The Stock Room
We are a Chicago designer and curator team that wants to engage the community by bringing together local designers and shoppers and activating empty and unused spaces with gallery-inspired retail installations—first in our Lincoln Park neighborhood and then around the city of Chicago.
The Stock Room is a chance for us to share our vision of great, compelling design, install a thought-provoking retail experience, and provide artists and designers a platform for exposure and business growth. Let's make it happen!
The Team
Origin story:
Michelle is a designer, maker, and experience architect. She has done event design for M.A.C Cosmetics, product design for Martha Stewart Living and TAG Ltd., and exhibition design for the Chicago Design Museum. Mostly recently, she has launched her own design practice—MK Studio—which focuses on building unique experiences, spatial and product design, illustration, and graphic design. She moved to Chicago two years ago and never wants to leave.
Elizabeth, a Chicago native and world traveler, works as a design researcher and an independent curator. She has curated several exhibitions at the Chicago Design Museum as well as the Chicago Loop Alliance's June 2015 Activate event.
We met while collaborating at the Chicago Design Museum, where our passions and interests collided, and we've been friends and creative partners ever since.
The Mission
Helping launchThe Stock Room's inception will give us the opportunity to grow the Chicago design community and reach other design communities in the future, expose the public to new and interesting art and design, and create a different, fun, and unique retail experience. Our hope is that this will be the first of many pop-up experiences that engage the community and help give a boost to our designer and artist collaborators.
Nitty Gritty
We are trying to raise $3,000 to cover the cost of the space, the build-out, and event supplies.
- Location, location, location. The right space is the best way to get the traffic, buzz, and momentum to make The Stock Room successful. Higher traffic areas and retail corridors are ideal for the premiere event.
- We want to actualize an exciting and engaging experience for the customer that makes The Stock Room a memorable and unique experience. That means supplies for display and merchandising that will set the stage to best showcase the talented designers involved.
- Start off with a bang! We want to launch with a opening party to generate buzz, get people into the store, and inspire them to tell others. Can't say no to a free drink and nom.
The Perks
Backers will get a range of great perks from The Stock Room stickers and buttons to discounts and a piece of The Stock Room history! Here are just a few:
- Buttons, stickers, and other memorabilia
- Discounts
- Invitation to a special closing event
- Piece of The Stock Room history
- Your name on the sponsor wall
Money doesn't always talk
We would love your support, and, if you can't swing a dollar contribution, don't worry—you can still pitch in!
- If you know of anyone with an empty space in the Chicago, Lincoln Park area, that can host us for a week and is willing to work within our tight budget, let us know!
- If you know of any designers, makers, or artists that would be interested in collaborating, reach out!
We can't wait to make The Stock Room a reality!