The West Virginia College Vogue Design and Merchandising (FDM) program and Primary Avenue Morgantown will maintain a ribbon chopping for The Retail Lab on Tuesday, June third at 11 a.m. at 201 Excessive Avenue in downtown Morgantown.
The shop marks the start of a brand new chapter for the FDM program and offers a novel buying expertise for Morgantown residents and guests.
Run by college students within the FDM program, the storefront curates and sells classic, secondhand and repurposed trend objects and authentic work from artists and designers. Underneath school supervision, college students take part in all features of the retail atmosphere, together with curation, retailer 
format, customer support and advertising.
The area was made doable by a collaboration between the FDM program, which is a part of the WVU Faculty of Artwork and Design within the Faculty of Inventive Arts and Media (CCAM), and Primary Avenue Morgantown with funding from The Benedum Basis. The partnership offers unprecedented real-world expertise for FDM college students whereas aiding Primary Avenue Morgantown’s initiative to fill empty storefronts downtown.
Elizabeth Shorrock, a instructing assistant professor of Vogue Design and Merchandising, helped launch The Retail Lab and oversees the shop. She additionally teaches the related FDM course.
“A few years ago, I was speaking to one of our students who was doing a semester in Florence, Italy,” Shorrock stated. “She told me about a class where they worked in a luxury resale shop in the front of the building with a classroom in the back. The students did everything involved in the day-to-day operations of the store.”
With that inspiration, Shorrock revived a earlier concept to open a store run by FDM college students. She approached Jessica McDonald, a Primary Avenue Morgantown board member, who noticed potentialities for college students and the neighborhood. McDonald helped coordinate the transformation of the area from an workplace to a retail retailer.
“I’m so excited to see this project come to fruition,” McDonald stated. “The hard work and collaboration that brought us to this point are a testament to the strength of our community. This will be a great addition to downtown.”
Primary Avenue Morgantown’s Artisan Entrepreneurship Program is funding the shop’s first 12 months. This system goals to assist The Retail Lab turn into a self-sustaining enterprise. The store will reinvest all proceeds in scholar and neighborhood packages, nurturing future artists and designers and buoying native entrepreneurs already working in these fields.
“Incorporating WVU students into all aspects of the business will strengthen the connection between the University and the larger community, increase foot traffic downtown and help local artisans tap into an underserved retail demographic,” Shorrock stated. “I’m excited to see students and members of the community see their work and original ideas represented in a beautiful space that honors their talents. Also, I believe that this experience will motivate students to become entrepreneurs, whether that’s opening their own retail shop or designing and producing their own products. That is really exciting.”
Shorrock stated The Retail Lab wouldn’t be doable with out help from her CCAM colleagues; together with FDM Program Coordinator Dr. Katie Jones; Assistant Dean of Manufacturing, Presentation, Operations and Cultural Engagement Jamie Whoolery; Artwork Museum of WVU Exhibition Coordinator Sam Boehm; Faculty of Artwork and Design Director Kristina Olson and CCAM Dean Keith Jackson.
“This new venture is a bold and innovative move for the School of Art and Design, the College, and the University,” Jackson stated.“It adds a relevant, experiential learning opportunity for our students, a beautiful example of how collaboration between public entities can benefit our community and an important step for the College of Creative Arts and Media becoming a partner in the vibrant Morgantown artisan scene. I am incredibly proud of our faculty and students who are leading this effort.”
