Plaza Artist Materials & Picture Framing

I bought a $10 22x30 hot press Fabriano Artístico piece of paper for a piece I am working on and was not provided with any materials to protect it. Usually art stores provide plastic (some will even give extra cardboard) instead my paper was rolled (so now I have to unbend it for my drawing board) and it also got slightly damaged. The customer service is super lacking at this art store. I was surprised because the DC store everyone was so helpful and friendly. Here even when I asked for help it felt like I was burden instead of a paying customer. Really disappointed because this is the only decent art store in NOVA but I will be making a point to go to other locations instead. I saw other reviews mentioning possible racism and I feel like it was the same issue here for me. There is one guy that works at this location that also speaks Spanish and he is always super welcoming to me and helpful. When he isn't there everyone else is super unhelpful and completely ignores me. Notice mostly white people posting good reviews.

Amazing store with friendly and extremely helpful staff. I try to shop here more than big chain stores (Michael’s) because I find they have better quality things and because I like to support small businesses.

Small art supply store. It is clearly locally owned and if you are a professional artist you can find some good quality products. There were also signs everywhere telling you that you were on camera which I found weird. For amatures though, Michael's is much more affordable.

Excellent fine art supply shop. They carried a large variety of items and accessories. The store was well organized. They also have a discount shopping program that saves significant money.

Great selection, fair prices, friendly staff. A new regular in my rotation for supplies.

Such a quaint art supply store. This month is watercolor month, a medium I have been interested in. They had a small table with some W&N professional watercolors to sample. It is great to have the options to test before buying, and enjoy these themes and sales. Its a bit of a drive for me, but I try to support local, stay away from big box stores if I can help it. They have some really cool things and its nice to check it out in person to make the decision to buy. Prices are about average there, they sell mostly artist supplies, no crafting or sewing stuff, just so you are aware.

Absolutely lovely store with outstanding inventory, knowledgeable (and available!) staff, and excellent sales and clearance. Immaculately organized and very well stocked and filled with other art enthusiasts. Will be purchasing art supplies and do custom framing here over big box stores from now on.

The staff is great here- very knowledgeable and nice. I went today for their marabu marbling demonstration. It was interesting to learn the process and I marbled two pumpkins. Prices are competitive and they've got a really good selection of art materials.

Plaza Art is my go-to store for art supplies. Though, Blick Art in downtown DC is a close second! I find just about everything I need at Plaza, which is in the Pan Am Shopping Center. The staff is always friendly and helpul. I like the member discounts too. I'd go with five stars for Plaza but for two li'l reasons I'll stick with 4: - they don't stock Staedler graphite pencils, and I just can't do General graphites. - some of the colors of Holbein gouache paint have been out of stock for a while. In all fairness, this might be because these Holbeins aren't currently available from Plaza's distributor. But I keep coming back!

This stores restores my belief that the cat lover to artist pipeline is real. My 7-year old daughter is both so I was so happy to discover this store right before the holidays. For professional artists, this store has everything you could ever want but I found the store just as enchanting as a casual browser. I especially loved all the unique craft kits that allow children to make everything from mini food to erasers to galaxies. As a stationary lover, I was impressed with their Japanese notebook and pen selection, as well as cute kawaii accessories like a leather cat pencil case which is now my daughter's most treasured possession. The store was clean and the workers were friendly. I'll definitely be back the next time I am in the area!

There are two women at this store that have the worst attitudes and are literally so rude when you ask them for help. Maybe all of the positive reviews are from white people because I'm starting to think it's a race thing. Being condescending and rude with a fake smile painted on your face doesn't take away from the words coming out of your mouth. Then to lie and say I can't use my student discount when my professor literally just used hers in the store! Be better than that.

Really nice selection of art supplies, from school supplies to professional artists' supplies. Good prices and very helpful staff.

They have Copic marker colors I need that Michael's doesn't supply. And one of the clerks helped me figure out the perfect paper for my style of mixed media, and I have switched to using it for all my client images. Very thankful.

