The Artsy Bookworm
Your Independent Community Bookstore
The Artsy History
When a FOR RENT sign showed up in front of 1319 30th Street in Rock Island in late December 2020, our owner, Tamara Felden, did not hesitate. She called the property owner to arrange a viewing of the space, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Social justice takes many forms. So does business. Felden saw an opportunity to combine both. Offering books that help bring all kinds of people together, being able to provide a job or two, contributing to the economic base of our community – all this is meant to work toward greater equity for all. So is the chance to offer merchandise sourced from Black and women-owned businesses, from makers that are environmentally responsible and offer organic, cruelty-free and fair-trade merchandise, and to create a safe space.
We unabashedly aim to do good, and we’re looking to you to help us in that. As we launch events and fundraisers, seek connections with groups in our community, and learn everything that should govern our work, we ask you to give us your feedback, your suggestions, your community connections, and your support. Nobody succeeds alone and we count on you!
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The Artsy Mission
- To offer a safe space that is welcoming to everyone and where all interact with kindness and good will toward each other
- To carry merchandise that reflects our customers’ desire to make positive contributions to our community, our environment, and our local economy
- To carry books that offer windows into the lives, experience, cultures and histories of different people,
- To be a place where our customers find themselves reflected in the things we sell or perhaps discover something new that broadens their perspective of others
- To provide space for local artists and authors to show and sell their work
- To source our merchandise from environmentally friendly, organic, cruelty-free and fair-trade producers, from Black and women-owned businesses, and from unique makers around the world.
- To be helpful.
For Local Artists & Authors
If you are a local author interested in placing your work with us, we would be delighted to hear from you. We are interested in a wide variety of writing, including zines, graphic novels, and more. We typically accept up to three copies of a given work on consignment and will display the work for as long as there seems to be interest in it, reflected in sales. We may also ask you to participate in author readings or similar events. Please email us at contact@theartsybookworm.com to set up a time to meet and, if you are not yet familiar with our store, please come and visit to determine whether this might be a suitable venue for your work. If your work contains illustrations, such as in children’s books, we encourage you to peruse our children’s book selection to make a determination whether your publication is competitive in the context of our other offerings.
If you are a local artist interested in showing your work at the Artsy Bookworm, we would love to hear from you. Availability of space is competitive and rental of space is $20 per month. Our commission for art sold is 30%. We may be able to extend an artist’s display time, depending on availability. We do not accept jewelry.
Please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ArtsyBookworm and respond to the questions there. Once you do, we will get in touch and send you our artist / vendor agreement for information. We will also let you know when we may be able to include your art in our store.
In the meantime, please feel free to come and visit to get a sense of whether this is a space that would suit your expectations.
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Contact Us
Upcoming Events
Hours
Tue – 11am – 5pm
Wed – 11am – 5pm
Thu – 11am – 5pm
Fri – 11am – 5pm
Sat – 11am – 5pm
Sun & Mon Closed
The Artsy Bookworm LLC, 1319 30th Street, Rock Island, IL 61201
(309) 558-0278, contact@theartsybookworm.com