A new local maker shop is bringing 1970s-inspired funk and flair, with a touch of Sonoran Desert magic, to Tucson’s robust creator scene.
Arizona Poppy features groovy items from over 35 local makers, including handmade jewelry from Sigfús Designs, handcrafted lingerie from Hi, Tiger! and ceramics from artists like Petra Juarez and Jaclyn Pacheco. Other items include stained glass, woodworks and vintage houseware items.
In addition, some of the featured makers are creating shop-exclusive items that can only be found at Arizona Poppy.
The shop officially opened its doors on Saturday, May 21 in downtown Tucson at 150 S. Fourth Ave. In true '70s fashion, they launched with a shop disco party to celebrate the grand opening.
The shop comes from the mind, heart and soul of local maker Rosie Crocker, the owner of Sonoran Rosie Herbal, who wanted a way to create an inclusive community of makers in one place.
“That was one of the main reasons why I wanted to open the shop up to other makers and stuff, too, was because I wanted to offer affordable rates to other small businesses,” Rosie said. “And also be kind of like a locally-inspired (shop) as well, just because I've always been so inspired by the local community and not just inspired but (also) believed in it. I feel like that's where we all should focus our energy and time — is the local community.”
The inside of Arizona Poppy stays true to the '70s vibe. The walls are adorned with vibrant paints, including a bright-yellow wall featuring a hand-painted wavy rainbow of orange, teal and purple, and a dusty-rose wall with yellow creosote flowers. The '70s decor, like vintage flower lamps, a disco ball and an orange neon sign of a flower, inside the shop only adds to the retro feel.
But the vintage space and new Sonoran Rosie Herbal headquarters didn’t come to be overnight. In fact, it took a couple of months of moving, painting and setting up for the old Tucson Yoga building to transform into a groovy, botanical maker haven.
Owner Rosie Crocker talks to a guest during the grand opening of Arizona Poppy, a maker/creator shop at 150 S. Fourth Ave.
New digs, same Rosie roots 🌹
Like many Tucsonans (and Arizonans), Rosie was recently impacted by the ongoing rental crisis.
Rosie was previously operating Sonoran Rosie Herbal, home of sustainable, gender-free herbal products, out of half their house near South Sixth Avenue. But when landlords said there was a possibility of them selling the place to increase the cost of rent, Rosie and their partner decided it was time for new digs.
“So knowing how much we depend on where we're at, me and my partner, who also does woodworking, we both were like, ‘Let's just leave,’ and we need to leave anyway and I need more space,” Rosie said.
After searching, Rosie found the perfect place: the former Tucson Yoga studio located on South Fourth Avenue.
“It was nice and big and had a lot of potential and needed a lot of work and was also central downtown, which is exactly what I wanted and was looking for,” Rosie said. “Because where we're going to be moving is pretty central, I wanted it to be close and just easier to find and all that, so (we) basically got that space and then we divided it in half. So we're gonna have the Sonoran Rosie workspace in the back and then the front will be Arizona Poppy.”
Maker/creator shop, Arizona Poppy, 150 S. Fourth Ave.
After two months of work and a fresh set of colorful paint on the interior and exterior, Arizona Poppy was ready to rock and roll or, more appropriately, get their groove on.
Rosie wanted to keep the desert botanical theme when naming the new maker shop, so they settled on Arizona Poppy as a homage to the native golden poppies of Arizona.
“I am obviously very much into plants, local plants. And so I just felt like, in a lot of my own personal style, I really am drawn to lots of flowers and botanical and natural dyes and things like that,” Rosie said. “So over time, I've just kind of collected a style that I really enjoy. And it's like that kind of mix of just like a '70s-botanical mash-up.”
Loretta Grant looks through the merchandise on display for the grand opening of Arizona Poppy, 150 S. Fourth Ave.
The local maker community continues to blossom in the Sonoran Desert 🌵
Rosie was one of the masterminds behind the seasonal local artisan market, Desert Air Market, where local makers gather for a day of selling handmade items, networking with other makers and connecting with the Tucson community.
But with a new endeavor added to Rosie’s plate, what does that mean for the Desert Air Market? Well, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
“A lot of the makers that were in the Desert Air Market also have products here at the shop, so it's kind of all just connected naturally,” Rosie said.
“Every time we do it, we're putting more energy and more thought and it's getting more organized. So it's pretty cool to see,” they said, adding that it’s rewarding to see a group of people putting their energy toward something that’s more about the passion than the money they make.
With a new funky place, Rosie is excited for “all the potential fun things that we can do and other people can do” that aren’t “retail-based or capitalist-based” so they can fund other things that are important to them too. They hope to bring more community events to Arizona Poppy, such as Sonoran Rosie Herbal prickly pear and lotion-making workshops, or other crafting workshops from some of the shop’s curated makers.
Whether you stop by the shop just for the '70s flair or to pick up a new Sonoran Rosie Herbal product or other funky items from another local maker, Rosie hopes you’ll have a “fun, unique” experience at Arizona Poppy.
“Every time I leave the shop, I’m super happy,” Rosie said, adding that it’s been exciting to see different people and ideas come together.
Arizona Poppy will be open noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. For more information about Arizona Poppy, visit the shop's Instagram page. For more information about Sonoran Rosie Herbal, visit the shop's website.
