Meet Tracey Bentley and Stacy Martinez of The Grand Project Shoppe in Old Town Peoria

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracey Bentley and Stacy Martinez.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Tracey. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I absolutely love to hike and one thing I have realized is that though the trail up is arduous it is worth the view! I have always loved color and beauty and making them work together. I grew up in an artist’s home where my mother was amazing at decorating, drawing, and painting. She started her own interior design business in 1985, and after having my second child I started working with her. We worked together specializing in window treatments, upholstery, furniture, paint color, and so many other creative projects until she finally retired in 2015 after 30 years! I’m inspired by her tenacity, having overcome many obstacles like battling colon cancer and the housing market falling. While I continued Interiors for You and helping our clients create beautiful spaces I felt a stirring towards something new that involved a bigger picture.

A few years ago, I was stopped in my tracks with a diagnosis of breast cancer. I spent the next year fighting for my life. That battle helped create in me the value of living in a community with amazing people and showed me the fragility of my life. It was the storm that clarified my purpose. I love to help others find hope and strength and believe we can all be inspired and inspire each other. This is living in the community. To live out my purpose, I need others!

I have an amazing business partner, Stacy Martinez who owns the vision of The Grand Project Shoppe with me. She has been through her own set of trials after she and her husband had their construction business hit hard in the recession and then lost a storefront business and all the disappointments that go with those experiences. In the midst of that was birthed in her the idea of our Project Shoppe “a gathering place for creativity”. We were both ready for this new venture.

Stacy and I put our heads and hearts together with our love of family and community, design and the arts. It became apparent to us that we were on the same trajectory. As a result, The Grand Project Shoppe was birthed as an extension of what God was at work doing in our lives, and a vision of love for inspiring others.

Has it been a smooth road?
It is taken a lot of perseverance and faith. We have learned a lot about the art of listening to what we believe we are being led to act on or believe about ourselves and one another as friends and coworkers,

We have also learned to trust that our strength and weaknesses complement each other. Both of us are used to working but it has been an adjustment working long hours and always having more to do.

Tell us more about the business.
We are located in Old Town Peoria where there is a wonderful movement happening to encourage the arts. In addition, being to a retail storefront, The Grand Project Shoppe is a co-operative business and a gathering space for creativity’ where artisans and vendors have a space to create and sell their merchandise. Shoppers enjoy a one-of-a-kind shopping experience featuring colorful, eclectic, home furnishings and decor, fine art, unique jewelry, apparel and accessories, kid’s gear, and culinary goods, with a focus on local, handmade, re-imagined and vintage. The Grande Project Shoppe also offers a variety of creative classes taught by our vendors and other skilled artisans making use of our beautiful studio space. With the use of the studio and teaching classes, this can further provide an opportunity for our artists, makers, and creatives to share their creative talents, earn income, and promote their businesses. Our vision is to be able to bring the arts and creativity to the community in this space. Our studio is also available for hosting private events. We desire that a community of support and inspiration for one another as creatives will thrive and grow here in the West Valley and that our Shoppe will be a place of hope and light!

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
It’s exciting to see the movement of people clarifying there values when it comes to what they spend there income on and wanting to make a difference in our communities, US interests, and the World. We definitely see a trend of people getting away from consumer spending and wanting to support local and handmade as much as possible. When you go into some of these big box stores everything is made cheaply from China and is a cheaper price but consumers are getting smart and wanting to spend a little more to make our world a better place. They realize that when you have a shoppe like The Grand Project Shoppe opening in a community, supporting it can make all the difference in helping to actually revitalize the area.

Contact Info:

• Address:8217 W. Grand Ave
  Peoria, Az 85345
• Website: www.thegpshoppe.com
• Phone:623-248-6042
• Email:tracey@thegpshoppe.com
• Instagram:thegrandprojectshoppe
• Facebook:The Grand Project Shoppe

Image Credit:
Pamela Pachmayr
www.pachmayrstudios.com

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