I'd give a five-start rating to the very nice young man who helped me, except that he was loudly admonished to "return to the cash register" by the manager, as I presume the manager felt he had spent too much time helping me, and of course, we cannot miss a sale, can we. What a turn-off! No one feels valued as a customer in such a situation, and I sure as hell will never go back. I can just as easily get what I want online without having to put up with dismissive behaviour. These types of stores are like dinosaurs, without the recognition that art supplies are very easily available in the much more extensive and often more affordable digital marketplace. I've had it with retail in Toronto. And yes, a three-star rating is MORE than fair. read more

Alan Stiers provides horrid customer service, and he is the manager. He will ignore and refuse to help you. I get that this place offers occasional student pricing that fits into student budgets however, it is not okay to sell paints and supplies way past its expiration date. They also reuse cardboard packaging that they send out to customers in the mail, disguised as "eco-friendly," but in reality, you are getting a really unsanitary used box. All in all, very scummy experience and also, he is very unfriendly to BIPOC! Stay Away, and buyers beware. read more

This is an excellent store that treats customers with 10 stars. I thought I would just try them since I live in Chatham On and they gave me every single thing I asked for at a great price. Great store, people and service! I will use them again and again. Thank-you Above Ground Art Supplies! read more

My daughter and husband love art. They have a lot of selections for art stuff. I recommend this place.

Above ground is located right next to ocad and is one of my main art supply stores. It's hard finding things inside as it is so cramped up however, there is always someone on each floor to help you out. What I love most about above ground is the variety of art supplies they carry. I've never seen DaVinci watercolour in Currys or Michaels and it's one of my favourite watercolour brands. They're also open to new art materials so you can give them some recommendations. I'd love to see some mijello paints pls read more

Above Ground Art Supplies - Art Supplies Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

One of these days this place will most likely get shut down when a condo gets built where it sits right now, but I hope not. As someone who doesn't not have I ever gone to OCAD, I still love this store. I'm a stationary nerd and this place scratches that itch for good quality materials. Whether it be a sketchbook or Moleskine you're looking for, this place has it and the staff is really nice to boot. It's two floors, the prices are fair, and there's parking for your bike to the left of the store. Love this store! read more

Hands down, best wide gamut arts supply downtown Toronto. Staff are there 'cause they like being there - good energy top to bottom. Pigments, papers to modeling. I always feel that I am leaving too soon. read more

I usually don't leave online reviews, but my most recent experience dealing with Above Ground has been so horrible I thought I should share. It's quite disappointing seeing as this art store used to be my favorite place to shop for supplies. After placing my online order and waiting 7 days with no update as to whether my order has shipped/even been fulfilled, I emailed the store inquiring about my order status. Nothing. No one responds to my email. I wait another 5 days and then send another email. Nothing again. Apparently, staff don't read customer emails. At this point I opt to phone the store, 13 days after I placed my order. The staff member who picked up was not pleasant at all, but her tone changed when she looked up my order ID in the system and realized that they were completely at fault for not fulfilling and shipping off an order (one Masterson's Sta-Wet Palette) for almost half a month. She was very apologetic, and asked if she could take down my number to give me a call back as soon as she figured out what was going on. This is when things got weird. No one called me back. I had spoken to the staff member at 10:15am, and figured someone would reach out within three hours with an answer. But no one did. I decided I was tired of waiting for a call, and instead called them around 5pm, but it went straight to voicemail. Hmm, weird, seeing as they are open till 7pm. I called again at 6pm, but again it went to voicemail. At 6:30pm I called using my partners cell phone, and guess what?? They picked up on the first ring! They had obviously been screening my calls, terribly unprofessional and quite concerning to be honest seeing as I had paid for a product that they had no intention of shipping to me with any immediacy. This time, the staff member who picked up completely blew me off and told me I would have to call between 8am and 4pm the next day in order to speak directly with the shipping department. I asked for her to just cancel my order, seeing as it hadn't been shipped yet, and was just sitting in the system, but she said she couldn't, and again, this was a shipping department concern, which makes no sense at all. Can't retail staff cancel my order? Look I get it, having worked at an art store myself, I know the last hour is usually spent closing the cash system, and cleaning up shop, and the last thing you want to do right now is deal with a customer issue, but at this point the Above Ground staff have proven irrevocably how unprofessional and inadequate they are. Needless to say, I finally did get my refund the next day when I called at 8am, but again, I had to push for it after the staff member tried to blow me off. I will never be shopping at Above Ground again. The management is obviously terrible, and the staff are even worse. read more

