Local nonprofit art supply store Sister Trillium will celebrate one year of operating from its Dayton Street space with an art show and silent auction Friday, June 27, 6–9 p.m., in the YS Brewery Barrel Room. Pictured in the storefront are Director of Operations Marie Hertzler, left, and Director of Fundraising Kelly Carpe. (Photo by Lauren "Chuck" Shows)
Sister Trillium celebrates one year
- Published: June 27, 2025
The walls of Sister Trillium’s nonprofit art supply store on Dayton Street are stacked floor-to-ceiling with the kinds of things creators dream of — some expected, some surprising. Paints, pens, fabric and yarn share space with x-ray negatives, wind chime parts, vintage slides and polyhedral dice.
The stock is entirely donated by area residents and curated by a crew of volunteers, and all items are priced accessibly, typically between 25 cents and $10.
After a year in their brick-and-mortar space, Sister Trillium is preparing to celebrate with a First Anniversary Art Show and Silent Auction, set for Friday, June 27, 6–9 p.m., at the YS Brewery’s Barrel Room.
The News spoke this week with Sister Trillium’s Director of Fundraising Kelly Carpe and Director of Operations Marie Hertzler. They said they hope the event will spotlight the colorful, creative community that has grown around the shop and attract new volunteers to keep that energy going.
“This event is a celebration of the community,” Carpe said. “We want the vibe to be joyful, colorful, like we’re throwing a first birthday party for all ages.”
The upcoming event will feature contributions from local artists, each submitting two pieces: a recent work for the silent auction, and an early creation. Displaying both pieces, side-by-side, is intended to celebrate the journeys of growth and change undertaken by all artists — and by the nonprofit, too.
“The idea is, here’s where Sister Trillium started, and a year later, here’s where we are,” Carpe said. “So we want to show that artists and art are in constant motion and progressing.”
Sister Trillium formed as a nonprofit under co-founders Hertzler, Zoey Bryant and Allison Paul in 2022, and in 2023, began operating out of the local farmer’s market on weekends. In May 2024, the nonprofit opened its storefront at 108 Dayton St., and has since worked toward its goals of sustainability and accessibility by offering artists a place to find donated and upcycled supplies at discount rates.
Building a nonprofit from the ground up has been hard work, Hertzler said, but moving into a brick-and-mortar space has “made a huge difference.”
Open this summer Thursday through Sunday, noon–6 p.m., the shop is powered almost entirely by its rotating cadre of 20 volunteers. In addition to selling art supplies, the nonprofit also hosts frequent artist-led workshops.
As the shop grows in popularity with locals and out-of-town visitors alike, so does the need for more hands on deck. Additional volunteers, Carpe and Hertzler said, would allow the store to continue operating at its current level and possibly open for an additional day each week.
In addition to finding help to work within the store, Sister Trillium’s leadership team is also seeking assistance in such areas as grant writing, event planning, marketing and donation processing.
“There’s a role for everyone,” Carpe said. “You don’t have to think of yourself as an artist to contribute. … We need all skill sets to keep this place running.”
Volunteers typically work three-and-a-half-hour shifts and receive $10 in shop credit for each shift.
“We had a high school student come in for community service hours who said she didn’t feel comfortable with money or numbers,” Hertzler said. “We found tasks for her like dusting, organizing and helping tag inventory. Whatever your skill set is, we can find a way for you to contribute.”
For more information on volunteering, contact hello@sistertrillium.org. For guidelines on how to donate, including needed items, go to http://www.sistertrillium.org.
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