Artemis Books & Goods, offering new and used books as well as community-centric programming and events, will host a launch party and soft opening this coming Saturday, February 21, in the Warehouse MRKT building at 144 Hall St., Traverse City, Mich. Co-owners Samantha Duby, Caitlin Marsh, Rachel Sang, and Carissa Yonan worked together at the city's Brilliant Books, which closed last October after nearly 20 years in business.
"We loved being booksellers," said Sang. "It defined us and gave us such deep connections in our community. So when it was decided that we couldn't keep Brilliant Books going anymore, it was devastating. Pretty quickly, we realized we didn't want to give up what we had built and began looking at how we could keep going. So here we are now, ready to grow this new place: a place for books, community, and real connections."
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| Artemis owners (l.-r.) Rachel Sang, Samantha Duby, Carissa Yonan, and Caitlin Marsh | |
Duby added that this sense of community has been integral both in shaping the new company's goals for the future and in its foundational values: "Artemis grew out of relationships that were already formed and the sense of connection they created within our community. We wanted to do this because we believe independent bookstores thrive when they're rooted in connection, care, and mutual support. This isn't just about selling books; it's about building a space that reflects and gives back to the people who already show up for one another."
The owners had originally planned to start with pop-up events, school book fairs, and installations at partner businesses around Traverse City while searching for a permanent home, but were approached about the Warehouse MRKT location.
"It was too good an opportunity to pass up," Marsh noted. "We were already planning to hold a launch party in the atrium there and I remember we were all sitting in there one day working on plans and kind of eyeing the Alexa Grambush gallery and imagining what it would be like to have a space like that for the store in the future. When the opportunity came to take over that very space, we could hardly believe it!"
The store will have limited hours initially as it is refitted and stocked, but the owners foresee a full schedule by late spring.
"I'm so excited to be getting back into the bookish community in Traverse City," said Yonan. "I felt a void open up when Brilliant closed and I know people have been missing it, so I'm very happy that we've all gotten together to build Artemis and do what we do even better than before. We're offering used books, which is very exciting since it's been a while since there's been a used bookstore in town, and we're also hoping to be open later in the evenings, to serve as a cozy third space where people can work on projects, hang out with friends, decompress after work, and more. We have a lot of dreams for Artemis and we can't wait to share them."