Photos by Allison Kridle
NOVEMBER 2 0 2 1 I BOROMAG.COM 19
After months of thorough research, community
insights and readying the space,
QNSC now has a functional shared storefront
on Astoria Boulevard near the corner of
Crescent Street, the former home of Earth &
Me. The group opened its doors in October,
hosting a variety of Queens artists like Astrid
Candles, Figment Clay, Kau Kau, Morefully,
Seema Shakti, Pink Cove Treasures, Clayful
Characters, Zoa Chimerum Jewelry, Hyperspace
Vintage and Felted Fruition, just to
name a few.
“There is an incredible amount of creativity
in Queens. We want to make it easier for
you as a shopper to support your neighbors,
to get unique gifts and to buy super
small. Most of the people in our store are
not wholesaling on any scale. Some of them
started making in the last six to 12 months,
so it’s really new for them,” Mudrick said.
Before vendors can set up shop in the
QNSC space, they must fill out an application
discussing their needs, how much or
little time they could put into maintaining the
shop, if and where they sell their products and
more. The vendor must live and make their
wares in Queens and sell either handmade,
vintage, upcycled or recycled goods.
“Not only are you giving back to your
neighbor by purchasing their wares, that
person is now able to invest more in space
and more into the community, whether it’s
monetarily or through shared tools. When
you’re buying something from a neighbor,
you know about its process and can invest
in systems that feel sustainable and local
as opposed to purchasing another massproduced
item,” Bower said.
Part of the vendor application is deciding
whether creators need a shelf, table, clothing
rack or gallery wall space to display
their items. A vendor member’s monthly
fee is based on their display and can range
from $245 to $290 per month. When vendors
make a sale, 70% goes to the artist
and 30% goes to the collaborative — as
opposed to the traditional consignment
model of 60/40.
“That 30% right now is going to all the
costs that we already invested in building
out the store. Anything we raise over that
fund is going to the ability for us to do this
in the future without having us dig into our
own pockets, so just fundraising for QNSC
in the future,” Mudrick said.
After vendors go through the application
process, a panel of QNSC community
members and partner organizations, who
aim to curate the space with a diverse
and distinct assortment of wares, review
applications. The collaborative pledges
to make 70% of its vendors people of
color, members of the LGBTQ+ community
or other marginalized groups. The
collaborative reviews applications on a
rolling basis.
“As a Queens kid, I have so much love
for my borough and was so excited at the
thought of a cooperatively run space that
centers community in my hometown. I align
with the values and intention behind this
space and really like that it uplifts makers
and creatives local to Queens. Our borough
is so vibrant and diverse and I think it’s wonderful
that we're co-creating a community-
Photos courtesy of QNS Collaborative
Photo by Maryam Mudrick
/BOROMAG.COM
