Opus Art Supplies

I had such a wonderful experience at Opus Art Supplies thanks to the incredible customer service from Billy! From the moment I walked in, he was attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely eager to help. He took the time to understand exactly what I was looking for, offered thoughtful suggestions, and even went the extra mile to check stock and compare options with me. Billy’s friendly attitude and deep product knowledge made my visit not only productive but truly enjoyable. It’s rare to come across someone who is both passionate and patient—especially in a busy store. He made me feel valued as a customer, and I walked out with exactly what I needed (and a smile on my face).

I had no idea when I walked into to Opus Art Supplies on Granville Island that I would walk out so delighted that I had completed the task I had gone in there to get done. Friendly and patient staff informed me that I would be the one stretching and stapling the canvas onto the frame. Lo and behold, I did it. Not only that, once I had completed my painting at home, I was once again given guidance on how to successfully frame the canvas. Such a gem of a place - nothing but gratitude. Thanks to my helpers along the way

Went in today for the first time and I loved it! The staff were friendly and super helpful with knowledge about the art supplies.

As a fine artist working with colours and canvas Opus art supplies is THE place to fulfil my peaky tastes. They have all kinds of colours, brushes, sculting equipments, frames and basically many things you don’t know exist in the art world. Also they usually have good discounts for students at the check out. Enjoy !

This store has a good variety of art supplies, especially for the serious artist. The staff here are ready and willing to help and advise; friendly, too. Although, I did find that a few items, like titanium white acrylic paint, were sold out.

Finn helped so much not only with selection of frame but then also offered to install art, nail/clips and hanging hardware at no extra charge. She was so incredibly helpful, cheerful and lovely. Thank you for your expertise and for such exceptional service !

I might go there again since it’s the closest to my school, I’m assuming there was an issue with the certain staff that day but I was trying to get a discount I know I have because of my schooling and everytime I tried to mention it they didn’t seem to understand and told me to sign up for their emails that came with POSSIBLE discounts which felt very frustrating considering it was not the discount I had every right to. I didn’t think the cashier was understanding so I just gave up on it which was a loss of money for me and just kinda gave me an ick on this location as well. PS this happened a within the past month, I didn’t want to post it on the exact day so the staff didn’t get in trouble because it sounds like more a problem on the managers behalf if staff weren’t informed of certain discounts and deals.

Opus is such an amazing store for products, demo's, and knowledgeable staff! 10/10 Especially enjoyed visiting Granville Island's original and largest of all the Opus stores to use a gift card! Took our new supplies plus a picnic lunch from the market and went to the beach to paint!

Our favorite art supply store bar none. Opus has a range of art supplies that students can afford and more experienced artists could use. Opus' staff are always very helpful. We recommend arriving in Granville Island before 11 am. Parking is free before 11 am and crowds are more manageable.

I was in last week to put together a custom picture frame of a museum print -- I had no idea what I was doing but staff were super helpful, and conscientious about cleaning and removing dust etc.: I left impressed. 4/5 not 5/5 only because I had to come back a third time (initial measurements; unexpected issue; final assembly). The mat was cut for some reason in an oval shape, and needed to be re-done. Mistakes happen. ‍

Great art store! My daughter and I had a lovely time imagining all the projects we planned to create with our new art supplies.

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Kira (apologies if I misspelled your name) and the two other kind-hearted individuals (pink hair highlight one of them) who came to our rescue at the Opus Granville. During our visit at opus, three remarkable women at the shop went above and beyond in making our day truly enchanting. They rescued us, like removing paint from my daughter's jacket, helped me with gift wrapping, and my daughter how to do print! But most importantly, the patience, accommodation, and incredible warmth and generosity. I wondered about you three at night and it hit me, I think you were the three fairy godmothers from the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty, who must have felt my broken heart that day. Your kindness touched my heart deeply, and I am immensely grateful for their unexpected acts of kindness. I hope this message reaches you. Your compassion and assistance healed my broken spirit, and for that, I am truly thankful.

This store lost the soul. Customer service non existant, sales people are not pleasant. Shelves are almost empty and when you ask about products, the answer is " we do not know".

As an art supply shop, Opus is solid. Their picture framing department is not (that is, if you're looking for anything more than standard preset products, which are fine). They offer premium materials at similar prices to premium frame shops, but without actually framing the artwork. Theirs is an in-between model, where the customer is meant to DIY it, with available assistance from the staff. Trouble is, the staff is trained inconsistently, supplies are inconsistently available, and service is extremely variable. It is a shambles, despite good efforts by some of the (clearly not trained) staff. Supervisors contradict one another's opinions on best practices, resulting in a slow and confusing process for the customer, with ultimately unsatisfying results. I'm sure most of the staff has the best of intentions, but it's a shambles by any standard of customer service.

