Every second Saturday of the month, Anita Stech and nine other “Nice Girls” get ready to showcase their unique and original handmade boutique pieces.
“This is a sale of items that are created by local women artists,” said Stech. “Nothing is from a kit, it is all original creations. We can showcase what is done locally and let people buy locally, which so many people want to do now.”
The Nice Girls of the North have 10 permanent members, and two guest members at their sale every month to showcase their talents. This sale has everything from candles, handcrafted clothing and bags, jams, pottery, jewelry, and much more, all made by the Nice Girls.
Judy Gordon, a friend of Stech and the Nice Girls, who is soon retiring, helped create the consistency of the sale, making it known to many.
“We had the idea, ‘can we do something on a regular basis?’” said Stech. “We thought we can come to the same place, same time, same day of the month, and let people know we are here; it’s a convenience for them. We’re here once a month. Sometimes there are more shoppers one month than the other but that’s all right, it’s convenient for people to purchase these kinds of things.”
Stech isn’t too picky about her guest artists, but they do have to be one thing: nice.
“When people say they want to be apart of this, we ask them what they create, etc., but we also ask, ‘are you a nice person?’” said Stech. “Watching the things that come out of these people’s brains is amazing and it inspires us. Other shows are competitive; we just love when everyone sells stuff. It’s a totally different spirit. It’s a group effort; when one of us succeeds, we all succeed.”
Stech is also owner and lead seamstress for Cut Loose Creations, where they turn old tee shirts into new products such as bags, skirts, and other styles.
The Nice Girls of the North Second Saturday Marketplace is held at the Lakeside Lester Park Community Center (the former Lakeside Library) located at 106 N. 54th Ave. East in Duluth.