In Provincetown, a landmark lesbian enterprise is handed down to the next generation.
Even though only one tenth of the 120 self-described feminist bookstores that existed in the mid-'90s still exists today, Womencrafts in Provincetown, Mass., maintains its staunch support of women and lesbians, as it was recently sold to the shop’s manager, Michelle Axelson. Kathryn Livelli had owned the store for nearly three decades before passing along the shop’s keys to Axelson earlier this month. This new phase of ownership will continue Womencrafts’s legacy of being lesbian-owned and operated, since 1976.
Located at the far end of Cape Cod and “nestled in the heart and soul of Provincetown,” as its website humbly describes, Womencrafts holds 800 to 1,000 books that range from lesbian poetry and fiction to parenting, spirituality, and self-help. The store also serves as a source for jewelry, pottery, and music that are handcrafted by women, for women, lesbians, and all friends in mind. Womencrafts manages to support over 100 women artisans and artists across the country, and some from Canada, too.
Axelson is excited to continue the shop’s firm dedication to its customers, who share her reverence for Womencrafts’s inclusivity and compassionate atmosphere: “My journey as a woman and as a lesbian has been made easier by institutions like Womencrafts,” Axelson, 37, recently told the press.
Social media-wise, the Womencrafts Facebook page clearly has a strong local and community presence. Axelson posts photos of inside the quaint shop, along with videos of the nearby Cape beachfront, to which regulars and friends of Womencrafts frequently respond with warm thoughts of gratitude, expressing that the shop’s presence “brings [them] home,” as one commenter puts it.
Albeit its strong community presence, Womencrafts still serves as an iconic spot for visitors of “P-town,” as it recently welcomed lesbian and veteran folk singer/songwriter Catie Curtis. In fact, Axelson shouldn’t have too much trouble with her goal to “keep [Womencrafts] dynamic and relevant for generations to come,” as it has already had recognizable success in bringing in photographer and author of First Comes Love: Portraits of Enduring LGBTQ Relationships, Barbara Proud, for a book-signing event last fall. Some of the same-sex couples featured in Proud’s photographs are Provincetown residents themselves, which of course gave the event a well-received local feel for attendees.
Even with the looming threat of online shopping, one thing remains clear for Womencrafts, as it welcomes a new wave of ownership: it will maintain its longstanding ability to integrate women, lesbians, and all others by selling women-made material goods, promoting minority voices, building lesbian community, and ultimately, championing local and global feminism. We at Curve wish Axelson all the best in this next era for Womencrafts.
More information: www.womencrafts.com