If you are white maybe you'll enjoy this place but I am not a white lady haha we came here for the second time because I needed art supplies and the elderly white women here seemed to follow us from the front desk and possibly I was overreacting a little but I started to put it to the test so I went isle to isle just to confirm, she was at every corner of my eye moving around at the front desk to make sure we were in her view. She made us feel very uncomfortable instead come up and see if we need help not make us feel profiled. We were not there to steal ! Do better plaza art!

I love supporting local small businesses but based on my recent experience, it would seem they do not want my support. I recently visited Plaza Artist Materials & Picture Framing looking to frame 2 large certificates. At the entrance of the shop is a counter with sample frames mounted on the wall. I stood there for a moment looking at the different frames while waiting for some help. After waiting for a few moments, I walked over to the check out area and asked an associate if they had any brochures I could look at. "No." After a beat of making me feel like I was bothering her, she stated that the woman who could help me is busy with someone else. So I waited. Then I walked around the store browsing and picking up some acrylics. I kept walking to the front waiting for some kind of acknowledgement that I was in queue to be helped. After 20 minutes I grew weary, put the acrylics back on the shelf, and left. No one said good bye... hold on... did you get helped... I'll just be a couple more minutes. I walked out just as unseen as I came in. I get it, it's a small business, can't hire an associate for every customer. But in all honesty, all I needed was some reassurance that I was waiting around for a reason. While walking around the store I did see it was stocked with some pretty cool products at very reasonable prices, so if you're looking for art supplies, it's not a bad shop. But if you're looking for someone to help you frame something, well, I hope you have better luck than I did.

I visited Plaza Artist Materials today for the first time. I wanted to see about framing a small ink drawing that I was framing as a gift. Jess, the Plaza staff member who helped me, was very knowledgeable and helpful as we searched for the perfect mat and frame. It was clear that she, an artist herself, was well versed in color theory and this was a tremendous help to me. Jess also asked very helpful questions about the artwork as well as the tastes of the person I was giving the piece to in order to make sure that we could present it in the best way possible. I am really grateful that she took the time and helped me to really frame it correctly! I also took a look around the store after working with Jess and bought other supplies. I had to stop myself from really stocking up by convincing myself that I can come back. I am really happy that I went there today and I plan on returning for both materials and framing additional pieces. It was a good find!

Positives: The website is excellent. It is very easy to navigate and to find items. The prices are great. They are less expensive than Dick Blick and in many cases, Amazon. I used the introductory coupon and got 15% off my order. Shipping for purchases over $69 is free, but I took advantage of the store pickup option. Negative: I have worked in retail and customer service. Customers should be greeted upon entry, especially in a small store. I'm taking my first art class and know nothing about acrylic paint. The woman clerk was checking out a customer so I waited for advice. A male clerk arrived at the counter and immediately began working on a task despite the fact that I was standing there empty handed. When I asked for help, he did so and was polite and explained about the different qualities of paint. He told me about the website, discount member program and picking up online orders. Since I didn't have page 2 of the supply list I decided to order online. However, he should have asked me if I needed help when he saw me standing there. If this were my store my employees would be trained and expected to greet all customers and to offer help before it's requested. These are basic retail procedures. I wonder how many sales they have lost because they aren't followed?

Starting with the pros this place has a good selection of art supplies. Some things are good prices some things are over priced. Cons: bad customer service, they are not helpful and have an attitude. They only have shopping baskets so if I want a larger item then it does not fit in the basket and I have to carry it around and carry it while waiting in line. They often run out of certain things and take awhile to restock.

If a happy place was a store... A cozy comfortable place I love exploring, surrounded by things I love & friendly ppl who know a lot about them. It's my go to store for a good time with good vibes.

