La Ciendita: More than just a Tiendita
There’s a new Latine-inspired marketplace opening in Arcata this October. La Ciendita will be a community, art and market space for local creatives.
Vanessa Olivera and Octavio Acosta are the wife and husband duo behind the new project. They are opening La Ciendita on Ninth Street, next door to the fire station and a block away from the Arcata Plaza. They hope to offer goods reminiscent of Mexico, including herbs, art, jewelry, food, books, tea, plants and soaps.
“It’s a gallery, it’s a boutique, you know it’s a lounge space when the time is right,” Olivera said. “We really just want to create a home for all the people that are so far away from home, and they don’t feel like they have anywhere to go.”
As for the name, “La Ciendita,” the couple decided to name it after Olivera’s great great uncle’s ranch, which was located in Coalcomán, Michoacán.
Karina Juarez is a local ceramics artist who is set to be featured at La Ciendita. “To have a space where I can create and then have it displayed in a store and then have a way to direct people to my work is something that I haven’t experienced yet, especially up here, and I’m really excited about that,” Juarez said.
Juarez is also thrilled to have a community space so central to the Arcata Plaza.
“It was awesome to feel like we could take up space, you know like in the Plaza,” Juarez said.
Local glyph artist Ernesto Gomez is also excited for the opportunity to be afeatured artist.
“La Ciendita gives me a reason to be in Arcata on the regular. … it’s like hanging with family,” said Gomez by email. “La Ciendita is a place that brings together the culture I grew up in on the east coast and mixes it with the Chicano/BIPOC cultures here on the west coast.”
Local businesses such as Reyes Construction, Humboldt Hearthstones and Hot Knots have all donated to La Ciendita to help get it started.
Ryan McCutchan, the owner of Humboldt Hearthstones, a local masonry company specializing in natural stone, donated materials to help build part of La Ciendita.
“From an economics standpoint, money is the blood of a local economy,” McCutchan said. “The more it goes around, everyone benefits.”
For Acosta, La Ciendita is an idea born out of necessity and a desire to connect the local comunidad in a new way.
“Knowing that there is a need, knowing that the community is growing, that industries are coming in, that the town is gonna be growing,” said Acosta. “We have connections to help unite you know farmers, educators, artists, and people who work with food.”
La Ciendita is located at 655 Ninth Street in Arcata and is set to open with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11a.m on Saturday, October 5. Find them on Instagram @la.ciendita.
