An artist's playground in the middle of the city. The selection is huge across two floors. I especially love perusing the pens, pastels and pencils. I recommend stopping by even if you don't have a project in mind. Dillydally a little. read more

Blick Art Materials - Art Supplies Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fun, and inviting display and atmosphere. If you're looking for light, entertaining gifts even for the non-artsy person, you'll find something here. It's relatively small so you won't find a full range of supply like they did back when they where on State street. Friendly staff. read more

See all

Came here to purchase materials to make a craft project for my nephew who will be graduating high school soon. On the bottom level they had a range of construction paper, cardstock paper, and canvasses. I was also able to grab double-sided tape. This art material store was pretty comprehensive I saw things for all types of projects in here. It is located right in the heart of the theater district so I'm sure a lot of artsy types venture into here. I was coming out of a show and so it was very convenient why had already had parking paid so went ahead and grab my materials. My finished money lei (construction paper and two sided tape) came out very nice. Overall this was a good shopping experience. The store is clean & they have bathrooms for patrons on the second level. I only downgraded this store as I thought the cashiers were kind of pushy about the line. We were standing in line and they asked two of us to get behind some little sign but it was kind of unnecessary as the line wasn't very long. I thoroughly enjoy boundaries and space so I was very off put by this request as I felt like it was just a power trip. This is art material store there's no privacy information and we were spaced very fine in the line. Other than that it was a good experience, I would say the prices are slightly higher than Michael's and Jo-Ann's but they did have a deeper range of professional product. read more

See all

I walked in and described when I needed a medium to do in. Nicole knew exactly what I was looking for! Amazing!!

I've had a lot of art work custom framed over the years. This was the first time I tried Blick. I love the store in general but wasn't aware they did custom framing. I stopped into the Randolph Street store because it was close to work. I don't remember the name of the sales person (the Salesperson number on the receipt is 73010) but he was incredible -- friendly, attentive, careful with the art piece. And most of all, he made excellent, creative choices for the mat and the frame, picking out a frame color that I would've never thought of but went perfectly with the photo that was being framed. I couldn't wait to see the finished product and when I did pick it up, it was as beautiful as I knew it would be. I highly recommend this framing service and this sales person in particular! read more

I've come past this store several times and finally walked into art heaven. I've been looking for a new way to design my shoes and Blick hands down has the best materials for all kinds of DIY projects. Every staff member was helpful and knowledgeable of what to use on my next design, before going on Amazon go to Blick I promise you might find your needs right on hand at this location. read more

a quality local business in a niche market. always helpful and always ready to serve

Blick has an excellent selection and always reliable. I used them in NYC, I lived in Hawaii where there is none, and just happy there's a bunch in Chicago but this one is also super convenient and the location is super photogenic. I last was here Angelus leather paint for some scratches scuffed up sneaker. For a specialty paint they had a wide selection and I was very happy with the results. I'd recommend just stopping by just to take sone photos but I always see something cool walking in. read more

See all

Awesome art store! Much to choose from! Found all sorts of acrylic markers, linocut tools and other cool goodies.

Convenient location off the L for art supplies. Nice two level store, which is easy to miss the lower level amidst the well stocked first floor. The staff was quick to want to help and took me to what I was looking for. read more

so unhelpful (took me 15 minutes of wandering the store aimlessly to get someone to even say hi to me or acknowledge my very existence). lady who is the manager is a total beeeeyatch. for a "small business", maybe you should be a little nicer to people who are just trying to craft their concert looks. will not be coming back here. i'm now in tears because i was basically laughed at because i'm not a serious artist & told to go to michael's or Joanne's. they acted like "god forbid you make me do work" when i asked them to give me the address of their other store because they didn't have what i needed at their store. they told me "google it" extremely rude. i'm sorry i'm not Picasso, Warhol, Haring or Basquiat enough for your liking to take me serious as a customer read more

They were out of the product and so to make it look like they had it they filled it with a different product. The prices are also 1/3 higher than they probably should be. The location is convenient though. read more

Love this place! It has everything I need! Prices are good and selection is enormous! Staff is friendly and knowledgeable.

I work in a digital world and like an analog outlet to relax. To that end art is my jam draw, paint, screen print. Is it good... that is in the eye of the beholder I suppose. Blick is the place where I get the bulk of my drawing supplies. Card stock for homemeade cards, coloured pencils/pens, sketch books, and frames. Helpful staff, decent reward system, big selection. read more

The people are what make this store so nice. There's no attitude and not just no bad vibes but actual enjoyment and just excitement. I love being around people excited about art and paint. The guy that runs it is super super sweet. I'm so new to acrylics and he's really been extra helpful. More than just knowledgeable but nice and helpful. I was in the craft store wasteland for too long thinking it was more convenient. This store is actually even more convenient being just steps away from the Monroe redline stop. Steps. Not even the usual Chicago Two Blocks. More than worth the trip. Give them you're phone number and they match all online prices and deals. Convenient along with friendly and knowledgeable people. What more could you want? read more

Just called and learned they closed this location and plan to open in another loop location.

