KATHERINE AND BOB RIOLO believe business is better done together. After 18 years of selling their handcrafted birdhouses throughout Albuquerque, they envisioned a more stable model. “We realized the artists we knew had full-time jobs,” Katherine says. “They popped up on the weekends like we did.”
Then it clicked. What these entrepreneurs needed was a shared space where they could have a continuous presence. “We would be there to sell their products,” she says. In 2018, the Riolos turned an empty furniture store into the ABQ Collective: a dynamic 3,000-square-foot space with micro retail shops, a coffee shop, a salon, a barbershop, an outdoor patio, and a stage for monthly evening markets.
1 Herbs & Amor whipped honey with cinnamon, $16; 2 Dutch Potters House glazed chile ristra, $190; 3 Tom Lamb Maps New Mexico tea towel, $15; 4 Root & Feather jewelry case, $16; 5 Marina’s Stitches lion stuffie, $35; 6 Flora & Foliage hollyhock, dahlia, and ranunculus suncatcher, $65; 7 Tom Lamb Maps postcards, $2 each; 8 JR Barela Jewelry sun necklace, $500; 9 JR Barela Jewelry ring, $170; 10 Clay Alchemy Studio tray, $75; 11 Big Head Leather wedge wallet, $68.
“We believe success comes from lifting each other up,” Katherine says. “From the very beginning, our business owners have been the heart of the Collective.” The roster of more than 45 vendors continues to grow, ranging from desert-inspired aromatics to embossed leather wallets. “They bring perspectives as diverse as they are,” she adds.
Lindsey Seybert, who has sold stained glass designs as 1706 Handmade Co. at local markets since 2020, joined the Collective in July. “I’ve been coming here for years, grabbing coffee and shopping,” she says. But when Katrina Bonfiglio, the Albuquerque artist behind Flora & Foliage, informed her of a door-display opening, Seybert thought, “I can do this.” Taking the leap not only brings her closer to a supportive group of entrepreneurs, it also gives her an answer to the many customers who’ve asked, “Where can I find your shop?” she says. “Now I can say: ‘We are at the Collective.’ ”
