Mindscape Adieu

In a development that happened so swiftly many residents were unaware of it, Mindscape Adornments, at 2114 Central St., has gone out of business. Located on Central Street for 10 years, the shop was a staple of the corridor's eclectic art scene and a reliable supplier of unique art and crafts items.
A few small signs posted on the store windows, plus word of mouth, were all that were needed to produce a run on the store's stock starting last Thursday, most pieces selling at a 50% discount. By today, only a few dozen ceramics, glasswares, necklaces, tops and scarves remained, along with a number of lonely-looking fixtures. Even the pedestal displays were spoken for.
Owners Carole Richey and James LeTerneaus were originally, respectively, the store manager and a contributing jewelry artist at the original Mindscapes location in downtown Evanston, where it had been for two decades, and were well-liked on the strip. During the weekend, as news spread, customer after customer stopped in to say how sad they were that the store was leaving.
The business was a victim of the economic downturn. Like many merchants, Mindscapes was counting on a good holiday season to get them through the winter. While many Central Street businesses survived, the long cold snap, combined with the tightening of consumers' pursestrings, proved too tough for the beloved arts purveyor. Once attempts to renegotiate the lease fell through, the denouement was rapid.
For many years, my wife and I eschewed wedding registries and bestowed finds from Mindscapes upon lucky couples, as well as for anniversaries, birthdays, and ocasionally valentines for each other. Art at any price makes our existence here richer; we thank Carole and Jim for enhancing our neighborhood, and our lives, with so many well-chosen offerings, most of which supported midwestern artists. They shall be missed.