Monica Reed has gone from being an artist selling her creations at Wild Rose to being the new owner of the downtown shop, located at 115 N. Sixth St. in Springfield.

“I absolutely love the store,” said Reed, who explained that she had been helping with social media and other promotions for the store when she was asked to meet with the three owners. Reed said she was caught off guard when Clara O’Rourke, Sheila Kelly and Maureen Maloney offered her the opportunity to purchase the store from them.

“They asked me if I’d like to take over, and I was ecstatic. It was a dream come true,” said Reed. “It kind of fell in my lap.” However, Reed said her background in art, fundraising and event planning helped prepare her for running her own business, along with the fact that she had been an artist at the store herself.

“We have 30 wonderful artists who are all local,” said Reed, who said she doesn’t anticipate many changes to the store other than adding monthly events and having some of the artists teach classes in their specialty areas.

“I told them, let’s work together and make 2020 a good year for everybody here.”

An open house is planned for Saturday, Feb. 1 from 12-5 p.m. with a ribbon cutting at 1 p.m.