If you’ve ever looked for a handmade gift in Lake Highlands, you’ve likely made a trip to Makers Connect. Not only does the shop stock artisan items from jewelry and leatherwork to pottery and woodworkings, it also provides a space for artists to come together and create.

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Opened in 2014 by artists Steve Dickson and Chris Unruh, the shop serves almost like a neighborhood Etsy store, selling the goods made by more than 80 North Texas creatives. It also offers workshops and classes for those new to the field. But the East Dallas owners are ready to pass the torch, and have sold the business to another pair of East Dallas artists, Lynda Sparks (a jewelry/metalworker and Lake Highlands High School grad) and Caleb Jack (a mixed-media designer).

The new owners have plans to keep the ‘funky’ and ramp up the fine-art side, which only makes sense,” Unruh wrote in an email. “Caleb has spent many years assisting the operation of Artisans Collective, one of Dallas’ most notable local-art galleries. Recently shuttered due to the gentrification of the Bishop Arts district, it’s his hope that many of those wonderful artists will find new space at ‘Makers Connect – the Art Annex,’ while maintaining many of the current artisans in the mix.”

But don’t worry if you’ve booked a class, Unruh and Dickson are guiding the creative ship until Jan. 1, when the new owners will officially take over. It will keep the same location in the Lake Plaza shopping center at 10242 E. Northwest Highway.