An artist collective, capturing creativity in every form

By Laura Briedis

When you walk into The Rift Shop, you will find more than 60 artists’ interpretations of art.

From wall art made from repurposed horseshoes to cut album covers depicting the Cleveland skyline, pop culture canvas paintings, handmade jewelry, wiccan kits and marine leather key chains embroidered with 100 different dog breeds, there truly is something for everyone.

“We are like a craft show and local flea, where you don’t have to wait for a weekend event to find local art,” says Jeremy Martin, store owner. “Local artists showcase fabulous finds seven days a week in our store, and we get new items in weekly.”

“We feature 60-plus local artists, crafters and makers,” says Jeremy, who made furniture and woodwork items in his garage workshop before opening the store in 2019.

The store is set up as an artists’ collaboration, where each artist works one shift a month.

“We are a small business, with many other small businesses within. Here, every artist has ownership of the store and makes 100 percent profit of what they sell,” says Jeremy. “Most everything in the store is made locally by talented artists with a sprinkling of some novelty items, such as old-school metal lunch boxes, posters, and other pop culture items.”

There also are a couple young budding artists setting up shop, including a sixth-grader from Olmsted Falls who makes jewelry and cards for her company, Charmed by Milana, and Lilly Stefano of Death Brings Life, a senior at North Ridgeville High School who makes acrylic paintings and pencil drawings.

The store’s name is an acronym, which stands for Repurposed and Intended For Today. Its mission has expanded over the years to include so much more—always with a focus on hyper-local and Cleveland-centric. One in a Melon features artwork made from beach glass found on the coast of Lake Erie. Ravine’s Edge sells maple syrup harvested from its Medina farm. Electric Honey has hives in North Olmsted that produce sweet honey. Homegrown & Handmade Botanical Art features resin jewelry pressed with flowers and plants grown in the artist’s backyard, as well as framed artwork including butterflies created with hand-pressed iris, alstroemeria and Hosta blossoms.

And for that something different, you will find oddities. These peculiar and eccentric items include art made from ethically sourced animal bones and skulls.

In addition to handmade art, there are food items aplenty, including local honey, handmade chocolates, coffee and tea, and crockpot dinners to name just a few. Local favorite brands, such as Randy’s Pickles, Cleveland Ketchup Company and Chocolate 143 stock their products in the store. A retired fireman makes his own beef jerky and smokies, and sells them in the Hook-N-Ladder Jerky Co. fire station-themed display.

“Most of the items in the store range from $5 to $50, so you can buy affordable gifts and items for your home that are locally made by hand,” Jeremy says.

“There is truth in the saying ‘starving artists’ as we put so much time into our work compared to what we get paid, but we love what we do,” he says. “We encourage everyone to buy local and help support area artists, which in turn helps them support their families and the greater community.”

The Rift Shop is located at 8125 Columbia Road in Olmsted Falls. For more information, call 440-793-5018 or for vendor inquiries call 216-316-7116.