Loads of art classes staff are beyond helpful love this place just wish parking was more convenient supplies can be a bit pricey

I was a walk in for a framing project and was immediately greeted and helped by staff. Clay helped me put together an archival piece that looks outstanding in a perfect frame. Great people, great service.

Amazing amazing amazing service by phone or in person. The prices are way cheaper for custom framing. The staff are super friendly, kind and articulate in explaining what projects you fancy. They also have intro projects - all types of painting on any given weekend. I have ordered all my custom frames and custom photos. The custom frames are likely ready within 5 days instead of 9 days. So they gave you a buffer or an additional 4 days. I like coming here, plus you are inside Granville Island. Lots of things to do. I'm a loyal customer of Opus.

Terrible place to get anything framed. They have no idea what they are doing. They had no intention of addressing my issues. Took the painting elsewhere and had it beautifully framed for about $60 less. Of course I never was able to get my $ back from Opus because they don't give a sweet damn. Never again !

I purchased a large order of printing paper from their online store. The website wouldn't complete the order for days. Then when it did I did not receive a receipt. I tried to contact customer support and wasn't responded to for days, until I called them. Then the customer service agent called me the wrong name ( a womans, I am a man). Then after a week of waiting for the order the mudslides happened now the order is stuck in vancoucer. I asked for the ETA of the order and didn't receive an answer for two weeks, and the answer is we don't know. There is paper in Kelowna from their store, but they cannot ship without sending it through Vancouver. Therefore shipping outside of Vancouver is useless right now for this company, which is a bad business model. So now it's been 3 weeks, I have no paper, no receipt and no ETA for when my order will show up. Horrible business experience.

I came to Opus for spraypaint & asked an employee which ones were glossy. She replied they were all opaque. Clearly she had no idea what glossy meant so I asked another employee who tried teavy o tell me that spraypaint only comes in matte finish (even when I showed her glossy spraypaint from another store, she still stuck to her crazy story). I give up...incompetence at its finest...sigh!!!

I have been going to this art supply store for more than 10 years and I can't believe I haven't reviewed it. The fact that I'm still buying things here after all these years pretty much says a lot. This place is overwhelming. It is filled with every art supplies from paint brushes to picture frames, portfolio bags to art books. The staff are knowledgeable. They have workshops that you can take and be inspired.

If I could draw, I would totally shop here more often. Opus is a beautiful store - friendly, well-organized, stocked with quality goods, and not even all that expensive. Lord knows it would be easy for them to be none of these things, given that they're practically the school supply store for Emily Carr next door and a lot of other artists practicing on Granville Island. As it is, I can tell you that as writer, I think they have a lovely section of pens, and the presentation folders and portfolios can also come in handy in my line of work as well. They also offer a very good framing service - we've had several photographs and pieces of artwork by friends framed here over the years and have always been pleased with the results and the price tag. Opus loves art.

I had a big framing job to do with 6 very large pictures and I am so grateful that I had Peter and Charlotte to help me! We encountered a few glitches along the way but they were cool as cucumbers and we got it all looking fabulous with a with a bit of elbow grease and perseverance. I've been there before to get framing done and the frames are very good quality and have stood the test of time. I love the staff there b/c they always know when to step in and help and when to step back and let you do your own thing.

Terrible service! First off, the manager at the Granville island location is a rude dictator and her tone is reflected by staff who are dismissive to anyone new to art world. Way overpriced as well and the frame I bought fell apart after 3 months!

The staff was very helpful and kind, which was really important for me as a brand new art student who needed to help identifying and learning about the strange new tools on my supplies list. I'll be a loyal customer for sure.

This is one of the better art stores. However the supplies are almost always over priced unless on sale. The staff certainly fits a certain "artsy" look. That doesn't always mean they know much about the materials. I like that there is a washroom, but it could use some up-grading. The halls are too close together so if you bring a stroller you will feel like a ball in a pin-ball machine bumping into things. Some staff are very casual and relaxed where as others are pretentious wannabe types. Eek. ;)

I decided to go to Opus after failing to find affordable framing for a painting of mine in downtown Vancouver. The prices here were way cheaper than I expected, with a huge variety of prices and sizes. The staff were extremely helpful, with one member even helping me install the hanging hardware in their workshop! A great experience, Opus is absolutely worth the trip to Granville Island. I will be back!