Have been coming here for years, off and on. I love it here. My daughter introduced me to it when she was an art student at GMU. I am also an artist (part time) so it's always fun to peruse the aisles and see what I can find for my latest endeavors. One of my favorite things is that I can buy individual Prismacolor pencils here, and they don't lock them up like they do at Michael's. The cost is cheaper too - only $1.68 a pencil. I can find pretty much everything I need here, as well as stuff I didn't know existed but had to have once I found it! Great paper selection too. It's a small store, but it's packed with a fantastic wealth of supplies. If you sign up with your phone number, you can also receive a discount on supplies -- who doesn't love that?

This place has a great selection of art materials! Occasionally something I want is not in stock, but not a big deal to me. I really can't say I've had many friendly interactions with employees, but when I've had a question they're usually quite knowledgable about what I'm asking. I can't take off a star for grumpy people, but at least they know what they're selling. On some of the seasonal sales, I can get some great deals!

I'll start by saying, great selection of supplies. If you are in a jam, you'll probably find what you need here. However, seriously crazy attitude problems from the workers! I was in there for three minutes before they start harassing me and my husband who was holding our small child to hurry up, constantly asking what do I need help finding, etc. My husband kept telling them he was with me, he doesn't need anything but they wouldn't stop hovering over him. The dude seriously said to me, we have a line forming outside so hurry please. I GET IT. It's crazy times, Covid is hard to deal with right now! I appreciate the effort to keep things safe, everyone was wearing masks, cool! But like dude, chill your rolls. I was there for less than 10 minutes and because they were rushing me so much, I ended up buying the wrong item. They were also super annoyed when I said I wanted to get the members card?? Like do they not want me to come back ever?? I'm trying hard to not buy supplies on Amazon since they are quite the monopoly right now, but experiences like today make it hard not to choose the online option!

Once I use my Groupons for this place I won't go back which is disappointing because I prefer to support small businesses. This is my 2nd time in the store. They do not act like they want my business at all. I tried to give a lot of grace because of covid. How hard is to greet a customer as they come into an empty store? How hard is it to ask if I need any help in finding somethings. On my first visit when I ask for help the salesperson acted irritated because I could not find what I wanted on the aisle she directed me to. So she had to walk and show me.

i use to love this place but after having an awful expraince with an employee there i havent gone back. this was a few years back before covid, i went shopping for a painting class, something completely new to me. i was following the list the professor provided, and noticed an okder lady following me around. she sort of inserted herself to help me. ok thats fine i guess. i told her things i needed, the list asked for oil and acrylic paints, "thats not right are you sure u know what youre doing u never mix those medias in art" i tried to shrug off her disparaging comments that i didnt know what i was doing and the implications i wasnt a real artist. she made many comments like this. she did not help me find my things and i started to lose motivation. anytime i didnt pronounce soemthing right she imputed with a smug smile and tone the "correct" pronunciation. at the rnd of the day she discouraged me from taking painting and didn't help me find a single thing. i left feeling like crap and i dropped the class becauee i was too ashamed to go back to that store and ask for help again. i gave it 2 stars because on the other days with different employees its a nice place to be.

I was recommended this store by an art teacher friend of mine. I was kind of surprised. This place is a mess. Prices aren't listed on many items. Too much of a pain to shop here. I won't come back.

My favorite place in the NOVA area for art supplies. Since finding this place & their wonderful staff, I haven't gone anywhere else for supplies!

GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE! THANK YOU TO LISA! I came to this store for my painting class I'm taking at George Mason University. My teacher recommended this location because of their low prices and service. I am so happy I came to check it out! I had a list of supplies to get and I am a beginner painter so I had no idea where anything was or what a lot of things look like. Lisa saw I was having trouble and immediately came to my aid. She got everything on my list quick and made sure I was getting the right supplies for the right price. She was so patient with me and I really appreciated that. I will be coming back over and over all because of the great customer service. Ask for Lisa, she'll help you out.

