Iowa Artist: Isabel Bloom

Do you know Isabel Bloom?

Well, maybe you don’t know her … I don’t know her either, but I wish I did.

Maybe you are familiar with her work?

{ This is Violet.  She is my favorite. }

Being born and raised in Iowa, and a fellow artist, I have a special place in my heart for Isabel Bloom and just want to share some details about her that I find fascinating.

Isabel Scherer Bloom

• born in Galveston, Texas, in 1908.
• moved to Davenport, Iowa, in 1909 and remained there for the rest of her life.
• original education was in dressmaking and design.
• started attending the Stone City Art Colony in 1932.
• studied under Grant Wood.
• met her future husband, John Bloom (also an artist), while at the Colony.
• created and starred in a children’s program at the Davenport WOC television station for several years called “Make Believe” ( she made all the sets )
• her figurines are crafted from the locally available materials of concrete and river stone.
• she sculpted in their basement studio in her spare time, mixing her own cement with a shovel.
• got her business started by submitting several concrete pieces to shops in Chicago
• Hoops, a garden shop on Michigan Avenue, was the first American retail outlet for the Isabel Bloom figurine line.
• by the early 60’s, she quickly outgrew her basement and rented studio space in an abandoned ice cream factory.
• she maintained a studio, which became her shop, on Brown Street in the Village of East Davenport until 1981.
• Bloom sold the shop to a group of Quad-Cities businessmen who expanded the retail chain on a national scale. The original storefront is still a staple of its quaint shopping district.
• She continued to advise and promote the figurine company until her death at age 93 in 2001.

Living here in Iowa, we are fortunate to have access to an abundance of Isabel Bloom figurines.  Shoot, it’s practically a staple in the gardens & homes of local residents.

We are also extremely fortunate to receive several pieces on consignment at all of our Stuff locations.  At any given time, you can walk into our Davenport store and find at least a dozen pieces for sale in the case.  The extra special, often retired pieces are featured in our “Silent Auction” – like this one currently available:

{ Girl With Bird,  1ft 7in tall  – isn’t she beautiful? }

Here’s a little sample of what else is currently available in the case at the Davenport Stuff Etc …

Thanks for letting me share!  Perhaps you are an Isabel Bloom fan too?

xoxoxo

Giving Back in June

Part of the Stuff Etc culture is giving back to the communities in which we serve.

Each month Stuff Etc chooses a local non-profit organization (or two, sometimes three, this month four) to feature in their stores to help raise awareness and much-needed funds.

In JUNE, we are sponsoring four very different but worthy organizations.

In Coralville & Iowa City, we are featuring 4Cs.

4Cs Community Coordinated Child Care promotes the well-being of children by assisting families, child care providers, employers and others with their child care needs. We address challenges to the community’s child care system and serve as a resource for the development of new programs.

• We help parents find occasional child care (short-term care, typically provided by University of Iowa students in the family’s home).
• 4Cs Home Ties Child Care Center provides free, temporary child care for families facing serious life issues.
• Crisis Child Care of Johnson County provides short-term, emergency child care when families facing crisis are not able to provide regular care.
• We provide support to Johnson and Washington County early childhood educators in developing professional, child-centered programs. This support includes, but is not limited to: state regulations, nutrition, child development and behavior, infant care, and meeting quality indicators.
• We provide professional development and consultations to center and home-based child care providers.
• We administer the Child and Adult Food Program (CACFP) to home-based child care programs in Johnson County.

In Cedar Rapids, we are featuring Bridgehaven.

Bridgehaven Pregnancy Support Center has been serving the greater Cedar Rapids area for over 25 years. Our services are at no cost to the patient, so there is no need to worry about billing or the hassle of insurance paperwork. You can feel comfortable knowing we do not benefit financially from your decisions.  All services are private and confidential. Bridgehaven does not offer abortion services or abortion referrals. 

We provide: Pregnancy Testing, Ultrasound, and Options Information; Post-Abortion Recovery and Support; Earn While You Learn Program; and Relational and Sexual Health Education.

In Waterloo, we are featuring The House of Hope.

The House of Hope is a Christian based organization under the direction of Christian Community Development. It is a two-year transitional housing program for homeless, single mothers and their children. The mothers are generally between the ages of 18 and 25 and the children are usually newborn to 8 years old. Those who apply to the program live well below the poverty level.

During the transition time, women receive support, guidance and assistance with employment, education and life skills. Safe housing, food, clothing, one-on-one counseling, community referrals and assistance in locating appropriate childcare is also provided for the women. Women are required to work and/or attend school full-time. They are also required to attend in-house groups and meet weekly with a case manager. With two years of support, guidance and stability, women are ready to make the needed changes in their lives and become self-sufficient individuals.

In Davenport, we are featuring Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

The promise of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures.

Since its inception in 1990, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® – Quad Cities has raised in excess of $4.9 million towards the fight against breast cancer. Unlike many other charities, up to 75% of the proceeds stay here locally in our eight-county service area to provide mammograms, ultrasounds, and prostheses for women who cannot afford them. The money raised also funds programs educating the entire community about breast cancer. Up to twenty-five percent of the Race proceeds are sent to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in Dallas, Texas to fund national breast cancer research and project grants.

This weekend is a WIN/WIN for both the shopper and the featured charity! Donate a DOLLAR at the registers when checking out and in return, you will receive 20% off your entire purchase of full-priced items Friday, Saturday and Sunday – June 1 thru June 3rd.

And all month-long, be sure to toss in your loose change, maybe a dollar or two, into the umbrellas when you shop our stores.

Every penny that is collected is donated to the featured organizations each month.

Thank you in advance for your support of this ongoing effort made by Stuff Etc to help our local organizations – organizations that never waiver in their support and give so much for the residents of our communities.

Surprise Visit from an American Picker

FRANK!!!!

w/Davenport manager’s LuAnn (left) and Rhea (right)

Our Davenport store had a surprise visit today from local & national celebrity, Frank Fritz, from American Pickers, a hit TV show on The History Channel.  All of us consignment fanatics are HUGE fans of the show, so you can imagine the excitement when Frank stopped by to shop Stuff Etc!

If you’re familiar with American Pickers, then you know that Frank and Mike are from the Quad Cities area.  Frank was super kind to take some photos with excited shoppers and also let us know that his mom is a consignor at our newest franchise location here in Davenport.  He found some awesome chairs at a steal of a deal to take home with him today and promised to return with some items to consign.

Stop by often to see “Frank’s Picks” – an area that will be dedicated to American Pickers featuring items recommended and consigned by the professional picker himself!

Thanks for stopping by, Frank!!

Tell Mike & Danielle “HI” from Stuff!

(p.s.  I’m so so so jealous of Rhea & LuAnn right now!)