SAN ANTONIO – Months after the nationwide shutdown of Painted Tree Boutique left small art businesses without a storefront, some San Antonio vendors are returning to the same location under a new name and hoping for a fresh start.
The former Painted Tree Boutiques space at Loop 410 and San Pedro Avenue is now operating as The Collective Boutiques. Several vendors who previously sold local art, T-shirts and handmade crafts there are setting up again, including Angel Contero, a San Antonio crafter whose business KSAT has been following for several years.
Contero left a job in the medical field to pursue her craft business full time. When Painted Tree shut down, she said she lost the only brick-and-mortar location where her items were sold.
In the months since, Contero said many artists have struggled to find affordable places to sell their work. She said some local boutiques that rent space to vendors raised prices, making it difficult for small business owners to find a location that made financial sense.
“That’s very, very hard to find,” Contero said. “I feel like a lot of places took advantage of the people who were needing, who not only just left, but needed a space to go. And wholesale orders are just trickling for myself and for other vendors.”
She said some vendors were able to pivot successfully, but that has not been the case for everyone.
“For some, they pivoted and they’re doing very, very well, but that’s not the case for me,” Contero said.
About 10 days ago, Contero set up her boutique again, this time under The Collective Boutiques name. Still, questions remain about money vendors say they are owed by the previous owner.
Painted Tree Boutique filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and Contero said she is still waiting for clarity on what happens next.
“As of right now, I still don’t know,” Contero said. “There was paperwork submitted and all that, but no official, ‘Here’s where do we send the money?’”
KSAT’s Patty Santos emailed the new company to ask how vendor contracts are handled and whether it has any affiliation with the previous company, we are still waiting for a reply.
The grand opening for The Collective Boutiques is set for Oct. 12. Contero said she hopes shoppers will support local artists as the holiday season approaches.
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