From its opening in 2014, the K.A. Artist Shop has rooted itself in growth alongside the Athens art community. Though owner Kristen MacCarthy was initially drawn to the space on North Jackson Street as a personal studio, she felt another kind of calling to fill the unmet needs of the Athens art community.
“We spent six months renovating the space when we moved in, it was really dark and dingy and kind of gross. So we cleaned it up a lot … [and] turned it into a cheery space and decided that if we were going to be downtown, we might as well be open to the public and not have it just be a private studio,” MacCarthy said.
MacCarthy selects products and designs services with feedback from customers in mind. From tubs of acrylic paint to rapidograph pen ink, the K.A. Artist shop sells a wide variety of art supplies. High quality is consistent throughout the assortment of products in the store.
“Kristen really values high quality. It’s not the same pens you’ll find at Michaels. It’s like stuff that artists have been using for decades, some centuries…a lot of care goes into the inventory of it,” Ella Hopkins, project manager and sales associate said.
The meticulous care for the products aligns with MacCarthy’s primary goals.
“Our main mission is selling art supplies, that’s who we are. We are an art supply store. But because it’s art and there’s so much to visual arts, there’s so many different mediums, methods, styles, it just opens the door for more,” MacCarthy said.
The team at K.A. puts constant effort toward “putting more time into being a member of the community,” Hopkins said. For example, MacCarthy dedicates a significant amount of time to photographing and creating prints for artists, as well as allowing photographers to use her photo box free of charge.
The creation of prints is something that MacCarthy values, as it benefits both the local artist and the consumer. A print, which is essentially a photographic replica of artwork, allows the consumer to purchase less expensive reproductions of art and the producing artist to keep their original piece. Some of the prints can be seen throughout the store alongside other works by local artists.
“That’s where we’re focused right now, to help keep the price point low for our customer base who wants to support local artists but might not have 500 to $5,000 to buy an original piece so they can buy a $50 print instead,” MacCarthy said. “That would open them up to being able to buy from three different artists instead of just one.”
In addition to expanding its photography and print-making services, the K.A. Artist Shop is working toward growing their online gallery. On their website, local artists can advertise digital versions of their artwork. Currently, there are 16 artists part of the gallery, but customers can expect more as the year progresses.
“A core mission of mine is to connect the community and the creatives…keep Athens a creative town. It’s always been a creative town, and it always will be and we’re happy to be a part of that,” MacCarthy said
The K.A. Artist Shop also pays attention to novice artists by offering in-studio classes.
The shop offers classes on drawing and painting, calligraphy, print-making, and book arts. More niche art forms, such as painting on silk and introduction to aqua oils, have been recently introduced. Youth camp sessions and weekend classes for adults will be held through the summer.
For the casual and professional artist alike, the K.A. Artist shop has something for everybody.
“I want to keep growing into more of a hub for the community…we can do a lot more to help artists in town get more work, and help people in town get things made locally,” MacCarthy said..
Through the pandemic and post-pandemic world, the K.A. Artist shop has demonstrated almost 10 years of grit as a growing small business. To mark this milestone, the K.A. Artist Shop will celebrate ten years of business on Nov. 1, 2024.
“It feels hopeful for this place to still exist and to be successful,” Hopkins said.
