What do you get when you mix a Designer with a Microbiologist and self-confessed plant whisperer who take over a raw industrial storefront in Petersham? Meet one of the Inner West’s most creative couple Jana, from Microcosm and Pablo of Insacious who together, have recently opened the coolest Mini-Mart (no bread and milk here folks) on Stanmore Road, Petersham.
Our local Mini-Mart is a carefully curated gallery and concept store and a platform for local creatives to share their wares. You’ll find home-wares, apparel and art from a mix of mediums and, if you’ve got the green bug, every gorgeous indoor plant you can think of!
We recently met with Jana and Pablo to find out more about what they have install and the inspiration behind their concept:
Tell us the story behind Mini-Mart: We liked the idea of a modern-day convenience store where the products are diverse and you know the people there and can have a chat.
The name was inspired from our road trips in Japan where the convenience stores were not only where you could find what you wanted, but were also a focal point of the immediate community.
Mini-Mart was the next step for us moving forward from our pop up shop on Parramatta Road. We wanted a space of our own where we could have events and collaborate with others on a bigger scale.
For Pablo, a designer with 15 years of experience working in the creative industry is always meeting people with great ideas or products who are not sure what to do with them, how to take the first step in making them more than a hobby or idea. So that’s where INSACIOUS started, helping with creative start-ups or new artists working to build their networks and develop/fine tune their ideas further.
What do you think your concept will bring to the Inner West? We want to have a space where the conversation and ideas are what keep you coming back. A space that is as multi-faceted as the people in the Inner West and is constantly evolving.
What will Inner Westies look forward to seeing at Mini-Mart? This Sunday we are hosting our first Mini Market. It’s an affordable way for local creators to set up a stall and for locals to have a more personal experience, with the ability to talk to the artists about their inspiration without the hustle and bustle of a full market.
Each market we will hand select four stalls to ensure diversity in the offering. This Sunday Cornersmith will be joining us and selling their pickles and preserves, local Glebe photographer Debbie Gallulo will showcase stunning photo prints – a specialty of hers is landscapes using film. Also, Millie Hall will have a range of her all Australiana cheeky clothing designs and finally local Stanmore mum, Gwen Blake from Sans Sheriff will be selling her Ban the Single Use Prime Minister totes that were a recent viral hit.
We also regularly host workshops, such as our upcoming Yippy Whippy Art (which has already sold out), product launches and exhibitions.
Mini Mart ‘s Mini Market is on this Sunday between 10am-3pm on Stanmore Road, Petersham (right near Daisys).
Annika and Blake