I went there to pick up one item, a block of arches hot-pressed watercolour paper. I was left standing as the two assistants spent all their time having a cozy chat about oilt painting with another customer. I waited for a bit, and then, realizing they were literally chatting like they were having coffee as opposed to ringing up the customer, asked to be rung up. I was told, "I'm ringing her up." and the assistant went back to her cozy chat about how oil painting feels so natural. Second assistant also snarked at me that they were ringing up the first customer, and got into the merits of oil painting as well. Listen, if you're actually selling a product, fine. But when it's just chit-chat and, oh, there are *2* of you, one person can ring *me* up. Second assistant saw me glance at second cash register and came over. Everything was terse and stiff with her, she snarked I was spelling my name too fast. So, I spelt it out slowly, using state names to clarify the letters, even when she was getting miffed I was finishing the whole spelling (hey, I'm the customer, and I was there to buy something, not get snapped at for expecting service). I won't go back unless there's nowhere else, or I need something in a hurry they have that Michael's doesn't and I can't wait for a shipment. Luckily, that's not likely to be often.

As that terrible diamond commercial says, "Nobody pays retail anymore, why should you?". So goes retail art supplies. Pros: -lots of stuff you can't get anywhere else (not even Michael's) -employees know what they're talking about -member discounts on everything (like, 20%) Cons: -you can find everything in this store online for a helluva lot cheaper Check out Dick Blick or Cheap Joe's. They have the same stuff only it's cheaper and you don't have to leave your house. For screen printing supplies, don't even bother. Speedball rips you off like crazy. The generic stuff costs half as much and you don't have to buy little tiny quantities.

Great for supplies if you want something other than Michaels or Jo-ann. That is why it got 2 stars. Customer service is left to be desired. No greeting when I came in. I would understand this if it was busy but I was the only one in the store. This was my first visit to the store, I was excited to find a store so close to me that wasn't Michaels or Joanns. I was lost, I didn't know where anything was. I made eye contact with one of the sales associates and she diverted her gaze as though she did not want to be bothered. I eventually found what I went there for. Sale prices on website to not reflect back at store. The associate stated I had to get a card and be a member for sale price. NO WHERE ON THE SITE DOES IT SAY I HAD TO BE A MEMBER TO GET AN ITEM THAT WAS ON SALE. Where else do you have to be a member to get an item on sale. Bad business practice if you want to have new customers. Or is it brilliant that you want to rope someone in getting crap emails that will just go in junk and be deleted. I personally don't like extra crap taking space in my email. Also to not have something like that posted on your website as a MEMBERS ONLY PERK (I would have never went to the store) and have the worst customer service I have ever experienced because I don't think I have ever met someone so nasty and bitter. The sales associates need to have more customer service training. I was told to buy the item online and pay shipping if I didn't want to become a member right then and there. So from the tone and look the sales associate gave me, I gather she tried to find a nice way to get out of the store if I didn't want to become a member. I was a first time customer and it just left a bitter taste in my mouth. I will go to Utrecht in DC, Hobby Lobby in Leesburg. Even order and pay for shipping on ordering from Ken Bromley Art Supplies based out of the UK. So now I have a plastic card floating around in my purse and still deciding if I have to unsubscribe to an email for a store I may or may not be a patron at.

A nice variety of supplies, I had fun just walking through the aisles. There's some nice quality items which you can't find in the big-box stores and the ones you can get there seem to be cheaper here. Of course, you can squeeze it out to be cheaper online, but at least with the paper products I was looking for it was a very minor difference (less than $1) and you don't have to worry about shipping. As far as customer service, staff seemed knowledgeable when helping out other customers. I do wish they listed what was in their aisles (they are just labeled alphanumerically e.g. 1A) so you know where to look for something on your own instead of wandering around. But when I asked an employee where something was, they pointed it quickly and accurately, so that works.

