Local business showcases importance of community through art
By Bret Saveleski
Knightly News Reporter
bret.saveleski@mymail.centralpenn.edu
HARRISBURG — The Meadow, a store here in the capital city, offers a large variety of products from many different business owners and artists in the area.
Nestled on Third Street in Midtown, the business is only a block away from other popular attractions, such as the Broad Street Market and the Midtown Scholar Bookstore.
The shop opened last July, and is owned and operated by Kenzie Brinkman, her partner Cody Imes and their dog, Hermione, who they said is the store greeter.
A repository of artisan work
The Meadow sells a wide range of items, including clothes, handmade jewelry, art, natural soap, home décor and more. These items are created and sold by the 25 vendors the store features.
“This space is a dream coming true,” Brinkman said. “We are making it possible to support local small businesses daily, putting money back into the local economy and creating a space that the community can gather in and discover new art, items and more.”
The owners discovered their vendors at local events, other stores that sell their products and through social media. Despite the sizeable number of small businesses they already feature, they have no plans to stop now.
“We’re constantly discovering new people and being approached,” Brinkman said. “We are planning to expand our setup to be able to add even more people soon.”
It didn’t come easy
The growth that the shop has achieved in its short lifetime has not come easy. As is the case with many new endeavors, the owners experienced some unexpected challenges while getting their business off the ground.
“We actually were going through the most tumultuous time in our lives during the whole process of opening The Meadow and even after,” Brinkman said. “I unexpectedly became a full-time caregiver to an ailing family member and all of my time, energy and funds were sapped, and we were left without a savings and any security for quite a while because of it.”
Despite these unfortunate circumstances, the owners pressed on and turned their dream into reality. They also want other aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners to know that with enough determination, you can do it, too.
“Never give up,” Brinkman said. “Small business ownership is so hard and it’s not for the faint of heart, but it is so, so rewarding.”
The Meadow is located at 1126 N. Third St., on the southwest corner of Third and Cumberland. For more information about the store’s products and the vendors who sell them, visit The Meadow’s website. Follow on Instagram @the.meadow.hbg.
Comment or story idea? Contact KnightlyEditors@CentralPenn.Edu.
Edited by media-club co-adviser and blog editor Professor Michael Lear-Olimpi.