CAVE CREEK, Ariz. (KNXV) — When Painted Tree Boutiques shut their doors suddenly earlier this year, dozens of local artisans were left scrambling.
Now many of these same vendors at the Scottsdale location are finding a new home.
Freeborn Marketplace, a new shopping destination located at Prickly Pear Plaza, opened its doors September 1 in Cave Creek.
The shop is owned by Sherri Martell, who was a vendor at Painted Tree when the national company filed for bankruptcy in April and abruptly closed its Valley locations.
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"It was a very sad day for a lot of local artisans and vendors," Martell said.
She and her husband, Robert, live in Cave Creek and were walking through the downtown when they spotted a vacant storefront.
"My husband and I looked at each other and said, 'Yeah, we can do this,'" Martell said.
Freeborn Marketplace houses 32 vendors — the majority of them former Painted Tree vendors who had operated out of the company's Scottsdale, Chandler, and Gilbert locations.
One of those vendors is Britta Pritchett, owner of My Desert Muse, a small creative shop she opened in 2020. Pritchett had operated in three Painted Tree locations when the closure hit.
It was a shock for all of us, and I think many vendors suffered losses from it," Pritchett said.
In the aftermath, a Facebook page created by former Painted Tree vendors became a lifeline — a place where displaced artisans could share leads, find opportunities, and stay connected. That is how Pritchett learned about Freeborn Marketplace.
Her shop specializes in crystals, bracelets, and prayer beads.
Both women say the timing of the new shop’s opening could not be better. Arizona’s tourism season picks up in the fall, and Cave Creek is known for its thriving art community.
Martell said Freeborn Marketplace will offer a mix of handcrafted goods, including jewelry, wood products, clothing, home décor and painted glass.
"It's giving the vendors a place to have a little shop, a little storefront, and to be able to have people walk in instead of just seeing it online," Martell said. "They can hold it and look at it, and I think that's important."
For Martell, opening Freeborn Marketplace is about more than just business. It is about restoring something that was lost.
Freeborn Marketplace is located in the Prickly Pear Plaza, Suite 4, in Cave Creek. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The ribbon cutting celebration is at 5 p.m. September 29.
