Pittsfield's Plant Connector Closes But Familiar Face Remains
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Plant Connector is closing down its Pittsfield storefront but the space's future is still green.
Anastasia Drayton opened her pop-up Foraged and Found there last November and will be taking over the location.
Taking inspiration from the Plant Connector's owners Emilee Yawn and Bonnie Marks, she will opening her own plant business in the space with an artsy twist.
Store posted to its Facebook on Aug. 4 that it would not be operating at 46 West St. anymore and would concentrate on the North Adams shop.
"It was a really hard decision to make, because we really have built a beautiful community in Pittsfield," Yawn said.
Yawn and Marks opened in Pittsfield last year after doing pop-ups and the farmers market.
"We're really focused on sort of bringing people together around the love of plants, and sort of making a space that is very welcoming and engaging. And it's about learning about stuff and sharing information. And we do a lot of fun events, and we've just really tried to kind of become a space where everyone's welcome," Yawn said.
She said closing Pittsfield was a difficult decision to make but a necessary one because it was hard to finance both stores and has been a struggle to operating the stores on their own.
Marks was running the Pittsfield store while Yawn worked the North Adams location.
"The North Adams store has really been sort of the anchor, and financially, really keeping both stores going. And I've been doing the North Adams store by myself, and I really need help, I need one other person and to help get through it and to help build the business," Yawn said.
The Plant Connector and is Refillery will remain on Main Street in North Adams. Additionally, they are looking to take more of the store on the road, with a mobile operation and launching a website for orders and deliveries, Yawn said.
"I think we're really looking forward to taking the show on the road again. We really love that interaction. We've applied for a few grants to try to get a mobile Refillery going so that we can bring it on the road, because we see the need for definitely the sustainability side of things for Pittsfield," she said.
Yawn said they love the Pittsfield community and are very grateful for their support.
"Truthfully, so grateful to them and I think we knew we were burning ourselves out about a year ago, but we were so inspired by people that we really wanted to keep going.
"We really did everything we could, from applying to grants. That didn't work out. We just really tried really hard, but we see such a beautiful community within Pittsfield, within plant lovers, we think that there's a lot of great stuff going on in Pittsfield, and just we're really grateful for being supported," she said.
Drayton hopes to keep the Plant Connector’s spirit and legacy in the community.
"I think the Plant Connector started a beautiful thing in downtown Pittsfield, and I think that the community and the customers are really, really excited about what they did. And so it feels like I'm stewarding that forward. It's not really about me. I feel like I'm doing it for the community," she said.
The new shop will be called the Solarium and she wants it to be a place where people can hang out.
"I really want to kind of increase the coziness and the inspired feel that everyone feels when they come in here, and just make it feel like a place where you want to be and to stay and to visit often," she said.
The Solarium will offer plants as well as home items. At the heart of the store will be the Atrium Gallery, a place to view art curated by Michael Carty.
The name is special to them as it represents the heart of the store, downtown, and references Carty's experience getting a heart transplant.
Carty mentioned that they will display local contemporary art that is not often showcased in Pittsfield, which might appeal to a younger audience.
"We're gonna try to showcase a lot of local artists that maybe currently, do not get as much recognition in different gallery offerings available right now. We're also going to probably be featuring more like a street art slant as well, which I feel like does not get a lot of run in Pittsfield either," he said.
"So, I think that'll be maybe a little more interesting for the younger people who are more open to that kind of artwork."
Drayton said they plan to have a soft opening in early September for their new space which will also include workshops and events for the community.
Tags: new business, business changes, plants,
