Anabel Bradley

Stormcloud Trading Co. sells a wide variety of unique beads. To prepare for their closing, the beads and other goods are on sale.

For over three decades, Stormcloud Trading Co. has sat on Snelling Ave. as a staple of the Hamline-Midway community. Now, owner Sandi Graves has officially decided to close up shop for retirement in hopes of traveling.

“I’ve wanted to go to Egypt since I was eight years old,” Graves said.

This adventure stems from Graves’ interest and education in anthropology. Like Graves, many employees at the store have anthropological backgrounds.

“Everybody who’s worked here pretty much has some sort of anthropological background. It tends to be that magnetic connection we all have in common,” Graves said.

Since opening the store, it has served as a space for members of the Native American community to shop for beads and artworks without having to drive to Minneapolis to find supplies.

“Because they [Members of the Indigenous community] don’t have to drive to Minneapolis for their supplies,” Graves said.

Their unique selection of a wide breadth of beads provided Stormcloud Trading Co. with a unique role in the neighborhood and the greater Twin Cities metro area. Owner of the neighboring business, Gingko’s Coffeehouse, Kathy Sundburg, has watched this business fill a niche in the art community.

“They have a real depth of knowledge of certain types of art that I don’t think anyone else does. So they fill that niche where they represent artists in a certain genre,” Sundburg said.

Through their time in the Midway, the area around them has watched several other businesses move in and out and families grow and shift around. But they have stayed consistent.

“Things have changed but not changed, this little part of Snelling has always been a statement part,” Graves said.

This consistency did not come without any sacrifice. The owners spent almost all of their time in their shop, dedicated to keeping the store open for those in St. Paul and the greater Metro Area who needed supplies.

“I’ve been working here this long, and I’ve never taken a vacation, except a work vacation,” Graves said.

Despite the deep roots StormCloud has laid in the midway, Graves is simply excited for a new chapter.

“I’m sure that I’ve left my imprint and that’s quite enough, I’m going to have a different life and I’m fine with that,” Graves said.

As this cornerstone of Snelling Ave. prepares to leave, Sundburg reflected on the amicable relationship the neighboring stores have held for the past 33 years.

“It is very nice to have businesses that are so compatible; some of her customers might come to my business, some of my customers might go to her business,” Sundburg said.

As of now, it is unclear what the space will look like after the bead shop is gone. Sundburg hopes to neighbor another small business.

“I’m hoping there will be another small business there, I am hoping there will be another business that wants to move into that space,” Sundburg said.

For the next few weeks, Stormcloud Trading is holding a closing sale with almost all beads, prints and other art supplies being sold for significantly reduced prices.