This shop is very "comprehensive." I am sure that it has all of the needs of "art students" who must be deeply in debt due to the unusually elevated prices of everything here! I needed an easel to hold a print as I cannot "hang" things on the wall in my apartment. I also purchased a plastic carrying protector for my art prints, a birthday card, and a mini clothespin photo holder with the silver rope. I think the prices were "well above" what they would be at other places... Also there were 15 plus people in line waiting to pay and only three team members at what appeared to be 5-6 cashier sections. In all fairness this was "around" lunchtime..but still... While the selections of things is "artsy" like the gourmet offerings at Whole Foods...very pricy. FYI-They have an online offering to "Win a Trip to Italy." I saw the sign while waiting to "check out." They said no purchase necessary... http://www.dickblick.com/Sweepstakes read more

See all

Shoutout to Gina! I purchased a batch of large matboards that I needed cut to fit a laser cutting machine. This Blick's location offers to cut paper to your desired size. When an associate said he wouldn't cut it, Gina literally did it. Gina was friendly and solved my problem quickly. read more

HANDS DOWN the RUDEST staff I have ever encountered while shopping for anything. I walked in the door excited for my first time at Blick at 4:45 PM and was greeted by not hello not welcome but an abrupt "we close at 6". There were little herds of employees giving my filthy looks scattered throughout the store, audibly complaining about "the psychos that come in right at close" Mind you it's an hour before close. I couldn't find anything I needed but was too nervous to approach the staff with any questions and felt extremely rushed so I took what I had and went to the register, believe it or not the worst part of the experience. She refused to tell me about the rewards card because I was "showing up 10 minutes before close" I would have to come in earlier "Like everyone else". It was a series of Eye rolls, heavy sighs, dirty looks, and general overall contempt for her customers. This girl hated me. It wasn't even 5:30 PM. I could not get out of there fast enough and I will never be back. I'd rather widdle my own calligraphy nib holders from a tree in my backyard than step foot in that awful place full of bratty boho posers. If these employees spent time helping the customers find what they needed instead of standing in circles talking crap about them, I'm sure everyone would be in and out within a timeframe more to their liking. read more

Dear Blick, I am a Chicagoan , SAIC alumni , and senior art director working in the loop and this customer service nightmare has gone on for weeks now!! Wil Velez from day one has been nothing but rude, dismissive and incompetent! incapable of handling a $49 refund ! This all started with a rude racist employee who intentionally damaged my canvas weeks ago and the situation has yet to be rectified properly! I was refunded the money only for it to be taken back out! When I called and asked WIL Velez about it nicely he didn't listen and dismissed me, sending the wrong amount! When I told him about his mistake he got annoyed and said he couldn't deal with "you people" and said he was connected me with his district manager then hung up! I called back and he said it disconnected! This is atrocious behavior for a manager! Anything less than a full refund and store credit would be a travesty! He and the state street employees are ruining blicks good name! He then demanded I show proof I paid $49 after I already sent my card information and claim ID! I want my money back! This is ridiculous Be aware this will be put in a review and I considering calling the bbb about your employees racist remarks and behavior! Fix this! Wil Velez at blick art materials should be fired. Incompetent manager, and rudest person! read more

I was at the store located on 42 s State during my lunch hour looking for a white marker. Dany (apologies, not sure on spelling) approached me offering assistance. I told her I need a white marker that I can use on black poster board and fabric. Without hesitation she offered several options, and explained to me which would be the best. Let me tell you I had no idea there were so many kinds of markers. I was impressed with Dany's customer service. Her knowledge made this shopping experience easy and pleasant. I definitely recommend this place for any of your arts supplies, projects and creativity needs. read more

Wonderful double decker art store. Great small shelf for cosplayers (see picture). The staff is friendly and helpful, and their own art is posted throughout the store read more

Blick Art Materials - Awesome Cosplay section! - Art Supplies Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is my opinion, my reality and my experiences dealing with Blicks stores, all of the stores Chicago location, Randolph store, and the Evanston store. I can truly can say I hate Blicks art supply. This store is in my opinion do not appreciate African-American dollars. They cater to their white customers this is why the staff is predominantly white, so I will not be giving my money to a store that implicitly imply that you're going to steal something from out of your stores. I would rather wait weeks to get products. F Blicks Art Supply with a capital F. read more

