IMMOKALEE, Fla. — An Immokalee woman who taught herself to sew during the pandemic has turned her passion project into a business that's bringing new creative opportunities to her hometown.
Vanessa De La Rosa recently opened Artisan Alley on West Main Street, filling a gap in her community where craft stores and creative outlets for families are hard to find.
"I don't think I ever stepped into a craft store until I was well into adulthood. I didn't realize that these kind of crafts existed," De La Rosa said.
Click here to see Immokalee Victoria Quevedo speak with the Immokalee business owner.
Growing up in Immokalee, De La Rosa experienced firsthand the limited opportunities for creative expression.
That changed during the pandemic when her mother needed masks for employees. De La Rosa taught herself to sew and discovered a passion she never knew she had.
"There's not a lot of opportunities here. Immokalee is very specific in what is here, and so I feel like putting this into Immokalee, it's something new, it's something different," De La Rosa said.
The store offers sewing and crocheting classes for all ages. De La Rosa said children get particularly excited when they see what they can create with their own hands.
"A lot of them have told me that they wish they would have learned from their parents or their grandparents these kinds of skills, and they never had the opportunity to," De La Rosa said.
Artisan Alley also sells products from local makers, giving them a platform to showcase their work in the community.
For De La Rosa, the store represents more than just a place to buy craft supplies or learn new skills.
"I really hope that I can bring the community to just come out, hang out, be with each other and have those engaging conversations," De La Rosa said.
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