Every OCADian, whether they like it or not, has visited the colorful house right by our school. Above Ground is an artists paradise filled with supplies that has everything relating to art and has a large selection of sketchbooks, unique papers, paints, and pens/markers. While not a huge selection, they also carry items related to model design, architecture, fabric dying, and more. It's a charming place and although the place is tight, especially on busy days, it's the go-to place for supplies if you're in the area. The first day of school, my older friends told me that AG rips off people and to go to Curry's down the street instead. Over the years of shopping at both, I have concluded that their prices are very similar, maybe lower or higher by a dollar or two, but the convenience makes it that I visit AG much more than Curry's. It's also important to note that students and teachers get a 10% discount on regular priced items everyday when you show your card. Service has been always good when I come here. They are knowledgable and know where certain items are. They also give recommendations if you have any questions. Another reason I like this store is that they also wrap your paper to protect it if needed (they ask you most of the time) and they also have a cutter in the basement if you need it. 4.5/5. I would definitely give a 5 if the place was bigger and more spacious. When it's busy it becomes claustrophobic and the line gets out of control. To conclude: AG has always been consistent with their prices and their services and I would recommend it to anyone. Note: I mostly shop for their pens and paper and other miscellaneous items and not their paints, so I'm not sure about their prices there. :) read more

Above Ground Art Supplies - Art Supplies Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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This is torontos Pearl Paint. it is a 3 story house turned into a huge art store. i bought a bunch of graphic design related equipment and tools like markers, rulers, gouache, pencil crayons, pencils, french curves and a few more. their inventory is vast because of their size and probably because of their proximity to the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD). I spent a good two hours there. you might very well be able to make your purchasing decisions more quickly, but I was experimenting with markers, pens and pencils, and asked a few questions from the helpful and knowledgeable staff. there was nothing i couldnt find there. they had a large choice for many many things. the only thing that didnt register well is that there was no membership which entitled you to a discount. I have been to other art stores in the city where i can get up to about 20 percent sometimes just because im on their mailing list. there are only discounts here if you are a teacher or student. they also have a random deal going on that if a star or some indicator shows while your purchase is being made you have the chance to win it for free. hey, maybe itll happen one day, but id rather have the discount. i will still go back as i need to nonetheless. read more

Above Ground Art Supplies - norman bates, are you taking acid? (taken from website) - Art Supplies Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Placed my first order a month ago with this company. I messaged them about my order. They said that someone screwed up on my order. I didn't find out if it was sent or not. This was the first and last time I deal with them. I gave one star for quick reply and one stay for prompt refund. read more

Just enjoyed a hilarious encounter with an uber-enthusiastic clerk at the Aboveground counter. He carried on a steady patter like a radio DJ, with a booming ALLRIGHTY-THEN kind of voice. When he mentioned how beautiful it was outside, he actually looked wistfully out the window as though considering the sheer Wonderousness of It All in a fell swoop. He meant it. And when he slid the debit console my way, he offered, "here are some buttons for your technological pleasure," and then mime-pulled the receipt out of the machine. I was dying. Anyway, the point of this update was simple to state that they have Buckyballs at Aboveground now. BUCKY BALLS. $25, but still. read more

If you attend/ed OCAD, like I did, you've frequented Aboveground Art Supplies. Because it's a two-minute walk and you had a deadline 10 minutes ago and they stock just about anything with your curriculum in mind. They also have a 10% discount for you, if you remember to bring your student ID card. The service is hit and miss. The tall gentleman who usually mans the paper stock upstairs is very knowledgeable and helpful. The younger employees are likely students or recent grads, so some of them can be very friendly and helpful while others are just assholes (really) who hate their lives and hate you, too. Oh well. Like I said, Aboveground caters to OCAD students, so they carry a wide range of products as diverse as the programs/courses there: painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, bookbinding, colour theory, and so on. Pretty much the entire paper and foam core selection there is acid-free/archival quality. You'll find a huge selection of graphite, coloured pencils, markers, pens, paintbrushes as well as safety equipment (dust and filtered masks, rubber gloves) and a decent selection of spray paints, glues and a bevy of tapes. In the back on the first floor, you'll find easels, canvas (pre-stretched and loose, sold by the length), stretchers and palettes. As far as pricing goes, Aboveground's prices are comparable to Curry's (you'll have to do some comparison shopping and keep a tab on their sales, because often one is cheaper than the other) and a little more expensive in certain cases than Gwartzman's supplies. All in all, a pretty solid art supply store. read more

