A downtown haven for local artists, the Willow Tree announces it won't reopen

Jason Flack was devastated to learn that the Willow Tree Coffeehouse and Music Room, a fixture for local musicians and creators in downtown Johnson City, wouldn't be reopening its doors."It was a Mos Eisley cantina for us aliens," said Flack, a Johnson City painter whose work has been regularly displayed in the coffeeshop.For about seven years, the Willow Tree has acted as a place for artists to meet and network with like-minded people, and Flack said the owner, Teri Dosher, has consistently nurtured members of the local artistic community."As far as the local places that we as the artists can go to showcase ... she was probably my No. 1," Flack said. "If there's a No. 2, I don't know who it would be off the top of my head."Dosher, who announced over her Facebook page this week that the business would be closing for good, said Tuesday the decision was extremely difficult, but added that the coffeeshop initially opened to serve primarily as a gathering space for artists, musicians and members of the community.The public health challenges posed by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak made that mission unattainable."I couldn't see a time when we could open up safely, so it didn't make sense to continue to hold on to that space as long as it looked like it would be indefinite," she said.In the back of her head, Dosher thinks opening up another business in Johnson City once the virus abates would be great, she said, and she's holding on to items like furniture, the shop's coffee-making equipment and artwork significant to the identity of the Willow Tree."If things get to a place where I feel like a gathering space in the way we want to do it is doable, I would love to give it another try at another time and maybe in a different space ... but right now everything is just so uncertain I'm not going to count on it," Dosher said.The business will open for a few days in September to sell leftover merchandise and other items it no longer needs.The Willow Tree initially closed down in March as a precaution against the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened temporarily for to-go orders in July.In the first week of the business's reopening, Dosher said she and a couple other members of the staff discovered they had been exposed to COVID-19 and closed down the shop so they could be tested. Dosher said all of their results came back negative for the illness."With the numbers increasing daily, it just didn't make sense to me to try to do it again," she said.When the business closed in March, Dosher said, she expected it would take about two weeks to flatten the increase in infections. She can't believe the fallout from the virus has now lasted for five months.The region has been seeing a steady resurgence in active COVID-19 cases for more than a month.Dosher said she's heard horror stories from other businesses about customers refusing to wear face coverings or getting mad at wait staff for wearing masks."It's 100% people refusing to do just the simple thing of social distancing and wearing a mask that is the reason that we're in this state," she said.Ruby Berry, a local film photographer, said Dosher created a comfortable and accommodating place for not only artists but all of her customers.About three years ago, Berry, who's part of a collective of film photographers, asked Dosher if she could hold one of three shows at the Willow Tree, which resulted in a showcase featuring about 40 artists from across the globe.Berry also participated in weekly art markets at the Willow Tree, allowing her to sell and display her work."It's just kind of become my personal incubator for all of my art," she said.Although she noted that there are other places in Johnson City that do a good job featuring local artists, Berry said there aren't any other businesses that fill the Willow Tree's exact niche: Offering a huge space that was accessible and welcoming to artists of multiple skill levels."Showing there was just sort of an organic thing," Berry said. "Teri didn't curate the work so much as she curated the people."