By Gage Wilson
Flor Glasgow News 1
An old Masonic Lodge in Park City has found a new tenant, though exactly what kind of shop has moved in is not so easily answered.
Hometown Girls, co-owned by longtime Park City residents Tameron Shaw and City Commissioner Bonita Martin, has opened with an eclectic collection of artwork and handmade goods from a variety of artists and craftspeople.
Shaw said the idea was shaped by roughly 20 years she spent working in Louisville, where she saw businesses take commissions of 30 to 40 percent from artists whose work they displayed.
“I thought, you’ve got to do better than that,” Shaw said. “So, I thought ‘let’s do this,’ we won’t charge the artist anything except space.”
A Hometown Girls sign rests inside the new artisan shop, located in Park City’s former Masonic Lodge. Gage Wilson/For Glasgow News 1
At Hometown Girls, artists instead pay for the space they use and keep the proceeds when their work sells.
“So, they sell all their artwork and they get 100-percent, less whatever space they use for their artwork,” Shaw said. “And that’s it.”
The approach has already brought a varied group of artists and craftspeople into the former lodge.
“We’re going to have a potter, a painter, a woodworker,” Shaw said. “I do mixed media, and we also have a silversmith.”
A walk through the shop gives a better sense of that range. Handmade soaps sit among flowers preserved in resin and corn husk dolls, while tables inside feature Shaw’s own inlaid work. Hometown Girls also plans to serve coffee in the future.
Park City Mayor Donna Scavo shows off one of Hometown Girls’ finds, a Mammoth Cave National Park pennant, outside the new shop. Gage Wilson/For Glasgow News 1
For Martin, there is also a personal connection just outside the building.
The former lodge sits alongside Chris Martin Way, the alley named earlier this year in memory of her son, who died in 2000. Chris often rode his bike along the stretch with friends while growing up in Park City, prompting commissioners to honor his memory this spring.
Martin and Shaw have both called Park City home for years, making the name Hometown Girls a fitting one for their new venture.
According to Shaw, an official ribbon cutting is planned, though a date has not yet been announced.
Key Facts:
– Tameron Shaw and City Commissioner Bonita Martin co-own Hometown Girls.
– The shop occupies Park City’s former Masonic Lodge.
– Artists pay for display space and keep their sales proceeds.
– Goods include handmade soaps, resin-preserved flowers and corn husk dolls.
– The building sits beside Chris Martin Way, named for Martin’s son.
What’s Next:
Hometown Girls plans to serve coffee. An official ribbon cutting is also planned, but Shaw said a date has not been announced.
