Gallery, gift store set to open here tomorrow

Connie Cuthbertson’s dream of having her own store will be realized tomorrow when she opens the doors of “Northwoods Gallery and Gifts” to the public.
Located in the old Murray’s building at 277 Scott St., the store’s opening is slated to kick off at noon with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Mayor Glenn Witherspoon.
“I’ve been having a lot of fun opening up boxes and putting the displays together,” Cuthbertson enthused. “Creating the atmosphere took the most time of all.
“It’s been a breeze getting caught up with the rest of it,” she added.
She said the store’s atmosphere, and how she wanted people to feel when they walked in, was as important as its location.
Cuthbertson has incorporated pine flooring and counter tops, as well as a log ceiling structure inside the store, to give it the natural look she favours.
“I’ve done a lot of traveling and I’ve seen a lot of shops and I’m drawn to the ones that have a natural look to them,” she explained. “Many of the [design] ideas in here come from that.
“I wanted the store to have an atmosphere that would [draw] customers in to hunt and explore,” she added.
Cuthbertson will carry various lines of original giftware, along with limited edition prints from such artists as Terry Redlin and Robert Bateman.
The only original artwork for sale in the store will be her own. And her framing business will continue from there, as well.
“The framing I do is still very much a part of the business,” she stressed.
For the time being, Northwoods Gallery and Gifts will be a family-run affair, with husband, Doug, and daughters, Shaunna and Megan, helping out.
Even her parents, Pat and Harlan Faragher, have made contributions to the store by way of handmade wooden display cases and crates.
“It will just be the family for now and we’ll put as much back into it as we can,” Cuthbertson smiled.
Northwoods Gallery and Gifts will be open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., with extended hours Friday nights. It also will be open Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.