The Works, located on E. Main Street, is filled to the brim with different artists’ work. Their products range from jewelry, picture frames, decorative pieces, pottery and glass pieces. The Arthurs have filled Kent with a variety of artistic products and after 35 years of operation, they are officially closing the store on Sunday, Jan. 12.

On Dec. 2, 2019, the store announced on their Facebook they will be closing their doors. Comments filled the post thanking the owner for being open, saying the store will be missed and showing love for the business. 

Nancy and Jenny Arthur, mother and daughter, opened the store together 35 years ago and now they are both moving on. When the store closes, Jenny will be getting a new job. 

“It’s good to have a change,” Nancy Arthur said. 

The store began selling products targeted toward the college students living in the town. The store had more simple stuff that students would want for themselves and friends, but as the demographics of the store changed, so did the merchandise. 

“We tried to fill a need,” Nancy Arthur said. Parents of the students and people living in Kent started to shop at The Works, and soon the pieces being sold started to range more, changing from the simple items for students to more options for parents and people living in Kent. 

The store itself has evolved, along with the people in Kent for the past 35 years. Depending on what more people would be interested in, those items started to show up in the store more. Looking for the one of a kind things from different artists was important to the Arthurs. 

Being a part of the community for so long, The Works has become such an important part of Kent. As people walked into the store, Nancy would greet most people with a personal and genuine hello, knowing each of these people. 

Harold, a long-time customer since the early 2000s, loves the store and talked about how he would buy Christmas gifts for his friends there. He said he is sad to see the place go. 

When the doors close on Sunday for the last time, the community has shown they will miss the place as customers have been keeping the store busy in its final days.

“We have had an awful lot of fun here,” Nancy Arthur said. 

Contact Sara Crawford at [email protected].