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Respectruming often comes in the form of recognizing all that we can be thankful for.

The idea for Respectrum Arts has been well over a decade in the making and I have hundreds of people to appreciate in that journey. It’s From bookstore and gallery owners, to other entrepreneurs and visionaries who have shared their initial trepidations and encouragement to plow through. So many places and people and experiences have inspired me. Artists I have shared space with, thinkers who I have shared conversation with; people I have cared for and people who have cared for me. There are friends, who have entertained years of what seemed like outlandish ideas from where we were. Partners, who must have been rather frustrated with my lack of cultivating these ideas and watched me spin my wheels. Parents, who embraced that I was on my own path and were helpful if I stumbled. Grandparents, who showed by example, that if your will was consistent, you would be prosperous. People who have taught me about the things for which they are passionate. Artists and writers who are making Respectrum what it is. Customers who share their own passions and projects with me along their journey.

As I write this, I realize there are just too many people to name specifically, at the moment. For the time being, it should be known that I could not have handled starting the gallery, evolving to create a bookstore, the harrows of Co-ViD times for small businesses, the realization that this is better suited for online/popup events and the continued efforts to make ideas into realities.  These include my brother, Travis Denman; my cousins, James Denman and Josh Denman; and artist/writer friends including Sylvie Demers, Ryan Meier, Ashley Barnett and Caitlin Vitalo.

Someday, I will get to a whole list of people I am grateful to in these endeavors, but for now, thank you to whomever is reading this!

–Stephen M Denman