Things have been so tight that the couple say they haven’t even drawn a salary for themselves for a year. Catharines, so we put all our efforts into this store,” William said inside his Queen Street location. Catharines one or the Niagara Falls one open in light of how business has been chopped back so badly. But William said the Welland one had to close because the building was condemned by fire officials, and the couple had to make a decision whether to keep the St. Catharines in addition to their one at 4444 Queen St. The Wilkinsons had three Painted Turtle locations, with shops in Welland and their main one in St. “We had so many clients come to us and say, ‘You’re all that’s keeping me sane,’ ” he said. William said with the cost of crucial things like food and gas going up so fast, many people simply can’t afford leisure activities such as arts and crafts.īut he said for many stressed out families, having a creative outlet for kids has been important after two years of worry and hardship. “It’s our bread and butter.”īut he said the couple need help “to get us over this hump to stay in business.” “We’re hoping to build that back up,” said William. “We were doing six or seven birthday parties as week before,” he said. But William said that has shifted dramatically since they were allowed to re-open after almost two years of lockdowns and capacity limits. Susan said parties such as birthday parties were 80 per cent of the businesses’ revenue stream before COVID-19 hit. Whether the medium is oil, watercolor, pastel or clay, Falcone artworks are proudly displayed and cherished in civic settings, boardrooms and fine homes worldwide. When reached by Niagara This Week, the landlord declined to comment.Ī couple who are loyal customers of the shop, where, on Wednesday, a group of giggling little girls were making paintings of colourful macaws on canvas, have started a GoFundMe page for the business. For over forty years, Tony Falcone has earned accolades from patrons nationally and internationally for artwork that exceeds expectation and stands the test of time. They say they face the possibility of being locked out by Monday if they can’t come up with about $3,300 in owed funds. Like many small businesses, the couple have taken a beating during the pandemic and are still fighting to regain lost business over the last two-plus years. Now the couple, who say they’re in danger of being locked out if they can’t almost immediately come up with money to pay outstanding rent and utility bills, are hoping the Niagara community comes through with help when they need it most. The pottery and art studio they run in downtown Niagara Falls is much more than just a business to William and Susan Wilkinson: it’s their life.
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