We came here on the hunt for a bigger-than-usual cork bulletin board. The place is huge and instead of walking around searching for it, we thought we'd ask the cashier if she could tell us where the bulletin boards were. She said Blick didnt have any bulletin boards but that we should check out Ace Hardware or Target. We were disheartened but decided to check out the second floor anyways just to see what stuff Blick carried other than the usual art supplies. We ran into a sales person at the top of the escalator who offered to help us. We told her how sad we were that Blick didnt carry bulletin boards. She said "Yeah we do, let me show you where they are!" OMG. She showed us and it was love at first sight! Alas I had found my perfectly huge sized bulletin board! Coincidentally, when we went to pay for the board, we got the girl who told us there were no boards to begin with. She wasnt very happy, but we were! So, if you ever need a cork bulletin board, come to Blick! Dont bother taking your chances with Amazon or any other internet company because it'll probably be delivered to you broken in pieces (like mine was). Thanks Blick! read more

As an artist, you can pretty much find anything at this Blick (or at least something that will do the job). Prices are super competitive, you would be hard pressed to find cheaper in Chicago. Helpful and friendly staff are artists so they know exactly how to dive into a project and what's the most inexpensive method. read more

What a great shop. They have got all kinds of different sizes of paper. I went for canvii and wound up in a sea of crafty treasures. You'll love the colors if you're a fan of colors. The sharpie selection is unlike any selection of sharpies that I have come across. I wrote my name in glimmering gold on the display, I send you to go look for it. While I've never become an internationally accomplished artist I shall still have a small trowel that I drag across acrylic to give depth and growth to my work. I bought that tiny trowel at Blick. read more

I am thankful I finished my art degree in 1990 instead of 2009. Prices have QUADRUPLED for most things--Pantone and Canson paper that we used to think was expensive back then at 79 cents a sheet is now $2.50. Cans of Spray-mount we bought for $5 are now $15. The X-Acto bulk packs of 100 we bought for $9 are now... OMG! WTF! THIRRRRTY DOLLARS A PACK? Well, luckily, there's Blick to knock a little off the high priced art supplies we continuing ed students (and design studio slaves) need. This location is really nice; so is the one in Schaumburg, but that's another review. I really enjoy art supply places, and price no object, I would rather go to Pearl. But Blick seems to carry the basics for lower prices than the competition, and this location has friendly employees. read more

I love this store! The staff here are always very helpful, I was looking for a type of varnish to leave a nice finish for the TOMS I painted & one of the employees helped me pick one. There are plenty of different acrylic paints (as well as water, oil-based, etc) to choose from and they have pretty good sales too. I was able to pick up a few different types of acrylic paints for under $20. Whatever art project you're working on Blick is a great place to go for all your art supply needs. They definitely have more art supplies that are geared toward more advanced artists which is sorta intimidating haha, but the staff here is really great in helping you find the right items for whatever level you're at. They also have a bunch of fun lil knick knacks, stationary, & they have MUNNYs!!! They even have a giant MUNNY on display that I'd love to buy one day. FYI: Blick also offers a student/teacher discount. read more

Blick Art Materials - Art Supplies Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I went in and spent a lot of money on art supplies and was supposed to get a coupon but didn't, then I went back on another occasion and it seems the cashier put her email on my account so she could get the coupon. On another occasion, I got over charged for canvas, probably because the cashier wanted to get the extra canvas for himself. Only go to this store if you need to. It is better to get promotions online and shop from the website which has everything and honors the promotions under your email. I will only go to this store for heavy stuff like gesso and will continue to double check how much they charge for my canvas. read more

This is my son's favorite store to get his art supplies and we came in the day before yesterday. But I didn't like how we were followed like we were goin to steal something. I'm honest and I work for mine to provide for my kids. But this visit I didn't like at all. Won't b back there for a while due to the ignorance {stereotype} everybody is not the same read more

Great selection. Horrendous service. Over 20 minutes in line to checkout. Seriously? Maybe not enough folks on Presidents Day? read more

Blick Art Materials - Line wraps around the store. - Art Supplies Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Right in the heart of Chicago. The store is full of all the art supplies that you would ever need. The staff helpful and plentiful. The prices, a little more than Amazon or Michaels. I purchased a marker only to find that it was dry. Brought it back the next day and they exchanged it no questions. The down side, the "student" discount only applies to teachers and college students. My purchase was with my daughter for high school and would not qualify. What did I learn today? That discount is school discrimination! read more

Staff are friendly and kind. All wear masks and enforce the 6 foot distance rule. This store is clean and well organized.

