June 01, 2009
Sally Lansdale, owner/operator of Wislanscraft, describes her business as unique hand-painted furniture and whimsy.
Sally Lansdale believes useful items should be beautiful. That’s the idea behind Wislanscraft, which will be setting up shop at 6007 Maple Street in downtown Benson as the first official tenant of Benson Free Space.
Benson Free Space, launched in April by the Benson-Ames Alliance and BensonBeat.com, invited locals to submit their great ideas for use of 2,000 square feet of retail space on Maple Street free of charge for 30 days.
The concept, said Jay Lund, was designed to attract attention to the availability of business, office and retail space in Benson. Lund, a brokerage associate with Lund Company, is a member of the Benson-Ames Alliance Steering Council. The project generated about 20 submissions ranging from home-based businesses to the arts to meeting facilities for nonprofit groups.
Lansdale, a 20-year veteran of the finance industry and former member of the Irish band Emerald Fyre, describes her business as unique hand-painted furniture and whimsy. “I love to recycle what other folks throw out or donate to thrift shops,” she said. “It’s fun for me and green for the environment. When you purchase one of these items, you’re also adding art to your home.”
As a child growing up near Cleveland, Lansdale was surrounded by art and music. Summers were spent on a family farm in Maryland. After high school, she headed for the California Institute of the Arts. “They told me I had to choose between music and art, and I chose music,” she said.
The young singer/artist left school a year shy of graduation, spent time in Los Angeles and Denver, went back to school to get her MBA and found herself working in a stock brokerage firm. Life and family eventually brought Lansdale to Omaha, where her “inner artist” began making some noise. “I’d find myself coming home from work and spending hours working on projects in the garage,” she said. She decided to leave her banking job and pursue her artistic endeavors full time.
Today, one of Lansdale’s best sellers is a Pullman-type stool, which her brother-in-law builds from a homemade pattern. The sturdy stools mirror those used by the railroads during their passenger heyday. Lansdale’s grandfather, who worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad until retiring in 1947, was the inspiration behind her version. “Growing up, I remember being with my mother in the kitchen, sitting on our Pullman Stool,” she said. “It was just my size, and I wasn’t underfoot.”
The step stools are a favorite with her grandchildren, who use them to help reach the sink for hand washing and teeth brushing. She also works with found objects – bottles, mirrors, boxes and even old light switch plates. When she’s finished, no two are alike.
In addition to selling her products, 6007 Maple Street will double as Lansdale’s workshop. “I’ll be working up near the front of the store, so people on the sidewalk can watch what’s happening,” she said.
Wislanscraft will be open to the public starting Saturday, June 13, in conjunction with the Benson Summer Arts Festival. For more information about the business, contact Lansdale at 402.598.0683 or visit www.wislanscraft.com. For more information about Benson Free Space, contact Lund at 402.548.4070.