There has been a lot of staff turnover. The staff from last year were amazing, I worked with them for years. Had strong product knowledge, and excellent customer service. Current staff are nice people but totally overwhelmed and can't do the basics of their job. You could shop here or save yourself the trouble and just stick a fork in your eye. read more

This is one of my favourite art stores. To be fair, I went to OCAD and it's literally right beside it. They have a huge variety of stuff for everyone from kids and novices to serious artists. Service is helpful and prices are pretty good. Tip: For nearly indestructable dish gloves, get the green ones meant for etching. They're meant to be used in acid, go up as high as dish gloves and aren't slippery (because they're meant to be used in acid). I'll usually go through one pair every couple of years and usually only wreck them when I drop a chef's knife or something on them. Plus, they're $5 or something ridiculous. read more

Pretty nice art supply store. Good selection of fine art supplies. Nothing really geared towards photography, except framing and matting supplies for prints. They need to do some re-organization though as the basement was stocked with too many things it was hard to move around. read more

Seriously, this place is my favourite art supply shop in the city. They have everything and always have great deals. My favourite paint, Turner Acryl Gouache is only available here, so that's a plus. The staff are super nice and always incredibly helpful. You can't really go wrong with Above Ground! read more

Wow the choices... i'm not much of an artist... actually, not at all.. but walking into this place inspires me... You need it, you'll find it here... wide assortment of brushes, paper, you name it... read more

Love the location is so CLOSE to OCAD U!!! I can always find what I need for my projects and art applies in class or work. They have everything for an artist/designer and the service on the 2nd floor at the paper selection is always good and helpful. One thing that i don't like is that I usually bump into the others when I'm browsing because not spacious inside the store. Especially the stairs are very narrow too. read more

Had an excellent first visit to Above Ground a few days ago and I was a little lost. After asking an employee about my list of supplies, they helped me find everything I needed and recommended the best things for me to use. It was very refreshing to have someone be so attentive to my needs/wants and to help me out so much! As a visual arts student, I'll need many more art supplies in the future, so I'm definitely coming again! read more

Best store for the serious artist! I'm a professional artist and shop here all the time. Love their amazing customer service, nice, friendly, caring staff, wide selection, and willingness to listen to feedback, incorporate new product suggestions. I especially love their Raymar oil-based canvas, which is hard to find. Also absolutely love their professional quality panels for painting. I love the Aboveground brand brushes. Many many kinds of paint, I love buying different kinds and brands to try! A million kinds of paper, pastels, pencils, a dream come true! In conclusion, you haven't lived until you've shopped here. So much stuff I can't find anywhere else in the city! read more

Above Grounds is (as of right now) my favourite art supply store to shop at. This location has everything I need, and I love their annual sales. A+ place to shop if you're in need of art supplies read more

The best art store in all of Toronto. Laura is extremely helpful in being thoroughly educated with the chemistry of paints, products, formation and color. I simply need to tell her my vision and she has the exact idea along with the equipment i need in order to produce what i want. This store has quality products, including famous Japanese acrylic paints and high quality papers of all sorts. The staff is helpful and this has become my favorite art supply shop in the city. Thank you team, and thank you Laura :) read more

I've never seen sales associates so friendly and sweet and patient during a busy time/sale as Above Ground associates are during the first 2 weeks of school. How do they do it? Even when I had to exchange a presentation case because it was the wrong size, they still remained helpful. Any other place would've kicked me out and banned me a long time ago for wasting their time during such a stressful week. To all Above Ground staff: You guys are amazing! I just wish the store was a bit bigger. It feels a bit claustrophobic in there and the steep staircases scare the beeejeezus out of me. read more