The people here are great and it such a small and friendly store it just feels like home. Don't have to worry about getting lost in a sea of people or feel too overwhelmed. the selection isn't huge but still perfect. From the tiny and personal things up front origami paper small craft items that I love looking at to the more professional stuff as you go down the aisle. I hope they stay in business for a very long time highly recommended if you have never been to Fairfax and just recently moved here

Best art store in the area! Traditional and REAL art supplies and people who know and love art to help you. It's a candy store for artists. Love the papers section. Super easy to get to and tons of parking! Supermarket right next door and a pretty good Chinese restaurant in the same plaza, along with Microcenter, the last computer store in Northern Virginia ;; Even the gas station has good prices .. overall well worth it. I use the online art supply stores, but nothing beats having a little one on one with your art supplies before you buy them. Finally, you can sign up with them as an artist and get regular discounts without all that coupon nonsense. and btw, I hate yelp, so i must really want to leave a good rating for this store to annoy myself with it so much.

This is just the place to shop for art materials that are the greatest quality. You'll find all kinds of art supplies here with all of the good brand names. The prices are a little pricey, but art things usually are.

Great experience on my first trip to Plaza Art. Very friendly service and they had what I needed. I was able to use a Yelp deal as well as sign up for their frequent buyer card and got an AMAZING deal on all my materials. I was very very pleased. The only draw back for me, I am doing screen printing and if like me you're looking for a wide range of products so that you don't have to order via internet you're outta luck. They had enough to tide me over, but they only have Speedball products which are fine, but limited. But over all I was very very happy with price, service!! I will absolutely go back for other art project buying sprees as well!

I run a local charity and needed to ship out a piece of donated artwork that we are having auctioned. One of the staff members at Plaza spent a good amount of time helping me figure out the best foam board, glassine, etc. to use to keep this valuable artwork safe. She even gave me a spare box I could use in which to ship the item. The prices seemed reasonable enough for me. I would not have received this kind of friendly & helpful service from an online biz. Besides, I needed the materials today, so going online would have been useless. Thank you awesome Plaza employee for proving once again why oftentimes the best shopping experiences are those done in person at small shops. And you gave me this great service even though my purchase wasn't adding up to much $$. I'll definitely be back. Cheers, Steve Hersey Founder Books for America www.booksforamerica.org

Great store with plenty of assistance. Not the most well stocked when it came to the brushes but was more than happy to assist, check on any materials that I needed and ordered the brushes that I requested.

Oh my gosh! How has it taken me THIS LONG to set foot in a real art store?!?! I'm a DIY queen and have been taking my calligraphy work to new levels that Michael's and Jo-ann's couldn't reach, so when I saw that Amazon had a deal for Plaza, I pretty much bought it on the way to the store. This shop has basically everything you could ever need whether you're a painter, sketcher, pottery maker, etc. Each aisle has SO MUCH stuff that I basically walked the store 10 times because I kept grabbing stuff. I was like a kid in a candy store. Despite having a lot of stuff, the store is very clean and organized. The staff is super friendly and the prices are great. Want to save more? Sign up for their free card to save 20% off every purchase and get coupons too!

I was a frequent Plaza customer down in Richmond and I was so glad to find one in nova area!! Plaza has more fine art-related materials...love their collections! :) They have a good selection of pens, paints, and brushes. The store is small and cozy but has so many things to explore around. love them!

I love this store! I used to run from it due to the prices. But they have excellent sales. Sign up for the emails. I bought my child a plethora of art supplies for Christmas and birthday. They have everything you could dream of in art supplies. I could hang out here all day. An inspiring and creative place. The staff knows their products and made wonderful oil pastel recommendations to me based on what I was hoping for.

After Pearl and Utrecht, this store is an ABSOLUTE gem for me. . No disrespect to Michaels and ...cringing Jo-Ann Fabric. Customer service is not so spectacular and kind of pricey, but I'll live with it.

Love it here! They have a great selection of art supplies, and pretty competitive prices compared to online. Any time I've had an issue i can ask anyone at the store and they can assist me and answer my question. One time I was looking for a product, and the employee knew that this store didn't carry the product, but knew the store in Richmond did, and offered to have it sent to this store. If you're looking for supplies this is the place!!

