a page in the story of {open}
On November 15, 2008, {open} turned five!
We’re thrilled to have reached this milestone! It has been an incredible half-decade, full of incredible books, music and art … not to mention a whole lotta love from the community along the way, from simple comments like “love the shop” to the October 8 OC Weekly that dubbed {open} “one of the most distinctive, culturally important shops in the city.”
Of course, we’re not quite as thrilled about this whole “economic slowdown” thing. The same month that OC Weekly article came out, newspapers across the country delivered some sobering news: “Retail sales plunged by the largest amount on record in October as the financial crisis and the slumping economy caused consumers to sharply cut back on their spending.” [The Washington Post, Nov 14]
And unfortunately, this slowdown not shaping up to be an economic fluke. “Federal Reserve policymakers now expect the U.S. economy to contract for as much as a year, with the risk that the slowdown could persist for even longer.” [MarketWatch, Nov 19] Not cool, especially for independent businesses on bootstrap budgets, like {open}!
The good news? Here are three easy ways you can help!
1) If you’re doing holiday shopping, do it at an independent business.
Preferably here in Long Beach! The money you spend in a local shop not only helps keep that business in business, it strengthens our entire local economy. In fact, a recent study showed that diverting just 10% of consumer purchases from chains to independent, local businesses can generate up to more than $140 million in new, local economic activity! (We recommend starting at {open}! Plus, for even more economic benefits, we do free gift wrapping!)
2) Come celebrate with {open} on December 13!
We’re throwing a FREE all-day anniversary celebration, topped off with an evening of performances by Derrick Brown, Free Moral Agents and a very special one-time-only choral performance by Greater California and the 4th Street Vocal Choir. We’ll also be auctioning artwork from {open} artists of the past (and future), including Sandow Birk, Blaine Fontana, Rick Frausto, Skullphone, Jonathan Apgar and Thomas Lee Bakofsky, who have graciously agreed to donate the proceeds to {open}! We’ll be sending out an email with more details closer to the event, but save the date now!
3) Be a page in the story of {open}!
We’re creating an evolving art installation as part of the story of {open}, our anniversary exhibit (and our first fundraiser!). Here’s how it works: You choose your page, either a 4×7 thesaurus page ($5) or a 8.5″x11″ encyclopedia page ($50), from your preferred letter section, then inscribe or illustrate it however you wish (you can even take it home if you want to get crafty!). We’ll display all the pages along the wall in our front room for the course of the exhibit. At the end of the show, we’ll bind the pages into an book, the story of {open}, part I, and you will be a permanent part of our history! You can get your page at {open} or online with the secure PayPal form below.
Thank you for your support. It is strongly felt and greatly appreciated! And thanks for a great five years!
Love,
Sé & Shea
owners, {open}
a page in the story of {open}
