Wild Woman supports local talent

The Wild Woman Artisan Market is an unassuming building on the west side of Moorcroft, on the north side of Highway 14/16. Owner Anita Beth Irving and assistant Alisa Hansen welcome everyone with a smile and are always willing to answer questions as people stroll through the store.

Guests are encouraged to peruse the many items for sale from keychains and crocheted blankets to cup coasters, lotions and paintings, to name only a few. Irving has been providing independent artisans from Crook and Weston Counties a place to display their handmade wares for a few years now and currently hosts 29 different local craftsmen "and three of those are minors".

Hansen, herself an artist, began playing with resin a while back.

"I've always done a little bit with hobbies, but I was gifted a resin kit so I started to do keychains with flowers in them and when I came and saw her lovely store, I fell in love with it [and] I asked her [for an idea of] a good thing I could make to sell. She said she'd been wishing for somebody to make resin coasters for her photographs and it worked out just perfect!"

Mac Brislawn, a local painter of both portraits and landscapes, has shown in several galleries throughout his decades-long career and has arranged to offer a couple of his depictions of the Devils Tower in the store, as well. He spoke to his reasons for bringing his paintings to the market, "[I want] to bring new work in."

Irving is not new to this enterprise, having done the same in New Mexico with her tie die and bleach work, at that time from a booth.

"I loved it, so I took the standards and modal...There was a group of vendors who started a brick and mortar of their stuff to sell throughout the week a year or two be fore COVID and they're my inspiration and template for the indoor part."

Unlike many outlets for craft work, Wild Woman Artisan Market does not charge rent and commission. Irving shared her opinion of the practice: "Space rent and commission is redundant in my mind."

Wild Woman's hours for May through September are Monday and Thursday, noon to 5 p.m. Friday and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. The days and hours will change with the seasons.

Irving also offers out of area, including out of state, craft venders who create their own items, the opportunity to rent a space outside of the store on weekends during the summer.

"The Saturday markets are a big deal. I have food trucks booked for about half of the Saturdays," she says.

She has vendors scheduled "from far and wide" this season, however, "everything's weather permitting."