The Hinesville Area Arts Council (HAAC) will host a ribbon cutting and grand opening for their new venture, Martin Mercantile, on Thursday, Nov.  21 at 4 p.m. located at 102 Commerce Street, downtown Hinesville. 

 The Hinesville Area Arts Council board has taken the existing gallery space and converted 1/3 of that space to feature handmade, homegrown, art and other artisanal items which will be for sale. 

“The ultimate goal is to get more people in the space to see the monthly exhibit, as well as provide a maker space for our local artisans,” said Leah Poole, HAAC Board Chair. 

As a handmade marketplace, featuring the best in local crafts, handmade in Liberty County and/or just beyond the Mercantile will offer local artists and crafters a charming atmosphere in which to display their goods. Shoppers will enjoy a quaint, unique shopping experience and warm hospitality.

The mission of the Mercantile is simple: to provide a welcoming environment for customers to shop for local handmade goods, and provide a stress-free and affordable method for local vendors to share their products with the public.

This will do a variety of things beyond the obvious of bringing people into the gallery. It will also help the HAAC continue to build relationships with local artists/artisans and continue to show that the HAAC is invested in this community. 

Mercantile hours will be Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to start and may expand after the holidays. For more information check them out on Facebook and Instagram.