Amazing art store had so much to offer! I'm definitely going back multiple times for future supplies

Without a doubt, the best place in Vancouver to get art supplies. Period. I've been a huge fan of Opus framing for over twenty years, purchasing supplies from them, first, by mail order and, now that I live in Vancouver, directly from the store. Supplies are available for a wide variety of media: drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, airbrush, and digital media. Studio furniture includes easels, drafting tables, lightboxes, various containers, and lighting solutions. The staff is very knowledgeable. Have a question? Don't be afraid to ask. Not only will they give you the inside scoop on what would work best for your lastest project, if you're buying for a loved one, they will help you put together a package of must haves. With the best prices, by far, on quality products, they also offer monthly sales. I always shop the sales here, getting supplies at up to 50% off of their already reasonable prices on canvases, paints, brushes, frames, papers, studio furniture - you name it. If it's framing you're after, Opus staff will cut mats to order or, if you're able, you can cut them yourself. Their large selection of frames cover the gamut of sizes and are sold as either pre-made frames available in a variety of sizes (with or without mats) or custom sizes. It's well worth signing up for their email newsletter. Not only does it inform you of current sales and workshops (yes. they offer workshops!), they often have useful tips and tutorials on cool techniques you might like to try. Students get a discount so, if you're one, be sure to let them know!

I come here for frames only. You can choose whatever frame style you want and have it custom cut for whatever you want to frame. They will have it ready for you in a few days or a week. I've done this a few times for the odd sized pictures that I mounted and matted myself.

I had some custom framing to do in a short time frame and so I was very stressed. The staff there are not just incredibly helpful, but also very knowledgable. I really got the sense that they knew what they were talking about, and that their advice was carefully thought out. Stephanie and Travis were both really helpful, but Kyle in the framing department really stood out in offering me good advice and information about all the framing. I came out of a stressful situation feeling taken care of. He helped me through all the steps of ordering a frame. I do not usually get custom frames made for my work because of the cost and but through this experience, I will definitely get more artwork framed here. In addition, the large table tops that are available for putting your work into frames is a really good place to do it. That space, with all the tools that you can use is a great resource.

After shattering a frame, I decided to go to Opus to get some help with a mat and some new glass. These guys are awesome! I've been there twice now for framing help and although it's DIY, they give you instructions on how to do everything. Very helpful staff with great suggestions. Thanks Opus!

amazing service! came in looking for watercolour paints and brushes (and some beginner's tips), and was offered extensive assistance by two very knowledgeable members of staff; found exactly what i wanted and more, all at a reasonable price. will definitely be back for more supplies and advice :) thank you!

I've shopped at Opus for almost two decades and have always enjoyed their selection of art supplies. I recently decided to get to framing all of the art and prints I had accumulated and have been meaning to frame for almost two decades. As luck would have it the day I went in was the first day of a major sale on pre-made frames and pre-cut mats. Bonus! Over the course of several weeks I came in with my portfolio of items and chipped away at selecting the frames and mats from the pre-made frames adn pre-cut mats. I also had a number of items that would require custom matting. The staff were more than helpful in assisting me on the many trips in I had to make to get the job done. They were very knowledgeable about the various matting products they sold and explained the difference to me so I could make the best choice. When I needed a second or third opinion on choosing a mat colour they were able to provide an objective and tasteful opinion. The best part was that they helped me do ALL of the matting math! I am not at all good with numbers or math so this was the most valuable service they provided. They pretty much did all the math for me and went through it do double check it with me, explaining it all. The supervisors in the framing department are amazing and the staff are great. I couldn't have done it without them. Thank you so much for all of your help!

Best prices! About 1/3 less than Michael's stores. P.S. The Michael's store on Broadway near Cambie has much higher prices than other Michael's arts stores in Metro Vanocouver, imo.

I was visiting Granville Island one day and came here to check out some art supplies for a personal hobby. As a born and raised Vancouverite, I almost can't believe this was my first time visiting an Opus store! I found the staff to be very friendly, as I was approached by several staff members asking if I needed help, and another was happy to help me find a section I was looking for. Even though I'm not an art student or professional artist, I could spend a long time here looking at all the paints and supplies here. I'm not that knowledgable about prices compared to other art stores in the Lower Mainland, but I was happy to find what I needed, and I was able to get a little discount by signing up to be an Opus Plus Member. I also like that they have an online store so you can get an idea of what they carry.

I came here for the first time to browse. They have an excellent selection of art supplies. Perhaps they have friendly staff, but only to certain skin tones...? When my boyfriend and I entered the store, the staff on duty requested my boyfriend to remove his backpack and leave it at the desk, since it was procedure. However, we noticed while walking throughout the store that about 7 other people had backpacks which weren't requested to be taken off. We saw also large bags and a suitcase. My boyfriend happened to be the only Filipino in the store.... This was clearly an act of discrimination which both of us noticed. It was unfortunate and ultimately hurtful to see racism, especially in this day and age. The products and service overall may not be much to criticize, but if someone actively judges and shows prejudice just because of a certain skin tone or culture, it is inappropriate and should be brought up.

