Wabash, Ind. – Visit Wabash County is excited to announce that local artist Candie Cooper will be their featured artist during October’s First Friday and will be selling her new accessory line, the Candie Cooper African Collection, that is a collaboration with Emily Sparling.
The Candie Cooper pop-up shop will be located at Visit Wabash County, 221 S Miami St., in downtown Wabash from 5-8pm on Friday, October 4th and will feature her new cross-body bags, wristlets, bracelets, scarves, jewelry pouches, vintage key fobs, and western fabrics. This collection has been a major collaboration between Candie Cooper and Emily Sparling that started a year ago.
“It all began with a phone call to see if we could have some coin purses made in Africa. In the past eight months, we’ve shipped and sold over 500 pieces of the Candie Cooper African Collection all over the globe,” said Cooper. “With that, they’ve almost built a full sewing center for a woman in Africa so she can provide a safe working environment for women, and we have been able to add staff locally at the Wabash studio.”
Cooper’s unique, limited edition collection will also be for sale at the Visit Wabash County Welcome Center on Saturday, October 5th from 10am-2pm. “This project is a powerful and creative collaboration rooted in hope, justice,and sustainability that I am honored to be a part of,” said Sparling.
A Wabash native, Candie Cooper-McCoart is a jewelry designer with a passion for combining unique materials and color combinations, inspired by extensive travel and her years living in China. Candie is the author of Necklace-ology (Lark Books 2012), Metalworking 101 for Beaders (Lark Books 2009), Felted Jewelry (Lark Books 2007), and Designer Needle Felting (Lark Books 2007). Shehas appeared on the PBS television show Beads, Baubles and Jewels and hosts daily Facebook Live shows focusing on living a creative lifestyle. In 2018 she launched a collection produced in Africa as part of the Women-Supporting-Women business movement and a collection of artisan market goods in Hobby Lobby. She teaches jewelry-making workshops around the country and also runs an Etsy shop out of her small cottage house that was built in the 1800s. Candie earned a bachelor’s degree in Art Education and Fine Arts from Purdue University. Shop her complete collection at candiecooper.etsy.com.
Stop by the Visit Wabash County Welcome Center Friday, October 4th from 5pm-8pm and Saturday, October 5th from 10am-2pm to purchase the Candie Cooper African Collection.