(Art) can be a part of everything you do. I just want to take down those barriers that get in the way of enjoying it.

I distinctly remember the first time I ventured inside Woodland Pattern Book Center. I was looking for a particular book, Nathanial Dorskys Devotional Cinema.

The place is small, but looks are deceiving. The tiny shop holds over 27,000 rare titles from contemporary writers and poets. The place, tucked in a charming part of Riverwest, is intimate and, as I later learned, much more than just a bookstore.

Woodland Pattern is a non-profit organization formed in 1979 by Anne Kingsbury and Karl Gartung. It is a bookstore best known for its expansive poetry section, as well as its impressive collection of Native American literature.

In addition to collecting small press publications, Woodland Pattern is also a resource center for area writers and artists.

We present the artist as an honored practitioner of their work rather than as a commodity, as someone who is there just to sell something, Kingsbury said.

But book sales alone are not enough to sustain Woodland Pattern. As a non-profit organization, it is not allowed to make more than 30 percent of its budget from book sales. Thus, it raises additional funds through admissions to programming series.

Its innovative approach to multi-arts programming allows the book center to attract new customers. Promoting other arts besides reading in a bookstore may seem contradictory to some, but to Kingsbury, it makes perfect sense.

Literature is traditionally on the page, but words are part of everything, she said. Films tell stories and words are a big part of music, she continued. Its all crossing back and forth.

Woodland Patterns multi-arts programming includes a fully functioning art gallery, reading series, experimental film screenings, concerts and writing workshops; the organizations sponsors over 90 public events each year.

The book center has become a major part of the Riverwest community, and the location is as appealing now as it was then. Kingsbury said that she and Gartung chose this particular location because they were looking for an area that they could make a difference in, as well as an area that they could afford.

After 27 years in Riverwest, they have no plans to move.

Id like to think we are an anchor in the community, that we have had an impact, Kingsbury said. We are committed to Riverwest.

It seems fitting that Woodland Pattern is housed in the same area that has always been home to many artists. It seems fitting that Woodland Patterns neighbors are up-and-coming artists, as one its main mission is presenting art and literature outside of the mainstream, outside chain bookstores, outside school lessons, and outside reviews in newspapers.

Woodland pattern tries to bring literature and art into the everyday, Kingsbury said.

(Art) can be a part of everything you do. I just want to take down those barriers that get in the way of enjoying it.

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