Page 11 - BusinessWest February 20, 2023

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Northampton
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to host a Sparkle Party, giving fami- lies an option to celebrate the creative expression and “awesomeness” of fami- lies, Walters-Wright said.
Coming up, High Five Books is
also sponsoring the release of Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s new graphic memoir at the Academy of Music in April. As a lover of graphic novels, Walters-Wright is excited to host the book event and even said it was a dream to be at the Acade- my of Music for it. Krosoczka will bring his new book to life with an unabridged performance for families to enjoy.
Many of the books sold at High Five Books center on social-justice and LGBTQIA+ themes “that just honor the incredible spirit of these young people,” she added. “We’re a community bookstore, and to us, what that means is we are listening directly to the families who come in through our doors and hear what it is they’re looking for so that their kid and their family can feel seen and valued.
“We think that books can be windows and mirrors and sliding glass doors for kids to experience the world that they see and the world that they want to see.”
“We think that books can be win- dows and mirrors and sliding glass doors for kids to experience the world that they see and the world that they want to see,” she continued. “And that is something that we don’t take for granted. Being able to provide young readers with books that help them feel seen is a way of encouraging them to be their very best selves in this world and to shape the world in the way that I think we all want to see it, which is wholeheartedly.”
Abbott, meanwhile, is looking to accomplish much the same things through the arts.
Besides owning and curating the Bloomery Art Gallery and meeting space, they also run a communi- cations-consulting and marketing- support business called Bloom Local, which helps small businesses and organizations that are mission- driven. It exists as a digital and in- person platform in order to breed connections.
The gallery is open to the public during the Arts Night Out event that Northampton holds the second Friday of each month. Local art lovers are encouraged to walk around the city and see the different art galleries that Northampton has to offer. Abbott said
BusinessWest
it was a “great discovery channel” for the gallery since it is so new and small. People who don’t know about the Bloomery have the chance to see local art from local artists in the LGBTQIA+ community.
They recalled one show in Octo- ber that drove the point home. “I was standing in a group of folks in this room, and we all looked around, and somebody said, ‘I’ve never seen so many trans and non-binary people in one room together.’ And my heart just
Lexi Walters-Wright says High Five Books is a space for families to connect around reading and stories.
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