Bead in Hand has a new owner, Kim Humphrey, and as I step back from my ownership for the past 18 years, I’d like to thank the Oak Park community for your enduring support. Right from the first day that I opened in November 1993, Bead in Hand and I were welcomed, especially by the residents of the immediate neighborhood. Customers came to shop and take classes and children celebrated their birthdays at Bead in Hand parties.
In 1993 there were just a few retail businesses on Harrison Street and many boarded up retail spaces that had been converted to apartments. On the plus side, there was plenty of parking. When people from outside Oak Park called for directions and I told them where I was, I often was asked, “Is it safe?” I assured them they could park right in front. Many customers offered the well-intentioned advice that I should get a buzzer on my door, but I wondered, “Who would I not let in?”
Over the next few years, with the assistance of events co-sponsored by the Oak Park Area Arts Council and with the support of the local property owners and building managers, new businesses came, the apartment spaces were converted back to retail spaces and the area became the Oak Park Arts District. Today it is a fun place to visit and shop, with many arts-related businesses, a theater and several restaurants.
Please continue to support the Oak Park Arts District and Bead in Hand the way that you have all these years. It’s tough to make a living as an artist, but it is the artists who have made Harrison Street an attractive shopping district. The shops are filled with unique gifts, the businesses offer wonderful classes and wellness services and the restaurants offer delicious meals and a cozy place to meet with friends.
Bead in Hand will remain a key contributor to a successful Arts District. Thank you, Kim, for taking on the care of Bead in Hand and keeping the shop open. Thank you, customers, for continuing to go there, so that Bead in Hand continues to thrive on Harrison Street.
Doris Weinbaum
California
