Downtown Eau Claire shops offer a gateway into Midwest culture. Tangled Up in Hue continues to celebrate the artistic culture, now in collaboration with local business, Blue Boxer Arts.

According to Volume One magazine, Blue Boxer Arts held a Grand Re-Opening Celebration for the entire day on Nov. 2 at Tangled Up in Hue, their new partner location.

The event was free to the Eau Claire public and showcased the variety of arts and craft supplies Blue Boxer Arts provides with discount coupons to use.

Jamie Kyser, the co-owner of Blue Boxer Arts, said the event was a great way to re-introduce the Eau Claire community to the mission of the business.

“(Blue Boxer arts and Tangled Up in Hue) were always one business, we just operated under two separate spaces,” Kyser said. “Now, together under one roof, we provide a space for local artists to sell and have their work on display.”

Breanna Thompson, a first-year business and Spanish student, said she was first introduced to the store through university-held events at the start of the year.

“I really enjoyed all the different options they had for purchasing different arts that are locally made,” Thompson said. “A lot of the art is Midwestern-based, which I have not usually seen through companies.”

According to the Blue Boxer Arts website, the event offered locally-produced yarn, beads, macrame and embroidery supplies for 20 percent off with additional giveaway baskets of Blue Boxer Arts merchandise.

Kyser said an important goal for the reopening was to provide classes for community members to become connected with the crafts they saw in store.

“People would see us creating product and ask if we provided classes,” Kyser said. “We did not have the space available before, so when we decided to open up Blue Boxer Arts, that had to be a primary goal.”

Thompson said she enjoyed how the event showcased all the new craft options Blue Boxer Arts offered.

“It was cool to see how the yarn then became a tapestry or whatever the craft was,” Thompson said. “You could get inspired from the art (Blue Boxer Arts) already had, plus the convenience of having made products there to purchase.”

Kyser said the feedback received from the Blue Boxer Arts event encourages their business to continue inviting the community into the art making process.

“We want to open up to the public and invite people to see our space,” Kyser said. “I invite any students if they want to learn something new in the creative realm that they keep an eye on (Blue Boxer Arts).”

Blue Boxer Arts will continue to promote new knitting workshops and classes at 7 p.m. on Wednesday evenings at their new location.

Blue Boxer Arts will continue to hold intermediate to advanced yarn workshops through their Facebook and knitting club at 7 p.m. on Wednesday evenings.

Thompson said she aims to return to the store and values how supportive the Eau Claire community is toward local talent.

“I like the option of purchasing unique pieces that you can relate to in a different way,” Thompson said. “You can connect with the artist and their reasons for making the item.”

For more information on Blue Boxer Art events, go to blueboxerarts.com 

Nelson can be reached at [email protected].