Seed beads upon seed beads of every shade of colour – that’s what you’ll likely notice first when walking into the Wild West Gallery, in Wetaskiwin Mall.
Along with their vast collection of Czech glass beads, you’ll also find a variety of ready-made Indigenous handicrafts such as pendleton coats and vests, handcrafted ribbon skirts and shirts from the best seamstresses in Maskwacis, and an unrivalled selection of beadwork!
Wild West Gallery first opened in Wetaskiwin in 2010, when owner Perry Bartoshyk sought a more central location for his business, to offer greater accessibility for his clients. Building the business from the ground up, Wild West Gallery now offers one the largest selections of seed beads in Central Alberta.
“We’re known throughout the country as the go-to place for any and every shade of colour bead in sizes 10, 11 and 13,” Bartoshyk says.
“We also carry one of the largest selections of satin ribbons and cotton fabrics in a rainbow of colours and floral patterns. We have just about every crafting material you might need, from fabrics to ribbons, furs, hides and more. If you need it, chances are we have it!”
Over the past 10 years, Wild West Gallery has worked to maintain and preserve bead culture in Central Alberta and support local artists, ensuring the store remains fully stocked with materials while also providing a space to show and sell their wares.
“Wild West Gallery has been well-received and greatly appreciated by the Wetaskiwin community these past 10 years. The beading community in particular has continued to grow and our selection of beads has grown with it, to ensure we can continue to meet the demand,” Bartoshyk says.
Bartoshyk chose Wetaskiwin in part due to its central location but also for the city’s unique home-town feeling.
“Wetaskiwin has been a great place to live and run a small business. The community here has always been supportive and welcoming. That ongoing support is greatly appreciated and while Wetaskiwin has and continues to grow into a larger town, it’s maintained that charming small-town feeling,” Bartoshyk says.
Stop by Wild West Galley to at the Wetaskiwin Mall, learn more at wildwestgallery.ca and on Facebook.
This business profile is part of a series from Wetaskiwin’s Economic Development office. To learn more about initiatives to grow local business and industry, visit wetaskiwin.ca/831/Invest-Wetaskiwin
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