Love Aboveground. They can be crowded, but the new store layout has greatly improved this. To the people saying that they are expensive, they are actually very reasonable/ run of the mill. Nothing like Deserres or Michael's where things are crazy overpriced. They also offer a student discount which is very nice. Staff is also friendly and helpful, especially the peppy guys upstairs. read more

only go here when ocad isn't in session. i stopped in a few times during the summer and thought prices were generally OK, but then had a huge shock when classes started up and there was a 1hr line that wrapped around the store. it dies down after the first few weeks, but there is *always* a line while there are classes in session. if you have the time for a little walk, gwartzman's is cheaper and friendlier, but aboveground is more widely stocked if you don't mind the wait obviously, they have a student discount so don't forget to show your card read more

My preference is Gwartzman's but this location is a lot closer to home. A lot of the professional supplies I had access to years ago however are hard to come by. I find them expensive for paints, but they have a great selection of pens and papers. Huge amount of sketchbooks. read more

Love this place! Convenient location and great selection of art supplies!

My favorite art supply place in Toronto. Almost every time I go there, I find everything I need. Things are always in stock and staff are helpful. The brush section is awesome. They have brushes for every thing. Sizes, shape and quality depending on your budget. Cool place. read more

This store has everything! Love the energy here, the staff know so much and it seems like everyone is really happy to be there! Its depressing to walk into a store where the staff seem to hate the store and each other and this place had a really great feel. This place has Personality, unlike Michaels. If I wanted to be served by a robot I'd shop online! Definitely coming back for more next time I'm in the city! read more

Favourite art supply store!! The staff are always friendly and very knowledgable about their products. I love the student discount and find their products to be reasonably priced too. read more

This place has the most variety of art supplies around. The store is jam-packed with products. The staff is very happy to help and knowledgeable. read more

Im giving a 2star because normally in the store is fine. When you call by phone, they'll put u on hold on the phone for 15 fucking minutes and still nobody picks up!!! Wtf!!!! read more

Service appears to have improved over the last two years or so (improvement was needed). Best selection in Toronto, pricing seems competitive. read more

Brilliant store with a huge selection packed into a tiny house that's crawling with customers (especially during the school year), which leaves the staff a bit exhausted from dealing with needy peeps all day, but still they are kind and helpful. read more

Above Ground is a very cool art store. Great selection and prices. They have everything! I decided to get back in to doing some printmaking and couldn't believe how great their selection was. My first choice in Toronto read more

I went there today for the first time and it's fantastic! It's well stocked with lots of brands, the staff were friendly and very knowledgeable, good prices. The sales associate spent a lot of time with me and made some good suggestions for a couple of items I wasn't sure about. I'm in Mississauga so I used to frequent Curry's on Queensway, but due to poor stock and very poor customer service they've lost my business. DeSerres and Michael's also have poor stock and are crazy expensive. Above Ground may not be around the corner from me like Curry's, but it's well worth the trip into downtown. And they're on the subway line which is a nice option to use. Today is Sunday so it wasn't busy, but I don't know how busy it is during the week when OCAD classes are in session. But well worth a visit if you need good quality supplies. read more

widest selection in Toronto, though of course, not a patch on big US stores. prices higher than Gwartzman's, sometimes even higher than Curry's, and many of the floor staff appear more interested in socializing than being helpful. distressing lack of product knowledge and experience. if they didn't carry Gamblin, i'd have little reason to go back. UPDATE: DeSerres carries Gamblin now, at the same price as AG. read more

This is my first review and unfortunately it is a bad one. I have been a customer for years, I teach classes and suggest this store to my students but I will not anymore!! I have had multiple incidents, with rude behaviour, condescending attitude, and many of them have been with what I believe to be the store manager or owner with constantly changing haircolor. This was the last straw.I can't stand the way she treated me and wouldn't shop there again if they paid me I can go to Curries or amazon for that matter, not worth the attitude!!!! read more

Good selection of products and currently restocked and reorganized. A lot of the staff are really helpful and but there's always that one lady who seems polite but you feel a little uncomfortable when talking to her. I didn't know why until I realized it's all that judgement in her attitude. I've been here so many times and I keep running into her. I don't wanna put up with this shit anymore. Get on your service game lady! Yes you blond middle age lady! Like I said I'm a regular here and I think you will be fine as long as you don't get that lady for help. read more