Opus has *mostly* top notch supplies here for both professional and hobbyists. I've came here when they didn't have anything on sale and on their annual inventory sale. I urge you, if you're on a tight budget, to list everything you need and shop at their inventory sale. Everything is roughly 20% to 60% off, depending on what it is. Opus has poor brushes compared to elsewhere. Most of them are synthetic and you won't find any squirrel or kolinsky brushes for water-colour. Nor will you find quality oil brushes that aren't their brand. Seriously, my Fortissimos, please stop loosing hair when I paint. They do, on the other hand, have a very nice paper selection. There are tons of open stock sketch paper of nearly every kind and great cheap sketchbooks. They do not carry the lesser popular European brands. Arches, Fabriano and Canson are the major brands. Opus has a very large number of fine art items, you must go and see for yourself!

I fully believe that as you travel through life there are certain milestones that one must pass.. kinda like a right of passage. One such milestone was when I was a starving art student one of my favorite things to work with was Prisma colour and at 4-5 dollars a pop I could only buy them a few at a time, and I thot the day I owned and entire set of Prisma colours from Opus.... meant I had MADE IT! finally made it... and since then I have acquired my very own set to call my own. I know it's the small things really, and since then Prisma has gone under..blah blah blah.. So if your looking to stretch your artistic muscle and need the supplies to do it.. I would head straight to this place to get the goods. The best part is that most of the people that work there are working artists themselves and are more than happy to help you achieve your artistic goals.. small or large!

I really like it here. Sometimes I just wander around looking at all the products and imagining/wondering what I could do with them if I had talent. I don't even feel uncomfortable doing this - I guess the artists who work here can understand such reverie. I always find the staff to be genuine in their attempts to help me. ( I do actually buy and use their products, too). They've been wonderful, even in somewhat difficult circumstances. It's not always easy to find the right person to talk to - you have to catch them when it's not too busy - but their advice has been a huge help to me many times over.

These guys are located right across from Emily Carr Art and Design school...I passed by it so many times in the past but didn't know about it until I started taking design courses myself. Staff is really knowledgeable and helpful. They have a very wide selection and student discounts as well but they may be more expensive than DeSerres depending on what the item is.

Got pictures?? Need frames, the helpful people in the back of the store will walk you through the process of selecting and framing the picture, photo or whatever you have yourself, go for a few minutes spend the afternoon, leave with exactly what you wanted (but didn't know you wanted) at a price that is better than anywhere in town. They also have everything any artist short of an arc welder will need and staff that understand what you are talking about, this ain't no scrapbooking store (I just found out what that is, people actually form clubs to do that form of art work??)

I never leave Opus with only what I came for... highly recommended resource for not only supplies, but inspiration.

The staff here are friendly and they know their stuff. If something you want is out of stock, they'll be happy to order and notify you when it arrives. And I'm not just saying that because I shopped here so often while I was studying at Emily Carr. Sure, I spent thousands here but it was money well spent. The building is charming and the aisles are well stocked and organized. Oh so many memories every time I walk down a different aisle!

Amazing service, amazing selection! The employees are very helpful and polite, even during the back to school sale frenzy. The aisles are a little narrow, so often times, especially if you're carrying around a large backpack or bag, they'll ask to keep it behind the counter.

Six star rating!!! Geneva and Soda in the framing shop were absolutely fantastic. They helped me put together a bunch of work at the last minute, and even stayed past closing to make sure everything was perfect. They were super friendly and helpful. Could not have asked for a better experience!!

I'm afraid my experience with the framing department was not pleasant. I ordered an expensive face mount plexiglass frame back in October. I had to wait several weeks while the workshop struggled through technical difficulties, then when I did receive it I was so unhappy with it that I returned and left it with the department - wouldn't give it house room. I asked if there was anything they could do in the way of a return and was greeted with scepticism and "the look", but the assistant did at least offer to ask the manager and phone me the next day. Next day all I got was a message that they'd phone me the following evening at 6pm. So I sit and wait.... No call. I eventually phoned myself and got an embarrassed and uncomfortable assistant who had to relay for the manager that they wouldl do absolutely nothing - nada - for me! Poor product and very poor customer service. I'm $45 out of pocket with nothing to show except an ardent wish never to set foot in there again. To the manager who decided I was not worth talking to personally to resolve a customer issue, congratulations. I was just an unhappy customer. Now I'm ten times unhappier and angry at your dismissive treatment. Some staff training in customer relations might be in order for all of you.

Excellent, friendly service and good prices for quality products. The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. The painting tools and accessories selection was very good. Lots of options. The store is pretty big. Would definitely go there again.