Community
25 September, 2025
Celebrating a milestone
A BUSINESS owner hopes Terang’s main street will only become more vibrant after celebrating the one-year anniversary of her store opening its doors.
Artist Jess Fowler hosted a celebration at her art studio on Saturday to mark the one-year anniversary since opening her storefront at the historic Johnstone Court arcade.
Mrs Fowler welcomed the community to celebrate on Saturday with champagne, cupcakes and original artworks on display.
She said she was overwhelmed with the showing of support.
“I’m very excited,” she said.
“I’ve been excited since I opened but to reach the one-year milestone has blown my mind.
“I always hoped it would be something I could look back on, after a year or two or three, but it seems surreal for it to have actually happened.
“It’s overwhelming and hard to articulate how it feels.
“It’s always been my dream to have a shop – it’s happened, it’s real, it’s crazy.”
Mrs Fowler said opening her store in town had long been an ambition of hers, one which with the passage of time has become no less meaningful.
“The year has gone very, very fast,” she said.
“I’m still as excited every time I come into the shop as I was when I first opened the doors.
“There’s still the joy in coming in and opening the shop.
“It’s my favourite thing in the world and I don’t think that will go – no matter how long I’m here.”
Mrs Fowler said she continued to be overwhelmed with the support of the Terang community.
“It’s been amazing to have had so much support from the community,” she said.
“It’s floored me.
“It is a beautiful thing to have the community show their love and appreciation every time they come in.
“They like what I do – I wanted to make people smile, so in turn I think it makes everyone happy.”
Mrs Fowler said she hoped a new wave of stores opening on High Street would position Terang’s business community well, with strength in numbers creating vibrancy along the town’s main street.
“The more storefronts that are open in Terang, the better off things are going to be for all of us,” she said.
“If you can jam pack things, it’s only going to be a good thing.
“I would say to anyone who has thought about opening up their own storefront – do it, it’s amazing and you will absolutely have the support of the community.
“It’s such an amazing place to live and work – it’s part of the reason I always say to people that I don’t have a job but I work really hard.
“It’s what I live by so it’s an exciting time, but it’s also very gratifying – I can see myself continuing on long-term.”
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