I don't go to this location often (other one is more convenient) but when I do, Love it as much as the Kingsbury store! Great selection and friendly staff! read more

A great art supply store with super friendly and helpful staff and lots of supplies available. Even when you go there right before they close, they don't really rush you to get out the door too hard. They do try to make sure they're locked down on closing time and there are PAs reminding you the store is closing once you hit the 15min mark, but I definitely didn't feel like they were annoyed with me for checking out at 7:55pm, which is really nice. Surprisingly, they're also dog friendly. If you go in there with your dog, they might even ask to take a picture for their instagram. read more

This place is like a candy store for artists. Brushes, brushes, brushes and every color of paint and encaustic wax you can imagine! The sales are fantastic, too. Just yesterday I picked up a 48-count set of soft pastels, originally $33, for $13 after tax. I had to restrain myself from buying a bunch of paper that would never have fit on the train with me, and about 3 moleskine planners I really, really wanted. The clerks are also artists, which means that you will likely get an informed answer to your art questions. It also means you're likely to meet an artist introvert waiting on you, and they may be a little reserved. This is not the same as rudeness. What makes this place even more awesome is that it's on a direct path between my office and the train. Er, maybe that's not a plus. "Will work for art supplies" is the message I'll put on my cardboard sign. read more

An absolute dream for finding art supplies! It can get pricey, but if you look around you can find decent deals. Where I live, I only have craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Michael's and buying art supplies from an actual art supply store is easier with a huge selection and better prices. Whenever I'm in Chicago I blow half of my money here. The downstairs seems like a lot of stationery/trinket-like stuff but upstairs is where the magic is. There's paints, brushes, papers, markers, pastels, pencils galore. My only complaint is the staff. They're kind of hit or miss. Sometimes they're pretty pretentious and rude which is no bueno. read more

Eyes are supposed to be windows to the soul. But some of us need blinders. Those that do, chose to reveal ourselves through artistic expression. I wouldn't necessarily define myself as an "Artist" (though I've made strides) and sometimes I hate my work. It takes too long. Makes me feel exposed and vulnerable. Sometimes I love it because it's a piece of me. Or represents someone or something I love. Anyhow, when I do art this chain has most of what I need. The canvases and oils prices are a scontch high. But great selection. The Fimo clay selection is good and price comparable to others (sculpy is alright but doesn't hold shape as well) Lots of drawing supplies and infinity pencils. As well as different grains of paper (the grade of pencil and kind of paper impact the shading and contrast of the piece). Rhinestones are weak. I've found much better shapes, colors, finishes. Shells are kinda a dud. Only a few in the bucket are interesting. The jewelry making kits and materials are great. Paper and tissue paper colors and assortment vast. Tons of cool random gifts, cards, magnets, knick knack decor stuff. The best part is going and seeing something that never crossed your mind that would utterly add to your piece. You get inspired sometimes. They give discounts to students and educators. And run sales occasionally. They do lesson plan classes and video lesson plan classes online for teachers of K-12 and special education. It would be cool to offer the same for crafty adults (and prudent, they'd increase sales). I'd recommend the store. read more

Enter, friend. And leave your bags at the front so the friendly staff doesn't think you're ganking all those paints and brushes you keep leering at. Get a number, they'll take care of it. Promise. Check the flier for deals and sales because there are almost always plenty. Get yourself a store card because when there aren't sales, you get 10% or so off your purchase. Canvases downstairs, supplies up. Now get shoppin'! The Blick brand acrylics are just as good as your Grumbacher and Liquitex, the less expensive brushes are pretty decent (though of all my brushes, the ones that have lasted the longest were also the most expensive), they have every hardness of drawing pencil you'd ever need and tons of vine charcoal. Also every kind of tablet or paper you require and my favorite metal rulers. Fancy papers, Moleskins, prints, gifts, art boxes, wooden models...In short, the best art supply store I've found since the one I grew up with which has since closed. The staff are always friendly and helpful, the sales make the journey worth it. They also have a delivery service for really large items like easels, large canvases and the like. read more

Blick Art is a welcome addition to the downtown area, and sometimes I'll hike it over to Chicago and Franklin and forget that Blick is in my bubble. The space is huge and they carry just about anything you would want when it comes to arts and crafts. I'm a big time fan of the bevy of paper and envelopes they carry and am always tempted by the huge selection of artist markers, paints, and colored pencils. There is a whole section of supplies for kid's projects too, which I think is important. The store itself is very well organized and usually fully stocked so getting what you're looking for is never a problem [though sometimes you just don't need MORE choices]. If you can't find what you need, track down an employee who can direct you. You may have to find someone on the 1st floor though as the 2nd floor doesn't seem to have floor coverage. In general I haven't found the staff to be overly-helpful, but they are ready and mostly-willing if called upon. The checkout is a bit cramped and can be confusing. Sometimes I think I stand in line longer than is really necessary as cashiers sometimes take care of a task before taking care of those in line. Having worked in retail, I'm a stickler for service and unless you are doing something for the customer you just waited on, nothing is more important than the next customer. Be sure to check out the gifts and books they stock too. Blick should be on your list of places to check for specialty items for friends and family around special occasions and holidays. read more