Scarlett Begonia

A story about a family, a business, and an anniversary worth celebrating - My Sunday Best #32

I originally published this story in January of 2020. A month later, Scarlett Begonia closed permanently. It marked the end of an era of a very special place on West End Avenue in Nashville, Tennessee. I still have clothes, art, and jewelry from the days I worked there along with countless stories about the people I met. Sometimes, after I got off work I would go play a song or two for local hospital patients with Musicians on Call. On one of those days, master gourd carver Pedro Osores from Peru happened to be in the store. I got my guitar out from the back room and played him a song. The smile he had on his face is forever etched in my memory.

Sunday, October 1st was the anniversary of the day Scarlett Begonia opened its doors for a run that lasted almost 40 years—a magical time and place that filled so many lives with beauty, love, and laughter, especially mine. Celebrating and remembering this anniversary warms my heart and makes me smile all over again.

Scarlett Begonia

I moved to Nashville in 2009. A singer-songwriter from Colorado making the pilgrimage to Music City, because that’s what songwriters do. I wanted to be around the best, and I was not disappointed. In my first year, I watched Sheryl Crow perform for a music video in Centennial Park, I had a great conversation with Ray Stevens at Grimey’s Record Store, and I saw Chrissy Hynde perform at the Exit/In to a crowd of less than fifty. Since then there have been many other memorable moments, but what I treasure most are the people, many of whom I met at a store called Scarlett Begonia on West End Avenue. It’s across the street from the Commodore at the Holiday Inn, where singer-songwriters line up for a chance to perform at Debi Champion’s Writers’ Night, a longstanding Nashville tradition. 

As with most songwriters who come to town, I needed a day job. My husband, a guitar player, as well as a guitar amplifier builder and repairman, quickly found work at Rock Block Guitars on Elliston Place—which is how I first found Scarlett Begonia. The colorful window displays drew me in like a magical spell, and for several minutes all I could do was stare in awe at all the beautiful details—hand-carved gourds, seed jewelry in every color of the rainbow, stylish clothes, and intricate weavings. Lucky for me, someone broke the spell and spoke to me in a friendly voice that I loved the moment I heard it. It was Kyle Elias, one of the owners. We became fast friends and when I told her I was looking for work her eyes twinkled. She flashed a big grin and said she would talk to her daughter Gabriela. Not only did I gain some lifelong friends working at the store, but I also gained an education in customer service, merchandising, and music. As we worked, we listened to music, curated mostly by Jack Elias, Kyle’s husband and co-owner of the store. While I helped customers and straightened displays, I honed my craft of songwriting by listening to Gram Parsons, Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, Marshall Chapman, Bonnie Raitt, and yes, the Grateful Dead, whose song “Scarlet Begonias” is the namesake of the store. The stories that Jack and Kyle told while the music played were priceless, but before I delve into those, let’s go back a few years to the beginning. 

The roots of Scarlett Begonia go back to 1971 when Jack graduated from Vanderbilt with a degree in Latin American studies. He met Kyle in the summer of 1974 while working at the Jolly Ox restaurant in Goodlettsville, TN. Jack soon left to travel with a friend throughout South America and his descriptive letters of the beauty he encountered enticed Kyle to follow within a few months. After returning to Nashville, the couple spent the next two years waiting tables and tending bar at the Gold Rush on Elliston Place, saving money for their next trip to South America. (Both the Gold Rush and Rock Block Guitars on Elliston Place are no longer here, the result of changing times, and the escalating rents that come with progress.)  They even celebrated their wedding reception at the Gold Rush in 1976. Jack and Kyle’s stories of the ‘70s and ‘80s Nashville music scene are priceless—stories of serving drinks to Townes Van Zandt, Shel Silverstein, and Guy Clark, who used to tell them to play his latest album while he sat at the bar. Just across the street, the Exit/In was in the height of its glory days, and many legendary artists played at the iconic venue before they made it big. Jack and Kyle are music lovers to the core and one can learn a lot about music from the soundtrack of their lives.

