Tucked away in the depths of the Lost Barrio is a hidden treasure called Mast. A place where a “Sorry, shit went down” screen print card, locally handmade stone-laden jewelry, chandeliers made of ostrich eggs and large rehabbed furniture pieces all coexist, Mast makes the old look new.
The shop takes art and modernity and softens it with a touch of vintage. With a name inspired by the initials of the founders, Mast was the collaborative effort of artists and friends who wanted to open a store together. The eclectic shop radiates a strong sense of creativity, an ever-changing environment that keeps founders Tasha Bundy, Mellow Dawn Lund and Sofie Albertsen Gelb inspired and on their feet.
“It is a collective effort,” Bundy said. “We find inspiration in different ways and pair things that don’t normally go together.”
The store, painted in a pale shade of gray, feels like the great room of a friend’s home. The lighting is soft, the furniture selection is largely reupholstered vintage finds, and Tooley’s Cafe sits just next door, in case there’s a need for a mid-afternoon coffee or snack. A shopping day there feels easy.
The art of various featured artists covers the walls, while the floor of the store is lined with displays of vintage vinyl records, many from local artists, Mast T-shirts and hats, children’s books and jewelry shown both behind glass and hanging off dainty metal trees. Earrings made from pencil erasers, $22, and necklaces featuring colored pencil tips and other school supplies, $28, fill the center display. Handcrafted, simple leather clutches, $26, are a college fashionista’s dream find.
“Our store is like anthropology on crack,” Bundy said as she veered away from jewelry to show off nautical maps and other crafts. “It’s like a do-it-yourself kind of anthropology.”
An array of vibrant, handmade earrings is on display against the back wall. Bundy and Gelb craft these pieces. The earrings, $36, are delicate and feminine with an unexpected, edgy twist. These eccentric beauties can add flare and diversity to almost any outfit.
Just as shoppers enter the back left corner, there lies a workstation of sorts, decorated with colored pom pom balls hanging over the area, reminiscent of a colorful representation of planets for a school science fair project. Open since early December 2009, the artists who started the shop constantly change the store’s stock, making about 80 percent of the store’s merchandise themselves. This corner is their imaginative workspace, where the founders can create and be inspired.
“The best part for me,” Bundy said, “is being able to create with women I respect.”