Always friendly and knowledgeable staff. They are always willing to share what works for them in their art world which in turn helps me in mine. Lou Ann reston

I've tried to give this place multiple chances, I really have. I've been here probably about 4 times now and every time just pretty much sucks. So their selection of art supplies is typically limited and the stuff I do need is out of stock every time I go. I'm always told the items will be in soon, they never are. I can get over things being out of stock, I just don't enjoy feeling like I'm an inconvenience as a customer. I'm paying you and you're being paid to service my requests, why be anything but nice to me? In any case, every single time I come - I feel like I'm an annoyance. This place is a quarter of the size of a regular art store and it's like I suck for asking where something is and making an employee hop from behind the counter to find it. My bad, I thought you were getting paid to do that. Thank God for Blick on 13th and I St. It's a hike, but it's worth it.

I love this place. It always reminds me of my GMU school days, and its where I got my art bins and canvas portfolio, which I both still use to this day. I love browsing the aisles because there's a ton of artsy stuff for almost anything you're into; printmaking, screen printing, etching, tie dye, plus drawing and painting of course. Every time I'm there I want to buy something else! Michael's is in the same shopping center, and they do have some of the same products, but its like kid's stuff compared to this place. The people who work at Plaza seem like artists themselves so they're more in tune with what you're talking about. I gave them 4 stars because some of their stuff does seem on the expensive side, but most of the time they offer deals on the retail price. Plus the savings card gives you 20% off on everything not on sale! Yup, this is the art store to go to if you're in the NoVa area. Online may be cheaper but there's something to be said about getting to look at and hold what you're buying. Plus -- no shipping. :D

After writing to the management of Plaza Art Store to bring an issue to their attention. I received thoughtful and fair responses from the manager and the owner. I appreciated their acknowledgement of the matter which I now regard as closed. I plan to continue shopping for my art supplies at the store.

Good store and has a good variety of supplies. But it's kind of pricy and you cant return anything only a store credit!!Which I think is really disappointing! Got a portfolio there, and wasn't really sure about it though, sizing and everything. So I went ahead and purchased it. Then while still in the store I just decided it was too big, but they wouldn't let me exchange it for a different one! And I was STILL in the store!! Errrrr..wasn't happy about that. Most things in here are way overpriced and some of the workers aren't really that helpful, I'd rather go to micheals or ac moore.

I love art, and I love art things. Nearby Vienna, I would highly recommend this little shop. It may be small, but the staff trip over each other to help you find exactly what you're looking for, even if it's not in the shop. The aisles are crammed with everything from various grade and medium paints, there are easels galore, texture items, pottery and glazes, and the list goes on and on. If you're looking for high quality brushes, skip the trip to Michael's and come here instead. They have 5-star service, and 4 star inventory. Pretty exemplary for a strip mall in Virginia! I highly recommend.

I have always been intimidated by both art and artists. I always feel like I don't 'get' what I'm supposed to from that realm. However, my bedroom walls are stark bare and are the cause of an annoying echo. My cousin visited and pointed out that I could make my own items for the walls and encouraged me to give it a shot. After reading some negative reviews regarding customer service here, I mustered my courage and finally went anyways in search of some supplies to create the opposite of a masterpiece for my walls. I approached an employee and asked for help since I can barely tell the difference between chalk and paint. I found the employee to be extremely helpful and pleasant as he walked me around the store, educating me on the best cost-effective supplies I would need given my budget and lack of experience. He even conferred with another employee when he was unsure. I used the Yelp coupon and easily stayed within my budget. I went home more confident and created what I humbly believe are very nice pieces. I even went back the next day and bought more canvas since it was on sale. Overall, a great non-intimidating experience. (I did see some of the same items at Michael's in the same shopping center, but I have never met a helpful employee at that Michael's.)

