Inkling Makes East Lakeview a Little More Colorful (original) (raw)

Business Tue Oct 19 2010

All photos of the shop are by the author

On an eclectic strip of North Broadway St. in East Lakeview sits a new(ish) store called Inkling, where Stephanie Keller sells her wares-- from hand-printed wrapping paper and greeting cards made by local artists to wacky porcelain knickknacks she's collected at antique stores and estate sales over the years. It's like Etsy, but you get to touch stuff.

The store oozes cozy creativity and smells really good, too. There are so many interesting objects packed into the space that a fair viewing will probably require a good half hour, at least. Take your time. I would recommend bringing a coffee to aid with digestion and a few bucks, because you're going to want to buy something. Luckily, though, a few bucks are all you'll need because the prices are surprisingly low, especially considering that many of the items are hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind pieces. 5−5-5−10 will get you a quirky, thoughtful little birthday/housewarming/baby shower gift for someone and $20 will get you an original screenprint.

Inkling doubles as a proper art gallery, too--a section at the back of the store has been relegated to revolving monthly art exhibitions. The current exhibition features colorful Día de los Muertos-inspired paintings by Natasha Mark, who also has jewelery, cards and prints for sale at the store. On Friday, November 12, Laura Berger's dreamy, über-cute paintings will take their place on the walls, with the opening reception running from 6 to 10pm. Working primarily with gouache, acrylic, and ink, Berger's art is currently centered around dreamlike lands, surreal characters, and smatterings of pattern. Illustrative in nature, her work is inspired by the idea of finding novelty in everyday life, and the adventure in opening up to unlikely companions and fantastic situations.

The Friday before Berger's opening, on November 5 (from 6 to 10pm as well), Inkling will participate in the newly-established East Lakeview Art Walk, i.e. First Fridays. Other businesses involved in that include Loose Leaf Lounge, Spare Parts, Clothing Optional, Johnny Sprockets and Nat & Helen's.

Inkling is located at 2917 1/2 N. Broadway St., and their phone number is 773-248-8004. For more information about Inkling and the events therein, visit their website and their Facebook page.