With love and happiness from Jim and Diane...

Do you have a dream?

We are brother and sister, Jim Heinrich and Diane Choma.  Our parents taught us to appreciate handmade products and the abundance of talented artisans that exist through the United States. Most family vacations were spent driving from state to state, taking in the sights, and everyone's favorite activity was exploring the areas where regional, handmade art was produced.  We lost our parents expectantly many years ago,  As time went by, we often played with the idea of opening a business as a vehicle for retirement.  After much consideration, we decided to open a store to honor them, do something we love, and be an asset to the community.  The name of the business "When Pigz Fly," is two-fold.  The first is based on the expression we would use when pondering the idea of opening a business together.  The other, and most importantly, is that the phrase represents what we wish to offer new, emerging artists; an opportunity to display their work without risk or large initial expenses.  In other words. we seek to give people a chance to soar against unlikely odds.  We help refine products, create beautiful displays, and even offer free gift wrapping.  There is no set percentage regarding commission.  Instead, we like to create an individual contract for each artist depending on their situation and product.  Do you have a dream??                                                                 We would love to meet you.  

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From re-purposed metal art to cloth design; paintings to unique greeting cards, When Pigz Fly features more than 50 local artists, handmade goods, and regional food products.

The shop resides in a historical gasoline filling station built in 1936. Seeing the beauty in the architecture, we began the repairs in October 2008 with sweat and a whole lot of elbow grease.  We tinker with the shop all the time, but most days you will find it as an old country store meets eclectic craziness.  We know that you have a choice in shopping and we want your shopping experience to be as relaxing and inspiring as our pieces.

Thank you Raleigh for allowing us to share our dream with you! 

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