Shop featured in 2021 ‘Branching Out’ category
Both locals and visitors to the town of Aurora will be able to check off one place on the Nebraska Passport Program list by visiting Cottonwood Gallery and Arts.
Co-owners Tori Swanson and Desiree Christenson explained that they heard about the program’s impact after the Plainsman Museum was featured a few years ago. After opening last year, they decided that they needed to apply.
“The deadline was November and we applied in September,” Christenson recalled. “We kept an eye on the website and then we found out in February that we got on it. We knew, especially with COVID, that it would be necessary for us to be on it so we were really grateful.”
Looking back at the process, she noted that they had to explain how they would support the program, support Nebraska tourism and engage with visitors. Despite taking a bit of time, applying and being placed on the list was free.
Swanson voiced that this helps as it is free advertising for them across the state.
Now that summer is officially underway, they have seen Passport visitors making their way to the gallery. Christenson stated that since the program began on May 1 they have had around 300 visitors.
“We had to do a training video and they said to anticipate like 1,500 visitors over the summer,” she said. “It runs from May through September. That’s a lot of people.”
Pulling from the Nebraska Passport website, she added that 43,680 booklets have been requested, five participants have already visited every stop and 31,758 stamps have been collected through the Passport app as of June 3.
Supporting Aurora
One of the benefits the gallery owners have seen from the program is the increase of visitors to the area.
“We’re proud to present Aurora to them,” Christenson said. “A lot of them come by and are like, ‘Oh my gosh we didn’t know what a lovely town Aurora was.’ Then we’re able to make sure they check out this place or that place.”
For those checking out Cottonwood beforehand, they have also listed things to do in Aurora to encourage people to spend more time exploring the town. She noted that they are working to be ambassadors to anyone visiting.
Their hope is that once people see the town as a whole they will want to come back to visit other shops and restaurants. Visitors themselves have also been helping shine a light on towns across the state.
“We had Lt. Gov. Mike Foley visit,” Swanson said. “He likes to go to a couple stops every year so he stopped by and took some photos. It’s neat to see everybody so excited about the state of Nebraska and exploring what Nebraska has to offer.”
One plus to their gallery is that they are showcasing the work of around 17 different artists. Christenson voiced that they are not promoting one specific kind of product, but are able to feature a variety of talent.
Joining the program
When asked if they thought that they would have this kind of result when they applied, Christenson explained that they were hopeful.
“We’ve heard of several businesses that applied for three years and never got on,” she said. “Hearing that made me realize that we got really lucky to get on it our first time. It’s definitely something special.”
Now that they have officially kicked off their Passport season, the owners noted that they have extended their hours to be open six days a week.
They are closed Monday, open 12-5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and Sunday and open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
She added that they are also offering two deals for Passport visitors. The first is a free sticker when a person has their passport stamped. The second is that if they spend over $20 they can select a free print of a piece by either Christenson or Swanson.
“We’re still ramping up to try and have some more evening events,” Christenson explained. “Our classes are getting started again and we have kid’s camp this summer.”
The increase in traffic has also seen the artists having to restock more often. They have found that the artists are as equally excited as they are.
“It’s fun for the artists who are working that day,” she said. “They get to see so many people and get to talk about their art. I think it’s fun for them and for the participants to talk to the artists. We always tell the visitors to come back often because things are always changing. We are always getting new art and new artists.”
“Everything is online, too,” Swanson added. “So if they are from a ways away they can shop online.”