Badknees owner Jim Beck finds joy in creating community. Courtesy photo By Aaron Cohen Jim Beck took a gamble after teaching English at Martinsville High School for 11 years. In 2019 he turned his basement hobby, making custom...
Read MoreThree Blondes Floral Co. is named for the Webbers’ three blonde daughters: Collins, Ainsley, and Caroline. Courtesy photo by Sophie Bird Murphy Growing up in Bloomington, Kelsy Webber dreamed of becoming a florist. Inspired by...
Read MoreExample of the designer woodworking made and sold by Iron Roots. Courtesy photo By Rosie Piga Pizzo The Iron Roots Designs began as an escape from an internship and a desire for self-expression. Phillip Stone, founder and owner...
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During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, Bloomington’s downtown Square, typically a prime retail destination, appeared subdued.
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In 2009, when Global Gifts opened its doors on the downtown Square at 122 N. Walnut, a segment of the Bloomington community probably wasn’t familiar with the concept of fair trade.
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College Mall has a new comic book, trading cards, and collectibles store. The Android’s Dungeon, located next to Target inside the mall, opened in May.
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After a year of neglected haircuts and colors, Bloomingtonians have been returning to their local salons ready to change things up.
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Three years ago, Laura Deck had left her teaching career and was feeling lost. She grew up in a family that farmed livestock, but she always had a different type of farm in mind: a flower farm.
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Tucked away behind two sets of steel doors in the back of My Sister’s Closet hides a treasure trove in what used to be a car detailing shop.
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When Lisa Stantz decided to open Unraveled Quilt Store in Spencer, Indiana, in 2016, it felt like a gift to herself. So, she made her April birthday her first day of business. “It was something big for me,” she says. “It was my special day and I just wanted to share it with my store. It’s my baby.”
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High school sweethearts Emily and Eric McArtor— originally from Greene County, Indiana—have always been “crafty.” Woodworking was an art that Eric’s grandfather instilled in him as a youth, and Emily’s grandmother kept her busy as a child by recycling everyday items into crafts.
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Like toilet paper and hand sanitizer, jigsaw puzzles sold out during the pandemic’s early days, and, according to Margaret Taylor, owner of The Book Corner, they still don’t stay in stock.
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With summer here and COVID-19 vaccinations plentiful, many Bloomingtonians are planning a return to familiar activities in
a (hopefully) post-pandemic world. And that includes travel— whether a weekend getaway by car, a flight to visit faraway friends and family, or a vacation to some exotic destination.
When Talia Halliday, owner of Gather, opened oak. in February 2020, the plant boutique was the culmination of a vision she had long held as a shop owner.
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The exhibit “Art of the Character: Highlights from the Glenn Close Costume Collection” opened on May 6 at the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University and features 56 costumes worn by actor Glenn Close in 14 productions.
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When Katie Whitson, owner of ALIBI, formerly Blond Genius Denim Bar, moved to Oklahoma in 2019, Bloomington business owner Stephanie Topolgus decided to purchase the boutique.
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As the pandemic has shut down activities and narrowed the daily experiences of many people, tabletop games old and new have seen a resurgence. Local retailers are selling more strategy board games, role-playing games, card games, and puzzles.
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While you may not currently be able to travel to far- flung exotic places, the Nashville Spice Company in neighboring Brown County, Indiana, can at least bring flavors from around the globe to you.
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With no experience in the fashion design industry, Pamela Walters and longtime friend Jean Robinson retired from Indiana University in 2018 and 2017, respectively, and decided to delve into their own clothing line, Silk + Steel.
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Rick Morgenstern says he closed his independent bookstore, Morgenstern Booksellers, in 1996 after national chains Barnes & Noble and Borders squeezed him out. But he never gave up on his dream of reopening, which he plans to do in May.
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She is Indiana University’s first woman president in 201 years, but that’s not all that makes Dr. Pamela Whitten different.
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As one person interviewed for this story explained, “If you’ve met one Latino … you’ve met one Latino.” That’s because to say someone is Hispanic or Latino tells little except that their family originates from a Spanish-speaking country.
Read MoreKeep in mind that our flipbook version counts the cover page, so you will need to click forward one page to find the story you’re looking for. Happy reading! 14 Editor’s Message: “Will Our Shops Survive?”...
Read MoreBy Craig Coley Photography by Martin Boling Dementia is an umbrella term describing a cluster of symptoms caused by damage to the brain. These symptoms include memory loss, disorientation, confusion, and thinking problems....
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