About Us

On March 5th, 2011, Micheal Rydbom passed away, leaving his family devastated. Michelle had admired her father and was looking forward to running this business alongside him. Now, with him gone, she is more motivated than ever to make this store a successful addition to the fabric of the Ashland community.  Michael had wanted to create an eclectic and affordable place for local artisans and collectors to sell their goods. Michelle was able to bring his vision to life, and will keep his memory alive by keeping the Ashland Artisan Emporium a part of the community for years to come.

Michelle is able to be a business owner and mother with the help of her faithful and energetic staff, including two wonderful managers:

Susie Schmidt
Becky Rothweiler



Dedicated to Michael Rydbom
June 15, 1945 - March 5, 2011

The Ashland Artisan Emporium is owned by Michelle Christian, wife and mother of 3 daughters. Her husband, Travis, is the business manager for Adroit Construction in Ashland, Oregon.

The Emporium was the vision of Michael Rydbom, Michelle's father. In April of 2010, Michael asked his daughter if she would be willing to help transform the old DJ's Video space into a crafter's marketplace. Michelle had always admired her dad's entrepreneurial spirit and was eager to make him proud, so even though she already had two kids, a real estate career and one more daughter on the way, she said yes.