people + places / p ofiles
Susan Coombes and Lisa Radeck stand behind the counter at their store, Periwinkle Fog.
PROFILES
Tasteful retail Former GRAM employees open new artsy store. BY PAT EVANS
// PHOTOS BY ALFIELD REEVES
When the Grand Rapids Art Museum’s gift shop closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, a hole was left downtown. But not for long. Former GRAM employees Lisa Radeck and Susan Coombes opened Periwinkle Fog, 125 Ottawa Ave. NW, in hopes of filling that void and providing Grand Rapidians and tourists with a fun, eclectic gift shop. “We both love to travel. We always go to art museums and their stores, it’s such an important aspect to the art experience and we love to shop,” Radeck said. “We love finding those gems, whether they’re big or small. We love finding items we can connect to.” Radeck left GRAM in 2018, “floating around trying to find the right project.” About a year ago, while traveling with her husband, Radeck received a call from Coombes and the process began. Coombes was GRAM’s retail store manager for nine years, while Radeck worked in the visitor services and welcome center. The two quickly settled on their plan. With both having a penchant for travel, and Coombes living at times in The Netherlands and Hong Kong, a collection of local gems for people to find was a no-brainer. 14
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3/28/22 3:37 PM
