EDITOR’S NOTE: Tillamook County – the land of co-ops, now is home to another, an “Artisans Cooperative.” As founderValerie Franklin explains, “Our studio is located across Hwy. 53 from a dairy farm that’s a member of one of the largest cooperatives – Tillamook County Creamery Association, and our neighborhood grocery store is a coop, and the Grange is just down the road. This seems like the perfect place for this effort.” The changes at Etsy (one of the largest online selling platform for many artists and crafters) and subsequent strike prompted Valerie to explore other options. And she wasn’t the only one. Together, this group of entrepeneurs are growing a grassroots online cooperative for artisans. Are you an artisan looking for new selling options? See below for more information about the Artisans Cooperative, launching this Fall.
Nehalem Business Joins Co-op Etsy Alternative in Accelerator Program
NEHALEM, OREGON. Nehalem-based business Walnut Studiolo, a family-owned leathercrafting business on Highway 53, has joined a team of worldwide artisans transforming the energy of the Etsy Strike into a marketplace of their own: Artisans Cooperative. The Artisans Cooperative’s world headquarters is registered at Walnut Studiolo’s address in Tillamook County, Oregon.
The members of the Artisans Cooperative are now revealing that the startup has joined nine other co-ops in the 2023 cohort of the Start.coop Accelerator Program. The Start.coop Accelerator Program provides a $10,000 grant, coaching, educational resources, mentoring, and access to business management tools and services.
Valerie Franklin of Walnut Studiolo is the lead representative and recipient of the Start.coop incubator grant and an integral part of the worldwide organizing team developing this exciting online cooperative, bringing the world to the doorsteps of the North Oregon Coast.
Artisans Cooperative was born from the April 2022 Etsy Strike and is being built by creatives. The group announced its intention to build an online handmade marketplace in October 2022, and plans to launch the basic marketplace by October 2023. Membership will be open to artisans, staff, and their supporters.
Walnut Studiolo Owner Geoffrey Franklin said, “We need a trustworthy place to sell our handmade leather bicycle accessories without high fees and unfair policies. We are proud to join the Artisans Cooperative and build a marketplace that we own ourselves as co-op members. Together we’ll make a better handmade shopping experience for artisans and customers alike.
The Artisans Cooperative welcomes anyone interested in their concept, including artisans and shoppers, to visit their website at artisans.coop to learn more and join the movement.
About Walnut Studiolo
It all started with Geoff Franklin’s old 1978 Bianchi road bike. On his daily bike commute, he was flooded with inspirations for new products to improve his ride, and his architectural degree from the University of Oregon gave him the skills he needed to design them.
When he couldn’t find what he was looking for, he started making his own. In 2009, his wife Valerie began listing them on Etsy. Today, over 50 Walnut Studiolo products are made by hand in Geoff’s workshop and sold to discerning enthusiasts of fine craftsmanship around the world, through their website walnutstudiolo.com, on Etsy, and at select retailers. To see it in action, watch a short video about Geoff’s handmade design process by Portland filmmakers Cineastas.
Geoff’s work has been featured in Esquire Magazine, TIME, Bicycle Magazine, Sunset Magazine, American Craft Magazine, WIRED, Real Simple Magazine, Elle Japan, GQ Germany, House Beautiful Magazine, Forbes Life, Monocle Magazine, Gestalten publications, The Guardian UK, Museum of Modern Art Design Store NYC and Tokyo, Portland Monthly Magazine, Time Out London, and more.
