a little bird told me
Posted on 17. Jun, 2011 by Carrie in calendar
words > MATTHEW CLAGG
photos > EJF STUDIOS
A community first and a store second, Bluebird Arthouse is Wichita’s newest outlet for quality art supplies and meeting supplies. Located at 924 West Douglas in Delano with a 14,000 square foot space, Bluebird has a retail store, studios, classroom, and a community space. The supply store is the most striking thing about Bluebird initially, with a huge selection of art materials previously unavailable in Wichita. Not to mention, stocking a vast range of supplies for a wide range of artists isn’t easy. Owner Emily Brookover spent months seeking out the highest quality products at the best price.
Bluebird is a great new art supply store where Wichita artists can finally buy what they need locally, and immediately, without waiting for internet shipping. No more wasted time and no more money spent on buying what looks right online but couldn’t be more wrong once it arrives. But wait, there’s more. Attention to detail is part of what is most exciting about Bluebird. Rather than hiring four cheaply paid customer disservice clerks, all four of the employees either hold a studio arts degree or are currently working toward one. Brookover has carefully chosen staff with a variety of expertise so that any question asked in the store can be answered. Not only will they sell great products, they’ll teach Wichita how to use them. In addition to the knowledgeable staff, Bluebird will offer product demonstrations and will bring guest speakers from different manufacturers into their classroom starting mid summer.
Wanting to be more than just a retail outlet, Bluebird Arthouse will be a place to grow Wichita’s art community. “We have all these great pieces of the art community in Wichita, and I hope to be the person who pulls it all together,” says Brookover. She wants to provide Wichita not only with the supplies to make art but create a way for artists to congregate and find the inspiration to make it. If you haven’t noticed, Wichita is in the middle of a huge growth spurt in the name of art. In fact, we have never had as many art galleries as we do now. Final Friday attendance is overwhelming, and more and more artists are looking for a way to connect with their community. Bluebird hopes to enable that by providing a gathering area in the store. Providing art books, a variety of contemporary art magazines, couches, coffee, tea and WiFi, the only thing missing are the artists who will use this space as a hub for connecting to other artists and art entities in Wichita.
“To start a business you have to be crazy and know someone with a truck.” Brookover told me. A truck certainly came in handy in putting together such an extensive project, but is she crazy? We’ll know very soon. Bluebird Arthouse opened its doors the first week of June.
