A Candle Shop That Lights Up Community and Connection
By: Emeri Glen | Photos by: Ashlee Glen
Wick and Pour, a new candle bar in downtown Lynchburg, is adorned not by flashy pops of color, or distracting murals on the walls, but by the joy and warmth that grows from conversation around a simple table. The owner, Chantel West-White, well knows the value of intergenerational community and the beauty of forged relationships.
A middle school nurse during the weekdays, West-White began dabbling in candle-making as something to do during the Covid-19 pandemic. As she grew in her hobby, more and more women joined her around her home craft table.
“It just became a place for everyone to talk, to laugh, or to cry,” she said. And thus, was planted the seed for Wick and Pour.
West-White wanted to create a more dedicated space for her newfound passion, but on a larger scale. While the location that she found on Ninth Street in downtown Lynchburg was a tad smaller than what she had originally envisioned, it turned out to be the perfect space for the type of conversations that West-White was seeking to cultivate.
“There are people from all races, all ages, [and] all backgrounds who come together at the table and they make candles. You will see a seventy-year-old woman talking to a twenty-year-old woman, talking about raising a family” she said.
Wick and Pour contains a communal crafting table, similar to the one that she started with. The shop’s lack of separate worktables is meant to encourage community building and story swapping, with the express goal of de-othering neighbors.
Of this, West-White said, “The table is doing exactly what I wanted it to: showing people we are more alike than we are different.”
The shop, which is currently open Fridays through Sundays, utilizes only eco-friendly materials.
The fragrances are diverse—West-White associates colors with these, further adding to the allure of her shop—and she picks up inspiration for them (some of which include “Library” and “Coffee Shop”) on her travels across the country. They are clean-burning, without cancer-causing ingredients, and glitter is an option.
West-White’s business now also boasts a fragrance bar, where patrons can create their own signature perfumes. In addition, the venue hosts special events
for holidays such as “Galentines,” “Friendsgiving”, and Mardis Gras, as well as fun pop culture events like “Taylor Swift sing-a-along.”
West-White found support and community during the uncertainty of the pandemic in the experience and voices of those women who created with her. She continues to find support through the help of her loved ones.
“I know I wouldn’t have been able to do this without my family,” she said.
Ultimately, apart from creating a space that nurtures and tends relational growth, West-White says that, “When they (patrons) walk away, I hope they find a little bit of peace in a world of chaos.”
To book a session at Wick and Pour or to learn more about what the shop offers, visit wickpourcandlebar.com.
