Anti-Business Rules at Artfunkle’s in Clarion

Ron Wilshire

Ron Wilshire

Published December 4, 2017 5:44 am
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CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Artfunkle’s at 623 Main Street is not your usual arts, crafts, and used bookstore, and owner John Miller is not your average businessman.

“In this era of the pro-business model where everybody’s looking for as much profit as they can get — to what level can I rip off the consumer — I have an anti-business model,” explains John Miller in a Clarion Connection interview.

“I try to encourage people not to buy things they can’t afford.  I’ve discontinued accepting credit cards because I think that encourages revolving debt, which I think is sinful in that it’s even allowed in our culture.”

Miller started selling products to people who need them or really like the products and can afford them.

“I have a strong encouragement, an inclination to buying locally.  We have a tremendous number of wonderful artists and craftspeople right in this area,” continues Miller.

For example, Tara Williams, a Clarion native and recent graduate of Cornell University who will soon begin working with AmeriCorps, has some origami paper earrings for sale.

“They take a lot of practice. They are folded from tiny pieces of paper, and they are sealed and are waterproofed,” says Williams.  “It probably takes three to five minutes to fold the crane, and then I have to apply at least three coats of sealant and takes about an hour for everything to dry. Then, it takes from five to ten minutes to assemble it into an earring.”

She also offers them for sale on an Espy web account.

“Of course, we would prefer you buy them at Artfunkle because even though we have an anti-business model, I do have to eat and pay rent. Even though I an anti-business in terms of profiteering, I do respect and appreciate any purchases made in our store,” says Miller.

Arfunkle offers wall-to-wall varied crafts from local artisans, used books, record albums, Tie-dyed shirts, and similar items.  In the back of the store, he has an entire line of current comic books on consignment from Comic Books 101.

The back of the store offers room for some impromptu classes, poetry recitations, listening sessions, and even film screenings.

The use of the space is only limited to the imagination of John Miller, and in that sense, it is limitless.

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