Celtic Moose doubles up in South Superior

Moose sightings will soon double in South Superior. Celtic Moose Gift Shoppe opened Thursday at its new location, 5819 Tower Ave. The original storefront one block away is slated to become a fabric consignment store, Celtic Moose Textiles, by the end of the month.

Owner Kim Nygaard opened the gift shop at 5907 Tower Ave., in May.

“I outgrew it as soon as I moved in,” she said.

Nygaard was prompted to move to the larger store, which has three times the space of the old shop, to add more artists’ work.

“Currently I have 20 artists featured,” Nygaard said. “I have four new ones moving in and room for more.”

Items available at the South Superior shop include Nygaard’s quilts, pillows and towels, hand-poured soy candles made in Gordon, carved Celtic knots by stoneworker Sean McManus of Duluth, cards featuring Barbara Benson’s photography and one-of-a-kind vases by Sheila Staubus. Different rooms cater to different customers — a quilt room, jewelry area, Celtic room, kitchen room and Nygaard’s favorite, the cabin room.

New artists coming to the shop include a sign maker, pottery worker and photographer. Nygaard intends to fill the new space with unique, quirky, quality items that showcase local artists.

“There’s a lot of talent out there,” she said. Celtic Moose Gift Shoppe is open from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Its former shop space will open as a fabric consignment store July 31. Along with sewing items, Celtic Moose Textiles will cater to folks who Nygaard describes as “fabriholics” — people who collect fabric for projects.

“It’s like going in a friend’s closet and trading out your clothes,” she said of the new shop, which will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.

Adding the textile store will keep Nygaard busy five days a week in South Superior.

“I had the vision to go bigger and it’s nice that it came true in such a short time period, two months,” she said.

The success of the Moose is good news to another local business owner, Lorraine Peterson. Her Shabby Shed at 6101 Tower Ave. also highlights unique, chic, crafty items. She currently has about 75 consignors.

“Kim and I do not duplicate consignors — we respect each other in business and have no plans to step on one another’s toes,” Peterson said. “We each want to stand out in what we do.”

Nygaard and Peterson both hinted at an expansion coming to the Shabby Shed, but declined to give particulars. They both encouraged business owners to consider moving to Superior’s South End.

“South Superior used to be a booming little community and we are proud to be a part of the rebirth and expansion of the business district,” Peterson said. A September shop hop is being planned for the area that will feature both Celtic Moose and Shabby Shed.

Along with art and a kilt-wearing moose, Nygaard brought some noise to Superior last weekend. Prior to opening her shop Saturday, she pulled out her bagpipes and played a few tunes on the sidewalk.

“I could see people at ICO stopping and looking,” she said. There have been no complaints about the shop owner tooting her own horn, so she plans to make the bagpipe tunes a weekly tradition.

Tags: news, business, superior, arts