ive always had great luck in pla-za. i never actually figured out why there is a dash in the name but, whatever. i agree that there are a couple items that i can find other places cheaper but when it boils down to it, its usually a few cents. i have a pla-za card which saves me 30% every trip. these kind of cards kind of irk me. sort of like bed bath & beyond where you can use 10 coupons for 10 items at 20% off each. why mark it up in the first place. the pla-za card is free, anyways. i recently found my most favorite pen that i used to only be able to find at walmart, it was the only thing i ever went into walmart for. now, walmart doesnt carry them but pla-za does... i agree that the customer service exceeds average which is why the 4 stars. i probably give the inventory a solid 3 then add a fourth for the helpfulness. i usually feel like an idiot asking for what something is or where it is because although i am an art minor i havent done much artsy stuff (i am a digital photo minor). so when i went in for my drawing class, they helped explain paper weights, stock, etc. and what would be best for my medium. although i dont see myself shopping here much in the future because ill do a lot of printing, ill be back for my pens.

It's good to have an artist's supplies store in the area. When I went to art school there was a Plaza nearby and they always had better service and selections than Utrecht down the street. This Plaza also had great service and lots of options. To reviewers comparing this store to arts & crafts stores like Michael's and JoAnn, they target different audience and shouldn't really be compared.

I love to go there. I have never paint by oil paintings. I think I have inspired when I visited this store first time. Now I can draw. I wish we had like this store in my country when I was younger.

Best local art store! I go there for all my sketching supplies. I like the Stillman & Birn sketchbooks and Fabriano watercolor papers. I like that the staff are there, but don't pressure you.... but when you need their help, they are more than happy to assist and advise. I have also taken a couple courses at their Rockville location. They were nicely led and enjoyable. Get their loyalty card, sign up for the coupons and you will not be sorry!

I prefer to support local brick and mortar businesses as opposed to buying online. But after several trips to this store and the way the sales associates convey an attitude of not wanting to be bothered, I don't think this is a business worth supporting. I intended to buy a particular brand of oil paint that they keep in a locked cabinet. A female sales associate happened to appear nearby so I politely asked her to open the cabinet so that I could choose my paint. She made no comment and her terse attitude let me know that I was apparently a bother. She flung the cabinet open and stood right next to me while I was picking out which tubes to buy. Then she flatly asked if I was going to do more shopping and when I replied "yes" she held out her hand and told me to give the paint to her. The implication being that she was making sure that I wouldn't steal the paint. She took the paint with her to the front of the store and put it behind the counter. After that experience I had no desire to shop any further. I went to the counter and paid for the paint and left. I resent her implication that I am a shoplifter. No one should be made to feel like a thief. I will not be returning to this store ever again.

Beware! This store sent coupons via email. One for 30% off the entire purchase and one for 40% off "1 or 100 of the same exact item". Yep, you guessed it: it wasn't valid on ANY of the items I chose. The clerk said some manufacturers won't allow their items to be discounted. Ok, so we read the fine print on the coupon (or I did, as the disinterested clerk resumed busy work at the counter). It said: Discount is taken off manufacturer's suggested retail price. Hmmm. Well, sorry. I told the clerk I thought someone in charge should be aware of this seemingly deceptive little trick. I was told to email someone. I said I wanted to speak to a person and discuss it. I was told no one was available at the store and the owner rarely makes appearances. I said I would leave my purchases at the counter then and not return. Oh, well. Good bye, Plaza Artist. No more tomfoolery for me!

Staff was super helpful and seemed really passionate about art individually as well. I was really surprised and pleased by the selection of materials that you just can't find in other big chain stores. I was really happy I stopped in!

I've been to Plaza about 4 times now and I really like this store. I'm in an Interior Design program and so far they've had everything I need (and more, which is bad for my wallet.) The prices scared me at first, but I got a rewards card and with it they're great, especially if what I need happens to be on sale. 4/5 because of customer service - one guy is super friendly and helpful, but one girl who frequently is at the register seems sort of snooty. I mean I don't want to be best friends, but your job *is* customer service. Overall, would definitely recommend and will go back.