After working for other retailers for more than 20 years, collage artist Luana Kaufmann decided it was time to strike out on her own. The Baltimore native opened Emporium Collagia, a 300 square foot store in Fells Point.
The shop features a variety of home decor items including, custom framed collage giclees, collage designs, jewelry and a host of eclectic home goods, including soaps, Italian stationary and pencils made of twig. Kaufmann also sells wine bottles that are sandblasted with words like knowledge, understanding, patience, and joy. Shoppers will also find candles for each of the 12 zodiac signs. When the candle has finished burning, the candleholder is now a shot glass and with a drink recipe.
After retail stints as a buyer for furniture stores Bluehouse and Tomlinson Craft Collection as well as with the sales department at Nordstrom, opening her own store allows Kaufmann to blend her retail experience with her artistic skills.
"It feels like an exciting integration of all the stuff that I've done," Kaufman says. "It's a neat integration of retail and display and merchandising that I adore. I love being a buyer."
Kaufmann says she felt Fells Point was the ideal neighborhood for the store. "It's one of the most charming neighborhoods in the city. There's lots of great buzz and vitality in the area."
The store is next to the Cat's Eye Pub and Ann Street Pier � a location Kaufmann enjoys. "I have an extraordinary view of the water," she says.
What else is happening in Fells Point? Read more here!
Source: Luana Kaufmann, Emporium Collagia
Writer: Julekha Dash