Independent Bookstores Are Not Dead in the Inland Empire Curated Chronicles is Living Proof

Melanie Walden owner of Curated Chonicles

Interview & Photography by Julian Lucas

I was able to speak with Melanie Walden the founder of Curated Chronicles. Curated Chronicles is a nice change for downtown Upland as well the Inland Empire. I was pleasantly surprised when I learn Curated Chronicles had just about finished remodeling and was going to open, even during a pandemic. Finally, a bookstore in the IE focused on art and design, what more would a person want!

I’m not going to write a long drawn out introduction, but let me write this, if you have any last minute holiday shopping, you better get your ass down to Curated Chronicles an art focused cool vibrant bookstore and SUPPORT!!!

Do you have a background in art? What was your most favorable courses while studying abroad? How did studying in Europe shape who you are as an artist? 

My background in art really cultivated within my family through my entire childhood. My parents started a wooden toy business when I was a baby and successfully carried it on until I was about 8 or 9. I grew up immersed in the creative conceptual process down to the operations and going to trade shows and craft fairs. Additionally my Mom has worked from home as a seamstress for over 50 years now. Fast forward I ended up studying in London at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design. I had to fund my education and was only able to afford my foundation year there. I focused on coursework called Artifact with a goal in prepping for a BA in Design for Performance if I were miraculously to stumble upon a pot of gold to pay for the rest of my education. I did not find that pot however I learned some incredible basics skills that I carried throughout my creative process to this day. Not to mention the incredible life changing experience of living, working and studying in that amazing city. Not to mention the life changing event of living there during the 2005 bombings. After returning back to CA I had a brief time studying at The Academy Of Arts in San Francisco but lack of funds cut that short as well.

When and why did you want to open Curated Chronicles Book dedicated to art books and zines? 

I have a cumulative of about 16+ years working retail coupled with my experience showing in art galleries.  Having been crazy inspired by walking into similar style shops while living in London I kind of pooled all of my experiences together and this concept store came about.  Aside from the concept I really wanted to provide a space that Inland Empire creatives could come and be inspired and find materials to enhance their own creative process.  I also want to be a place for those that may not understand the creative arts to come in and explore, ask questions and hopefully leave with a creative understanding which I think resides in all of us.  Books and zines for me personally pose as creative reference materials in my own work and I still draw different inspiration from when turning the pages.  They give insight into biographies of artists, provide helpful how-tos, and in the case of a lot of zines and independent published work...little pieces of bound art.

You and I both understand the importance of an artists’ book how do you interpret this information to your audience who may not be aware of this medium? 

An artists book can provide the viewer a gallery showing within reach of a bookshelf or wherever ones books may reside.  My absolute favorite artist book are those that include and most fascinating to me, the process of their work.  For those that are just tapping into their creativity or tapping back into it, I feel seeing these kinds of books and printed matter are really inspiring.  Especially if their final pieces came about in an unexpected way.

We also understand zines date back to the 1930’s how do you communicate the importance of zines in your region?

Zines are such a great tool for artists and creatives.  They can be a few pages Xeroxed, stapled and done for little to nothing making it an affordable option for starting out artist to sell and invest back into their craft or to give out for free.  When sauntering around London as a broke, foreign college student I would always delight in free zines, magazines and stickers.  Even being broke I would always figure out how to buy the hand made zine or indie book because I loved the content but it also made me feel it was attainable for me to do the same.  Put my work into a printed piece and put out into the world.

What are you most 5 favorite art books at the moment? 

1. Gift x Mari Katayama

2. Lines x Shantell Martin

3. Art Of The Fold 

4. Louise Bourgeois | An Intimate Portrait

5. Risomania | The New Sprit Of Printing

After the pandemic are there any plans to have lectures? Can give us a hint of who would be in your line up?

One of the plans for opening the store was to host creative workshops that the space could facilitate. Anything from basic how-to’s in using computer programs like Adobe Suite to shoe making to creative writing. Being newly opened and still navigating the daily operations through this uncertain time, I haven’t been able to reach out to anyone specifically. We do have artist lined up until about April/May of next year and once I get the groove of these shows then I plan to really structure ( if it’s at all possible in the next year ) to reach out to working professionals to host the workshops and create a calendar of events.

When I sold books or had exhibitions through my physical store Mirrored Society, while in conversation with visitors or customers, they would consistently tell me to “Be careful” because of the content within the books or the art on the walls. Of course I didn’t listen and continued to push the envelope. I’m not into censorship nor do I conform.

Have you gotten this feedback and what is your approach to explaining? 

Not to often but I suppose it’s to be expected when it comes to the creative arts.  Someone’s art could be beautiful and moving to one and to the next be deeply offensive.  I guess that’s one of the powers of art.

Would you like to mention any new zines or mention any local book makers and or zinesters?  

Rebecca Ustrell of Curious Publishing for sure!  She has been great with promoting and generating excitement from Curious’ fan base for my shop.  When I first came across Curious I was so excited to know of an independent Publisher in the IE putting out fresh and local artists.  I was hoping to meet new publishers and zinesters at the book fairs but alas they were cancelled before I could attend any.  I did go thorough lists of venders that were listed on digital fairs and have come across some great independents such as Can Can Press in Mexico or Cold Cube Press in Seattle.  Both of which you can find selections in the shop.

Original post here

Julian Lucas, is fine art photographer, photojournalist, and creative strategist. Julian also works as a housing specialist which, includes linking homeless veterans to housing. Julian has lived in Chicago, Inglewood, Portland, and the suburbs of Los Angeles County including Pomona.