Locally Owned Art in the Alley Store Carries On Despite Mall Store Being Cosed

Duluth, Minn. — For the vast majority of stores that call the Miller Hill Mall home, it’s been more than a week since they were last open. For national chains that may not be a big problem. For local businesses not being able to bring in any customers or money, the issue is much more problematic. The owner of Art in The Alley, a local store that sells clothing and jewelry talked with Fox 21 about her situation.

“The only thing I can sell right now is if I made it, I can sell it to you,” said Tami Edmunds, the owner of Art in the Alley.

For seven years she has been a tenant in Miller Hill Mall and she still is, except, “Everything is sitting in the store, which is locked, and we don’t know as of this time when we can get into the store.”

Tami is currently In New Mexico where she has been busy with her online presence. “I’ve been working a lot on my social media and posting, this is what I’m doing and what I’m making and posting things online.”

She has also been keeping herself busy, creating product, especially her healing stone jewelry. “This is  for sure what I’ve made in the last seven days, times two making these healing stones. This is what relaxes me, calms me and keeps me focused, and relaxed so the more stress I’ m under the more I can make my jewelry so it’s a calming thing for me.”

Jewelry is not the only product she is working on while she is in New Mexico. Another product, which I also for sale on Art in the Alleys’ Website is one-of-a-kind flannel shirts.  She uses a form of tye-dying and the sun to give the shirts their unique look.

About her store, Tami says when her five employees are allowed into the store, the first thing they will need to be do is to check for damage. Tami says Art in the Alley is located very near Caribou when much of the damage was centered when the roof collapsed.

The only thing she would say about the mall is that she has received email and texts from management. But she would not say if she is satisfied with the Mall’s response.

“Hopefully the mall will open soon.”