09/10/24
by Victoria Ritter
As the pandemic saw the close of the only independently-owned art supply shop in Bloomington, IN, a new art supply retailer emerged. Since opening its doors last November, Bloomington Fine Art Supply has sought to provide a unique and approachable space for all artists.
Owner and Founder Heather Farmer, who originally hails from St. Louis, MO, has lived in Bloomington for the past 10 years with her family. With a M.A. in arts administration and nearly a decade’s worth of experience working with the arts at Indiana University, she kicked around the idea of opening her own art supply store for years. Finally, an opportunity arose a couple years ago.
“Our long-beloved independent art supply store – Pygmalion’s – closed after about 50 years,” Farmer said. “I thought for sure that somebody with a vault of gold coins would stand something up overnight, given the need in Bloomington, but nobody did. It was part of the motivating factor (of opening Bloomington Fine Art Supply).
“After the pandemic, I left my former line of work,” she added. “Shortly thereafter, my kids both entered public school and our family wasn’t on the hook for childcare expenses anymore. I thought, let’s swing for the fences and give this a shot. If not now, when?”
A common area for creativity
Bloomington Fine Art Supply is housed in a historic block of buildings dating back to the mid-20th century. The store is 2,500 square feet, with two-thirds of the space dedicated to retail and the remaining third dedicated to the Creative Commons.
The Creative Commons is a workspace for classes, workshops and demonstrations that comfortably fits 18 people. The workshop offers both seated and standing stations, drying racks, an industrial light table, stainless steel work sink, 42-inch Rotatrim and 30 lockers.
Artists can also come in during the store’s operational hours and work on their projects. In the past few months, Farmer has seen people come in and create on their laptops and gather with friends to paint role-playing game miniatures; one woman even brought in a dollhouse and spent a weekend repainting it.
“The Creative Commons provides low-barrier access to a comfortable, well-lit and relatively well-equipped workspace,” Farmer said. “In Bloomington, finding a creative art space – like an art studio space – is really difficult; there isn’t a lot of it and it’s pretty pricey. There are a lot of people out there who need creative workspace, but don’t need an entire private studio.”
Space in the Creative Commons is available on a first come, first served basis. Artists can also host classes, with 20 percent of their ticket revenue going to Bloomington Fine Art Supply.
“It’s really about activating Bloomington’s creativity,” Farmer stated.
While talking with customers, Farmer had several people voice an interest in displaying their art at the store. Thus, Gallery 207 was established in April – the name ties in the store’s address of 207 South Rogers Street. Pieces are displayed on a lit wall, with content rotating every month. Farmer installs pieces right before the first Friday of the month, just in time for Gallery Walk Bloomington where galleries and businesses showcase art for the public.
As with classes in the Creative Commons, Bloomington Art Supply takes 20 percent of art sales from Gallery 207. The monthly shows offer a sliding scale pricing, with three pricing tiers for each piece. Farmer explained this approach helps artists sell their work and community members to access real, affordable art.
“All kinds of things have come through here in the past few months,” Farmer said, adding she’s seen digital photography, wall-mounted sculptures and acrylic paintings. “It’s really fun, one month at a time, to have a new collection here for folks to see and enjoy.”
Farmer further extends the store’s community reach by supporting local nonprofits. Past collaborations include partnerships with Ivy Tech Community College, Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard food pantry and Amethyst House men’s recovery system.
Farmer enjoys the opportunity to be consistently engaging with artists, organizations and programing in the surrounding area. “When you walk in the shop, you see a reflection of a support system that has been relentlessly enthusiastic,” she said. “Being able to remain in touch with Bloomington’s super lively art landscape has been lovely.”
Building inventory
Inventory is constantly evolving at Bloomington Fine Art Supply. When she first started out operating the store, Farmer wanted to set it apart by its offerings. “I want to rise to the occasion of serving practicing artists – both students and post-grad professionals – in a way that is authentic and result-driven,” she stated.
“While I am an artist, I’m not an expert in everything,” she continued. “Taking these initial months to really connect with and talk to people about these brands, tools and mediums for applications outside of my skillset was something that was really important to me.”
For Farmer, ordering products is a “careful balance” of following her gut instincts, watching industry trends and listening to what customers are looking for. She is appreciative of vendors and manufacturers who have offered insights and helped her establish her initial collection of inventories. “Tapping into that industry expertise through our vendors was super valuable,” she said. “I’m very grateful for their ongoing collaboration and their willingness to share their perspectives and time.”
Bloomington Fine Art Supply currently offers just under 2,000 SKUs. Products include oil, watercolor and acrylic paints; brush displays; painting knives; sketchbooks and notebooks; colored pencils; woodcarving tools; clays; acrylic and alcohol inks; tracing and printmaking paper; and newsprint. Popular products include Speedball block printing items, Sakura’s Pigma Micron pens, Durwent colored pencils, Golden Artist Colors and Amsterdam Acrylics.
In August, Farmer planned to double inventory volume by introducing items for photography, screen printing, stained glass, limestone carving as well as an entire ceramics department.
“The goal is to serve as wide a variety of mediums as the store can sustain – both from a physical and budgetary standpoint,” Farmer stated.
Farmer seeks to ensure that all the store’s product offerings are of high quality and consist of items that artists trust and use. She has attended a few trade shows such as MacPherson’s Creativity Hub and Creativation by Namta with other shows on the horizon. “Some of the most valuable conversations and interactions I’ve had about products at these shows is with the artists manufacturers have demonstrating their products,” Farmer said. “That’s part of how Durwent became part of our initial inventory.”
Bloomington Fine Art Supply also provides a little free art supply library where people can take something or leave something. “It constantly rotates,” Farmer observed. “Nothing stays in there very long. The whole goal is the supplies get used and don’t go to waste. Plus, people can get creative when they feel like it.”
Many hats
As the store’s only employee, Farmer puts much of her past experiences to work in order to manage Bloomington Fine Art Supply. Her dual B.F.A. in drawing and graphic design has allowed her to become familiar with physical materials and given her a passion for trying new products. Generating news content and copyediting for Indiana University provided insight on internal and external communication as well as instilled the importance of crafting narratives and promotional materials for the store. Her role in educational outreach on behalf of the university’s auditorium helped break down barriers to the arts and provide meaningful experiences – something Farmer hopes to continue.
“I’ve always been in the arts at IU to one degree or another, or found ways to weave arts into what I’m doing,” Farmer said. “I see now a persistent and consistent curiosity about the arts and desire to connect with folks who are on the ground making art.”
This fall, Farmer will partner with Indiana University’s student work study program to employ a student at the store.
“It’s just a matter of staying on task, staying organized and being a good communicator and saying yes to every opportunity and seeing where it leads,” Farmer stated. “This fall, when we get that student employee, I’ll cross the threshold of being able to manage this on my own.”
Farmer has faced a few “typical startup speedbumps” as the store finds its rhythm, such as adjusting the inventory to what customers are looking for and establishing a healthy work/life balance. However, she is proud of the consistent work brought in by Gallery 207 and the steady, popular programming in the Creative Commons. She is also thankful for her family and customers’ support, enthusiasm and positivity.
“The core of all this for me is celebrating people where they’re at and equipping them for whatever they’re curious about,” Farmer said. “For people to come in and share they immediately feel at home is the best feedback. When people feel like they are in an environment where it’s safe to ask questions, I think we’re onto something good here.”
