Interview with Steph Beecher and Meg Quigley, owners
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
A: I’ve always dabbled in art, but just as a hobby. Funct! began with a simple birthday gift I was creating for my partner (and now co-owner), Meg. She had just started a new job in Washington, D.C., and boy was her office space tiny! I painted the story of our relationship on a canvas — it was definitely cool, but I thought I could do something more to make it useful to Meg on a daily basis. I made the painting magnetic, added some cork board and chalkboard and boom, there it was — the very first piece of functional art. It was perfect for her small space; sentimental yet functional. Her co-workers were so intrigued they began to place their orders. At that point we thought we might be on to something, and Funct! began its small business start at Eastern Market on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. We moved to Colorado a couple of months ago and are submerging ourselves into the amazing art culture Colorado provides.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
A: Funct! stands out from other art businesses in that we not only create beautiful, original artwork, but our art serves a purpose, and sometimes multiple purposes. Funct! Art has proven to be great for dorm rooms, graduation gifts, anniversaries, birthdays — you name it.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: The best part about Funct! is that it is constantly evolving. We always have a plethora of magnetic paintings in stock and are now expanding to other functional art, such as LP record art. We also make unique magnets to accompany the magnetic art. The magnets are always fun for folks to peruse. We’ve got everything from goofy one-liners to vintage trolls from our own personal collections. So, yeah, the best part is that we constantly get to grow our creativity. The sky is the limit.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
A: Our biggest business challenge is being new to Colorado. Though we are a newer business in general, starting in D.C. and building a name for ourself was so helpful, now it’s a bit like starting over — but it’s all good. No offense to the East Coast, but we love this great state of Colorado!
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
A: We never set out to own an art business. Steph is a higher education professional and Meg’s background is in social justice and human rights. Steph just proposed to Meg on stage with Jewel (her longtime idol) recently in Telluride. It was magical.
Profile
Business: Funct! Art
Address: 3401 S. Canosa Ct., Sheridan
Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; traveling shows on weekends
Founded: 2015
Contact: 859-630-8866,
Employees: 2
