Sally Brandt and Nancy Knoble are committed to creating a thriving yarn shop and artisans’ gallery on Main Street, Joseph, featuring products made in Wallowa County. The shop, The Sheep Shed, will work cooperatively with local artists, galleries and other businesses in Wallowa County to build recognition of the quality and breadth of artistic expression in this community. Their aim is to enhance the sales of art produced by local artists and to rekindle the County’s fiber arts tradition.

The name, The Sheep Shed, derives from the 1930’s and 1940’s, when Wallowa County’s agricultural economy was dominated by sheep herding. The location of the Sheep Shed is the actual building where sheep growers brought their fleeces to be weighted for market. It is ironic that, some eighty years later, the space will again contain beautiful Wallowa County fiber.

The Sheep Shed has three lines of business.

The Artists’ Gallery – is the only gallery in the county to carry exclusively work made by Wallowa County Artists. Participating artists are: Steve Arment, wood working/sculpture; Harold Black, photographer; Mariah Blackhorse, Nez Perce Jewelry maker; Mary Edwards, photographer; Mike Koloski, painter; Nancy Lincoln, fused glass maker, Mary Northon, water color & portrait painter.

The Yarn Shop – features yarns and roving made by local fiber artists Sally Brandt, Briana McEwan and June Colony. In addition, the shop carries a full line of yarns and supplies for knitting, crocheting, felting, weaving and spinning.

The Art Supply Station – offers a full line of basic art supplies for artists, hobbyists and tourists who just want to capture the beauty of the region while visiting here. The Sheep Shed will offer a range of needle work classes through the year and host openings and demonstrations by local artists. Keep an eye on this web page for a schedule of events. E-mail info@josephsheepshed.com with ideas for classes, exhibits you would like offered.