However, aside from music, there is another great love they share which is the culture and people of South America. After marrying in 1976,  they ventured out again to explore the treasures of South America, traveling and living in places throughout Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia—embracing the native cultures, shopping at the markets, making friends, and developing a keen eye for the finest in indigenous arts and crafts. After spending their limited resources on irresistible finds at the markets they came up with the idea to bring their treasures back to the United States and open a shop. Thus, Scarlett Begonia was born and opened its doors on October 1, 1981.

Scarlett Begonia was Fair Trade before fair trading was cool. For almost 40 years, Jack, Kyle, and now their daughter Gabriela have mindfully chosen every item in the store and displayed them with careful attention to detail. Through the years, they’ve dressed some of their favorite musicians in Nashville. Emmylou Harris bought an Ecuadorian Poncho from Scarlett Begonia in the late ‘80s which she is wearing on the “Brand New Dance” album cover. The cotton men’s Matrimonial shirts from Ecuador are also a favorite among many musicians and are easily recognizable on stages throughout town. Every item in the store has a story—about where it came from, who made it, and how it got here, nothing is ordinary. Master gourd carver Pedro Osores is a close family friend and travels from Cochas, Peru every other year for in-store demonstrations. Jack, Kyle, and Gabriela still purchase many of the items on an annual trip to the Otovalo market in Ecuador, including handwoven rugs and wall hangings, paintings by their godson Patricio, Chales (lightweight scarves), handcrafted jewelry made by Betty and much more. They know the artist’s families and their children and have stayed true to their original objective to provide an outlet for struggling artisans from around the world and to gain positive exposure to native cultures through their folk art and clothing. On any given day, Jack can be heard conversing in Spanish with his Latin American friends on his flip phone while out on the sidewalk. Fair Trade is still a basis for all their business dealings. Scarlett Begonia also offers items from several Nashville-based companies that share their business practices and sentiments including Thistle Farms, Bee Attitudes, Center Earth Pottery, fine jewelry by Sealy, and several others.

Scarlett Begonia is the heart and soul of Nashville. A small family business that continues to open its doors day after day. For almost forty years, the colorful windows of Scarlett Begonia have brightened the busy street that leads to downtown Nashville. The antique bells that hang on the side of the wooden open sign ring every time the door opens as they have for decades. Sure, shopping online is easy and convenient, and we’re all busy. However, what we need most in these troubled times is connection. Do yourself a favor, take the time to stop by Scarlett Begonia, and visit with Jack, Kyle, and Gabriela. Learn about the artists, see and touch the Tagua seed that sustainably provides raw material to make jewelry, ask Jack about the Panama hats, feel the softness of bamboo fabric, look at the picture behind the checkout counter of Jack and Kyle at one of their first markets, and listen to a few stories about the Gold Rush days. It will do the heart good. Although Scarlett Begonia has withstood the test of time, there are no guarantees about what tomorrow will bring, because as we all know, “the times they are a-changing.” 

Unfortunately, we can no longer stop by Scarlett Begonia. However, every year around this time I travel back in time and raise a glass to Scarlett Begonia and the many gifts it gave me and so many others. It seems fitting that I share a few of the beautiful words Kyle wrote in an email sent to all their loyal customers upon closing up shop.

“The lifeblood of Scarlett Begonia was being with people. We thrived on learning from the artisans about their products and then sharing those stories with the public. We felt like we were making a difference in people’s lives. We were helping struggling artisans around the world, while also offering our customers access to unique, fair-trade products. It was all about the people — the eye contact, the conversations, the smiles, the laughter, and so much more. The atmosphere inside the store had a magical way of connecting us. It was a place where “strangers stoppin' strangers just to shake their hand,” was a daily occurrence. Losing the shop changed all that. It’s taken some time, but we have realized that Scarlett Begonia was a special time and place — one that can’t be replicated online. — Kyle Elias