An alignment of opportunities — and a dash of neighborly spirit — brought Inman’s Picture Framing + Fine Art and Rare Bird Gifts & Goods under one roof. Mike and Jessica Inman considered relocating from their shop at 2828 Lincoln Ave. Next door, Casey and Bissy Keown wanted to expand their pizza restaurant, Casey’s Dugout. Three blocks west, Michael and Cary Gray and Olivia Wright had space to fill in the photography studio inside Rare Bird. The Grays and Wright also desired more art in their store. “I had in the back of my mind … that I wanted someone like Inman’s in my space,” Michael says.
“We knew it was perfect,” Jessica says. “The more we discussed our ideas of community-building events, the more we knew we were both on the same page.”
The Inmans in January sold their former spot to the Keowns, who turned it into an event venue called The Bullpen. Inman’s new location at 2605 Lincoln Ave. includes 12-foot ceilings, meaning more room for displaying and selling work by regional artists. Customers have moved seamlessly between the two shops, and the framing business — being rebranded as Inman Art & Frames — is a natural addition to the Best of Evansville award-winning boutique profiled in Evansville Business’ October/November 2022 issue.
“We have noticed an increase in traffic for our regional art, and we’ve started having some small painting classes in the evening,” Jessica says. Michael adds, “People seem really happy about being able to make it a one-stop shop.”
