SATURDAY MORNINGS Writing Café 10am-12pm, Second Floor

THIRD THURSDAYS Open Mic 7pm-9pm, Second Floor (sign-ups in person)

WELCOME to “THE WORKSHOP”

Don’t all communities deserve a café? El Taller is Lawrence’s Independent Bookstore & Café! Born in 2012, El Taller is guided by its name - “the workshop,” it is a cafe and bookstore but it acts like a studio or workshop for the community at large. It is a place to hang out, read books, write, join discussions, meet with friends and enjoy good food. Read our origin story here!

Inside, there is an open kitchen, where patrons can watch our chefs make their meals at the long counter. Opposite the counter, there is our bookshelf, stocked with your favorite community curated picks! El Taller is home to exciting new releases, books by talented local authors, beloved classics (in English and Spanish). The gallery space is where we display local art on the walls. There is also event space on the first floor (accessible) equipped with a stage for performances, and a second floor event space (one flight of stairs) to host your next gathering! 

El Taller works on literary and community engagement programming with partners such as the Lawrence Public Library, the Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover Bread Loaf, The Youth Development Organization, Colectiva Wellness & Healing, Izizwe Dance Studio, Elevated Thought, and many more!

Fueled by great coffee, delicious food, and creative ideas–El Taller welcomes anyone who walks through the door. Join us for coffee, a meal, or a community event and enjoy the space. We hope to see you soon!

ASPECTS of El Taller Café & Bookstore

As the only independent bookstore in Lawrence, Massachusetts, we offer a variety of literary programs. We also have a gallery and events space that host our specific community values and programs.

The Independent Bookstore is based in a low income immigrant community, and the books we stock purposefully BIPOC + Queer. We love picture books with children of color illustrated on them, queer middle grade fiction, own voices novels in verse, BIPOC fantasy sci-fi, social issues pertaining to abolition, decolonization and radical movements in history. 

The Community Curates program helps El Taller select which books need be visible on our shelves. In galleries and museums, curators have the power to choose what is seen and what remains in the shadows. Just like art, books can be highlighted or hidden. The curator is a member of our community that guides us to the next best book, inspire us, and challenges our thinking.

The Literary Hub is where writers, educators, and community members are coming together to bring to you writing workshops and other unique literary events. We are committed to building a strong culture of literacy and writing in our community. Writing is a powerful tool. We want to inspire people to be comfortable in her own skin, comfortable with our own words, and comfortable sharing stories and forming groups where we can hear each other see each other especially right now, during such a hard time. We are creating a space to see humanity in each other and make room for people to believe in their own stories and words.

The Book Board is a space for the bookiest of community members to come together to revel in their love of reading and share this love of books to build literacy and raise consciousness in our community. We not only look for titles that bring us joy, spark conversations, and inspire us to grow, but we also prioritize titles written by people of color & queer folks, spotlighting experiences of resisting oppression and forging liberation. Email books@eltallerarts.com if you would like to join our Book Board.

The Arts Bodega was started when COVID was seriously impacting small businesses negatively. We took this chance to close for indoor dining and create a space that continues to stay committed to our local arts culture. Our Arts Bodega remains even now. Come into our shop and have the latest and most up to date picks of our unique local artist products. Support your local artists and El Taller by shopping small.

The Art Gallery has a mission to support, inspire and educate the local emerging and established arts community, customers, and guests. We provide a high quality source of visual art, and create an exciting venue for artists to exhibit and sell work. El Taller is committed to showing a wide range of work in a variety of styles and mediums. Reach out to gallery@eltallerarts.com for more information.