage photos of Johnstown from the early '40s to the mid-'70s, and a variety of gift items.

"It's a curated collection, and we sell a little bit of everything," Laura Argenbright said.

Also featured are the Montour Lane soy candles that Jim Argenbright has been making for about 12 years.

"We started that when we were looking for a supplemental income and wanted to do something eco-friendly and went with soy," Laura Argenbright said. "We were going to the Ligonier Country Market for a couple of years as a regular vendor and built up a nice following."

Jim Argenbright said the candles are handmade in small batches.

"We have a base scent, and we change them up for the seasons," he said. "There's a lot of new scents that come out, too.

"We have a good supplier for our scents."

Moving forward, the Argenbrights are planning to offer a pour bar where people could make their own candles.

"We'd give them probably 15 or 20 different scents to choose from," Jim Argenbright said. "We haven't figured out every last detail, but we're pretty close."

Additional arts-related activities are being finalized.

A final unused space in the gallery will be open soon and will include local cheeses and jams.

In conjunction with ArtHouse6, the shop presents its monthly Wednesdays on Walnut & Washington series, which features live music and caps off with trivia at Stadium Pub & Grille, 101 Washington St.

"We bring people in through the shop so they can see what we have," Laura Argenbright said. "We have a lot of fun with it."

She said the goal of the Artique Gallery Market is to provide a viable retail space for artisans so there's another outlet at which they can sell.

"We want to continue to sustain an artisan gift shop that provides things that are different and continue to build on our eclectic collection," Laura Argenbright said.

Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Hours are also available by request.

For more information, call 814-659-1911, or visit www.shopartiquegallery.com or the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/yourfavesoycandles.