Craft enthusiasts have a brand-new spot to hang out and connect with their inner artist: the recently-opened “craft cafe” Big Gurl Shop on King Street.
The artsy space boasts rotating offers of do-it-yourself projects, including collage and vision board-making, mosaic tile art, bracelet-making, figure drawing and more. Plus, find locally-made art and artisan goods (all by women!) in its retail space.
First-time business owner and longtime artist Rosie Werden is the force behind Big Gurl Shop, a concept which she described as a “casual space for the casual artist,” in a recent interview.
“The idea is that you can just walk in and see where it takes you, whether it’s buying something from a local artist, participating in the craft of the night or finding a craft that you want to come back for,” Werden explained.
“I always say, don’t overthink it. You literally show up with yourself, or with a friend. You bring nothing. I give you all the supplies. And you can stay for as long as you like, exploring the craft, just being creative and hanging out with friends.”
Werden, who is originally from South Carolina, moved to Charleston in 2023 after tiring of winters in Boston, where she spent four years living after graduating from Clemson University. She started selling her artwork at local markets, discovering the dynamic arts scene Charleston has to offer, but she noticed that these artists she found herself surrounded by weren’t necessarily showcased within local art galleries and retail spaces.
“Charleston has such a rich arts scene. We have really high-culture art and galleries. But sometimes when it comes to space for smaller artists — maybe beginner artists, maybe more unique artists — there is a lack of representation.”
And there was another need Werden identified: She found there to be lots of options for guided workshops and art classes around town, but thought that a more casual, drop-in approach to artmaking was a hole her business concept could help fill.
“I think you can easily find artist-led workshops, but a lot of them are pricey, or require you to commit way in advance. So there is a barrier to accessibility, where you’re paying all this money up front and then stressing about it being on this day, at this time …
“I wanted to offer something where you can be on your own accord,” she said. “You don’t have to feel the pressure of following along at the right pace, or being stressed out if, say, your friend can’t go last minute.”
The rotating offerings at Big Gurl are self-guided, with Werden there to help if you need a hand — though she does plan to offer some unique, artist-led guided workshops like rug-tufting and floral-arranging in the future as well.
Connecting over craft
Spending an evening at Big Gurl can provide a unique experience for a date or friend-hang — it’s something different than going to a bar or restaurant. It also offers the chance to connect with like-minded crafters showing up solo.
“I put these two big community tables in the back, because my intention was to have people interact and connect,” Werden said. During her opening week in mid-January, she was already experiencing the joy of these community moments.
“As we were doing mosaics on Wednesday, the community tables were poppin’, like people were talking to each other all night … That might sound silly, but to me, it’s huge. People of my generation — I find myself doing this too — we can be shy, we’re not always the first ones to go talk to a stranger or like to make small talk with people … but I keep catching that.
“Like, people will look over at their neighbors and be like, ‘I love what you’re doing.’ Or, ‘how did you come up with that?’ It’s been great to see people coming by themselves and then be so engaged with each other.”
For Werden, entrepreneurship was always the goal. She grew up watching her mother, a barber and immigrant from South Korea, fulfill her American dream as a small business owner. Werden knew she’d want to open an art space eventually, and after her move to Charleston, started at retail spaces “just to see what was out there.” She luckily connected with “all the right people at the right time,” she said, which made her confident to move forward.
“As you can imagine, it’s so competitive in Charleston, especially on King Street. My broker, my landlord, my neighbors, so many people have helped me and propped me up. Not even in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen,” Werden said. “I feel extremely lucky, because I think very few times in life do you get to actually execute your dreams like this … I seriously pinch myself every single morning.”
While opening a business has its ups, downs and challenging moments, Werden said, it’s a bit like making art — you have to see the process through with vision and “a bit of delusion.”
“Any small business owner, you have to have self-confidence to the point of almost delusion. You have to convince yourself it’s going to be good.
“Sometimes things don’t look like they’re going to pan out until you see the finished product. [Just like with making art,] you have to trust the process. You have to ride with the ebbs and flows and disasters, and soon enough, you’ll make it beautiful.”
Big Gurl Shop will host its grand opening party at 12 p.m. Feb 22, with pop-up tastings from Sechey and pastries from Baba’s. Or, check out its Valentine’s Day pop up event to find locally-made floral arrangements and artistic valentine’s cards. Learn more about Big Gurl and its offerings by checking out @biggurlshop on Instagram.
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