The Warren in Leland welcomes a collective dream
By Abby Chatfield
Sun contributor
The Warren, a collective comprised of three Leelanau makers who are also friends, opened its doors to visitors on Memorial Day weekend in Leland. Tucked back into The Leland Courtyard at 106 N. Main Street, the space exudes the feeling of a rabbit den, also called a warren, and one of the reasons the name was chosen by the friends for their new endeavor.
The Warren is the manifestation of their collective dream to share their art with the community in person. Bonded by creativity, the friendship of Sarah Peschel, Kelsey McQuown, and Kristin Hussey is what forged the collective.
“The Warren Collective originated simply through friendship. I think there was a collective feeling of wanting to share our creative work in-person with the local community but also a major need to maintain and foster our individual creative practices,” McQuown said. “As a working creative, you wear many hats even without a retail shop. Add a retail shop to that and you have enough work for multiple people! Our hope was that by coming together for this collective and sharing the responsibilities of a retail space, we’ll be able to share our work with the community and visitors while also maintaining our individual studio practices and creative energies. Also, who doesn’t love goofing around with other artists?”
McQuown, founder of the Moraine boutique in Suttons Bay, and Hussey, a gifted designer whose paintings have recently blossomed in popularity around the area, are both fixtures in the Leelanau art scene. Peschel, a longtime area resident and marketing guru, is known by many in the area for her creativity and super cool style.
Hussey and Peschel shared a studio space in Leland for a few years. “In that time, we joked about turning our studio space into a pop-up shop,” Peschel said. When a space in The Leland Courtyard opened, the three women jumped at the opportunity. The thought of carving out more time to create for herself and working alongside her friends was a no-brainer for Peschel. “Kristin and Kelsey are so inspiring and kind that I knew working with them would be fun and fulfilling in the very best way.”
Peschel joins the collective with her extensive collection of curated vintage keepsakes and pottery. Besides pieces from her collection of vintage treasures, a current focal point at The Warren is her collection of tropical plants in vintage planters. The plants are propagated by a small, family-run business and cared for by Peschel until they are ready to transplant into the planters. The collective may also soon offer original paintings and photographic prints by Peschel, along with cut flower bouquets later this summer.
Peschel studied fine art for three years in college before shifting her educational focus to marketing, graduating with a BBA in Marketing. She works as a digital marketer, using graphic design and photography daily. Her artistic skills span many genres beyond graphic design and photography, including metalsmithing, arc welding, ceramics, oil, acrylic, watercolor, and mixed media.
McQuown moved to Leland in 2017 after living in several midwestern cities and abroad. She grew up in a creative household “filled to the brim with art supplies,” she shared. “While my life and career have taken a few fun twists and turns, my passion for the arts and my pursuit of arts education in a variety of mediums has never really ended.” She has been a full-time artist for eight years, much of this time focused on metalsmithing and ancient jewelry. She currently makes hand-twisted filigree jewelry under the brand Kelsey Grape. Her work’s signature look is produced by crossing ancient metalworking techniques with modern aesthetic.
Before joining The Warren, McQuown traveled the country to take part in many an art show. She also created the former Moraine jewelry-focused boutique in Suttons Bay, where she sold her own work alongside other gifted artists and hosted workshops and classes. In addition to The Warren, her work appears at various galleries and on her website KelseyGrape.com.
Hussey moved to Leland in 2019 and launched her artistic brand, Kristin MacKenzie Design, featuring her watercolor prints. She also creates custom wedding stationary with her company Sable & Gray and has been doing so for over eight years, but locally she is best known for her paintings and knack for capturing the whimsical and nostalgic aspects of Leelanau life. Besides prints of her paintings, The Warren offers her designs on a wide array of gift items from gift wrap to playing cards, sketch books and journals, water bottles, note cards, decals and more. Like McQuown, Hussey also sells her work in other galleries and online at KristinMackenzie.com.
The creative gene runs strong in Hussey’s family. Her sister and Traverse City resident, Brianne Farley, is a successful illustrator and author of children’s books. Some know Farley for her unique murals at several establishments around the region, now including a window mural at The Warren that she may change out from time to time.
Beyond sharing their own work at The Warren, the friends have plans to host pop ups and events at some point. They also expect the shop itself to consistently develop as they each debut their collections and personally grow from the experience. There will be new and unique items available every week, according to McQuown. “This space is a creative and sometimes even experimental outlet for all of us, and it will be fun to see how it develops over time!”
The friends plan to keep The Warren open beyond the summer season but have not yet decided to what extent other than catering to holiday shoppers. Drop by to visit The Warren and stop next door to grab a coffee drink at Madcap Coffee, a well-loved Grand Rapids-based coffee chain that just moved into the former Blue Boat coffee space. The Leland Courtyard is also home to the popular local boutiques, Leland Gal and Haystacks. Check TheWarrenLeland.com for store hours before planning your next shopping trip to Leland.
