Poor Richard's carves a niche with books, art, music

Obviously, Poor Richard's Book Shoppe sells books. But if you're trying to picture the place,  think all-purpose arts venue.

Since the store opened at 135 Brevard Court in uptown Charlotte in August, it has launched a regular schedule of concerts, open mic nights and, on the first Friday of each month, "The Art of  Spoken Word," an event featuring a poet, musician and visual artist. While the poet and musician perform, the artist creates. At evening's end, the artist's new work is sold.

Now, husband and wife owners Bryan and Sheri Borges (right) are in the process of remodeling space adjacent to their second-floor bookstore. When they're done, maybe by month's end, they'll have twice the space, and more room for performances. 

Their book selection is mostly used, along with new works from local and regional authors. They also host author readings and children's story times.

 The space includes comfy chairs, exposed brick walls and lots of original paintings. "People have come in and say, 'I could live here,' " Sheri told me recently.

 Check out their website for more info.