She Brings Art, Vintage Finds & Creativity to Memphis
Whitney Winkler is an artist, shop owner, and longtime lover of all things beautiful and unexpected. Meet the local artist whose passion for collecting and creating is inspiring others to see the everyday in a new way. Image: Whitney Winkler
Whitney Winkler has an eye for what makes a space, a collection, or a piece of art feel unforgettable. As a Memphis artist and boutique owner, she’s built a creative world all her own. With a natural talent for bringing beautiful things together, Whitney adds her distinctive touch to Memphis’s creative scene.
What is your earliest memory of creating art?
Art has taken on many forms throughout my life. In my younger years, that came in the form of music and songwriting. I come from a family of folk and bluegrass musicians and songwriters, so this type of expression was very natural.
I can also trace my style of artistry all the way back to when I was eight or so. I used to love salvaging old paper ephemera and making collages from reused materials. I see that same thread of mixed media, texture, functional art, and conservation in much of the work I create today.
What did your creative journey look like?
Before we opened the brick-and-mortar in 2021, I was working nearly full-time as an artist out of my studio here in Memphis for about five years. In that season, I mostly sold my art online and at markets. It was such a creative gift, as I didn’t have nearly as many administrative tasks as I have now. I wouldn’t trade those years!
I began painting in 2011, while pregnant with my second child. Watercolor became a tiny creative outlet in a season of often monotonous days of motherhood. Painting was a way for me to see something started and finished creatively. When I picked up the paintbrush, I felt like myself again.
I vividly remember thinking that I couldn’t possibly be the healthiest version of myself without creativity somehow woven into life. I knew I needed to fight for that for both myself and my family.
What’s a common misconception about being an artist?
I’d like to debunk [the idea] that there is one “right way” to pursue art as a career. Whether you go the route of a fine artist, only being represented by galleries, or doing more of what I’ve built through self-expression, marketing, merchandising, and self-representation, you’re still a very valid artist.
How do you balance staying true to your artistic voice?
Now that I’ve been doing this for a decade, I feel like I really know myself. I know what feels like “me” and what’s out of my box. And I feel confident sticking to that.
Oftentimes, the things that resonate with me most are not the most marketable. I’ve learned to strike a balance there — to stay true to my voice while listening to my clients and looking for broader appeal. For the most part, the people who know of my work want it and are drawn to most, if not all, of what I create!
What do you enjoy most about the hunt for vintage finds?
Hunting is in my DNA! From a very young age, my mom was taking me to yard sales on the weekends, and we were finding chairs on curbs. Sixteen years ago, I started selling vintage on Etsy when I was pregnant with my first child. Incorporating vintage into the shop has always been the dream. Now, to really be going after that feels so full circle!
My favorite finds come from the backwoods estate sales rather than the fancy ones, and from thrift stores rather than antique malls. I am a girl who needs the dopamine of finding treasure when I least expect it. To do that, I go to the more unexpected places. I don’t think I could pick just one find. My favorite times are when I have clearly envisioned something I’d like to find, and then one day out of the blue, I do. What a rush!
Why is fostering the local creative community so important to you?
As an artist, I understand both sides of the merchant/artist partnership. Having sold my art prints wholesale to boutiques across the country for years, I know the value of the shop owner finding value in me and believing in me enough to buy my work outright, versus on consignment.
As a shop owner, I buy all the handmade creations I carry. I want every artist to be paid fairly and to feel dignified in their work, and that starts with me — the merchant.
What’s one thing people are surprised to learn about you?
I definitely don’t manage it without a lot of hiccups every day! I am not an organized person by nature, and I don’t ever make grocery or to-do lists. What I usually tell people is that, with five kids, the bar for navigating each day is very low. My family has a lot of fun, and we don’t sweat a lot of the small stuff. My kitchen is only clean one time at the end of each day, my van is messy, and there is never not laundry on my couch.
My husband is also an incredible and present dad, and he gladly pulls so much weight. We have a really good flow for sharing the entire load, which allows me to really freely pursue a creative career that even includes semi-frequent travel. In general, I like to believe that our relaxed approach to life is producing kids who don’t live under a huge weight of stress and pressure, and who feel safe and secure to not do it all perfectly.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Being with someone else in their pain is far better than having any answers or solutions for them.
LIGHTNING ROUND!
If you could host one person in the store, who would it be and why? I wish it could have been Dolly. Dolly always seemed like a kindred spirit and gave her life to beautiful things, community, lots of truth, and generosity. These are all things that make my heart beat too. I think she would have valued the eclectic nature of what I’m doing in the store, but she also seemed down-to-earth enough to perhaps let me cry on her shoulder for a moment. I could have used that.
Favorite hidden gems in Memphis? I love to wander the Salvation Army on Whitten or the Midsouth Outlet on Summer with a Sonic Unsweet Iced Tea (add sweet cream and coconut).
What trends are you most excited about this season? I love to see that clothing reuse and re-purposing isn’t going anywhere. Fast fashion is something that weighs on me often. To be even a small part of an up-and-coming industry of sustainable fashion is such a treat for me! Let’s keep using what is already on the planet instead of continuing to make something new at every turn.
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Rachel Mullen
Born and raised in Memphis, Rachel is a third-generation Memphian, professionally trained pastry chef, and owner of Primas Bakery. As StyleBlueprint’s Memphis Market Leader, she is passionate about highlighting the people, places, and stories that make the Bluff City special, with a focus on community, culinary experiences, and meaningful connections.
