08/28/2026
If you've driven past The Morrow Arts Center and never walked in, I need you to read this before you do it again.
Because from the road, it just looks like an old school. Something you've passed a hundred times without a second thought.
But step inside and the whole story changes. Dozens of small businesses are tucked into what used to be classrooms and offices. Real people who took a leap on something scary and kept showing up anyway. Every single door in this building has a story behind it, and most people never get close enough to hear one.
I can't tell all of them in one post. But I want to keep introducing you to the people I've gotten to know best over the years, the ones I see almost every week.
For anyone new here, I'm Nathan. I own Wicksy, right here at The MAC. We do candles, home fragrance, body care, laundry, cleaning products, and so much more, all of it made to feel like home with none of those harmful chemicals. I've been in this building since 2022, and honestly, it's shaped how I think about running a business just as much as anything else has.
Aubrey is the owner of Bubbles Boutique, and she might be one of the most gifted people I know under this roof. Lashes, brows, skincare, waxing, permanent jewelry, a little bit of everything when it comes to helping someone feel put together. Walk into her space and you can tell right away how much care goes into it.
Tara built Strange Records inside what used to be the school cafeteria, and somehow turned it into the coolest room in the whole building. Vinyl, CDs, cassettes, vintage clothing, oddities you didn't know you needed until you saw them. Years of her life are in that shop, and it shows the second you walk in.
Stacia runs Grace & Mae Boutique, and if you want to knock out your whole shopping list from local makers in one visit, this is the spot. Trendy clothing, home decor, gifts, all sourced from Ohio vendors. People go in looking for one thing and somehow leave with an armful, feeling good about every piece of it.
Nikki and Brandon are behind Sweet Joy , and their cookies genuinely do not feel like they belong in this world. Family run bakery and coffee shop, everything scratch made, coffee roasted locally. Nikki started baking her way through a hard chapter of her life, and you can taste that story in what they make. Step through their door and the warmth of the space they nurtured hits you before the smell of fresh coffee even does.
Michael and his son turned a shared love of Legos into Father & Son Brick Revival. Exclusive releases, full sets, the kind of inventory that stops serious collectors dead in their tracks. It's rare to see a business built entirely around something a dad and his kid love doing together, and you feel that the moment you walk in.
Tim is the mind behind Groovy Dog Tie Dye, and there's really no one else quite like him in this building. Custom tie dye, tapestries, shirts, and if you bring him an idea he'll usually find a way to make it happen. His work is loud in the best way, full of color and personality that you don't find just anywhere.
Brent runs jalopysshop, and it's a different store every time you walk in because the inventory never sits still. Vintage pieces, collectibles, one of a kind clothing finds. If you love digging for something nobody else has, that's exactly what he offers.
The team at MAC Beauty Company keeps five stylists busy in one warm, unhurried space. Haircuts, color, extensions, microblading, facial waxing, all the things you'd want from a full service salon, minus the sterile feeling most salons have. They actually sit down and listen before they touch a single hair.
Jesters Morrow has turned into a real haven for our community. Pokemon, One Piece, Lorcana, Magic, and so much more, all under one roof for the collectors and players who live for this stuff. If you know, you know, and if you don't, it's worth a visit just to see what all the excitement is about.
Janelle and her team run Myles Ahead Animal Sanctuary and Rescue, and I genuinely think they're one of the pillars of this community. Every single day they're fostering, rescuing, and caring for animals who need someone in their corner, and most of that work happens quietly, without anyone ever seeing it or thanking them for it. If you've ever thought about bringing home a furry friend, I'd start with them before I'd start anywhere else.
Tabatha runs Pattern Warehouse, and she's a Morrow local through and through. Patterns, quilting, crochet, longarm, knitting, whatever your craft is, she's probably got you covered. She also carries material, kits, and notions, and offers longarm quilting services for anyone working on something bigger than their own machine can handle.
And then there's Trent and Lisa, owners of the Morrow Arts Center.
None of this exists without them.
This building could have been demolished. All of it, the classrooms, the gym, the cafeteria, the hallways generations of Morrow kids grew up walking through, could have just disappeared, and no one would have blinked twice.
Instead they looked at a building everyone else had given up on and saw something worth fighting for. And they didn't stop at saving the building. They kept betting on people, on artists and makers and shop owners who had more passion than they had proof it would work.
They built a place where people get to actually do the thing they love. Where this community has somewhere to gather, explore, and root for each other.
I think about that every time I unlock my door in the morning.
Yes, it's an old elementary school. The floors still creak in the same spots they probably always have. The hallways are long, and if it's your first time here, you might not know exactly where to go.
But follow the noise, follow the light coming from under the doors, and you'll find us.
And honestly, this barely scratches the surface. There are so many more incredible shops and studios in this building I haven't even gotten to yet.
So many small businesses, so many people who bet on themselves, on this town, and on each other. And two people who believed in the rest of us before we believed in ourselves.
Come walk the halls sometime. You won't regret it.
If you enjoyed this type of post, let me know. I'd love to keep sharing more of what makes The MAC worth knowing about.
Alternatively, if you have any questions about The MAC or any of the wonderful shops and studios located inside, please sound off in the comments and I'll be happy to help!
All the best,
Nathan (your local scent shop owner)
