Artisans & Agency is one of my favorite shops in downtown Santa Cruz. If I'm downtown, there is no…read moreway I can walk by without stopping inside, regardless of how much time I have! They have plentiful unique gift items, like jewelry, cards, local art, candles, bags, wood pieces, etc. My eyes are always too busy moving around to scan the store for all the cool new items that it's a wonder I've never tripped. The people who work there are also authentically friendly where you can actually ask them a question, and they won't judge you or ignore you! Love this store. Prices can be high, but I also think the quality of the products they carry are also high.

Artisans & agency is truly a treasure trove. With the holiday season quickly approaching, this is…read morethe perfect location to find a one-of-a-kind gift. This boutique is filled with an impressive selection of locally-made goods including pottery, beautifully designed greeting cards for every occasion, locally sourced spices and honey, and bold statement jewelry. I ended up taking home a variety of teas for myself and friends. They're located in central downtown, next to a ton of other great shopping locations. Parking is pretty easy to find since it's a high traffic area. Whether you're a local or passing through, you won't forget this Santa Cruz business.

I can't say good enough things about this store. I miss being able to pop in weekly and now that I…read morelive two hours away at least I get to visit now and then. Today was no exception because the staff always on point and helpful but also respectful to let you browse. They have some great pieces in right now. I can't wait to come back with my daughter next week when she's in town from East Coast

Absolutely LOVE the incredible customer service and thoughtfulness of all the Om employees! We were…read morelooking to replace one of our silk lanterns that we purchased there 25 years prior and the owner went out of his way to go to the warehouse and bring in a few different choices to the Gallery as they no longer display them there on site. We're so elated with our new beautiful lantern Thank you Om

Such an enchanting find and so Santa Cruz…read more After browsing through records at Streetlight - I wandered into Felix Kulpa's inviting sculpture garden and gallery. From telephone booth art, to innovative guitar sculptures, to simple pieces composed by talented artists from the most basic of materials - this art haven captures the essence of local Californian artists with a superb eye.This gallery is also well lit, so you can still feel the sun beams radiating around you as you study the art. My only regret is not donating some cash to the gallery (there is a donation box as you leave) and not asking more questions about the artists and their pieces from the friendly guy sitting down in the gallery as I perused the work. Trust.

Beautiful gallery! Very welcoming and charming place to go on a nice day. The owner was very…read morefriendly and lovely to talk to. He had some amazing (working) electric guitars that he made from objects like toilet seats and skateboards, and he let me play them!! Wonderful gallery.

Absolutely stunning pieces of art: architectural little eye-fetching bags and carry cases,…read moreinterspersed with vibrantly colored wall art. High design + functionality = the best. An impressively curated little shop with museum quality, usable pieces. The owner, Rachel, was delightful, and who wouldn't be, gifted with such talents? We bought a uniquely arted hand sculpture, leaving the store less one of its fun displays. You can't miss the gorgeous and vibrant bold color installations as well, by another artist we did not meet, but check those out too!

Retreats in the Redwoods of Corralitos, Big Sur Sleepaway-Write/Edit/Rewrite Camps and Corralitos…read moreCoffee Roasting As Class in itself. We miss her Artisan Coffee Beans at the Sunday Market. Summer Camps upon the Unsalted Shores of Lake Michigan Readerly-Writerly #hipcamp Near Oxbow.

If you want your art world rocked or at least melted a little go take a look at Art du Jour Gallery…read more& Studio. Better yet? Take a fused glass or glass blowing class because it was so much fun, I had to book a second workshop and now ... I think I'm hooked! Fabulous and fun instructors had me feeling comfortable and able to create what previously I had only seen other people make. Art du Jour Gallery and Studio is located at 1013 Cedar Street in downtown Santa Cruz. The cool thing about the location is that it's cozy, feels welcoming and has a relaxed pace. It's really a perfect environment to explore and experiment with glass, metal and paint. Bring a friend ... or two ... or three. We booked my bridal party there and had a blast - Now we all think we're artists! Whoop whoop! For details: WWW.ARTDUJOUR.ORG Phoebe S.

Dazzling array of works by local artists, including phitos, paintings, cards, jewelry, wearable…read moreart, stuffedzanimals, textile art, and so on. Staff is helpful, and the spacecis clean and well organized.

This is essentially a not terribly sophisticated art showroom specializing in works by local…read moreartists just outside of the target. As this is inside of a mall, parking is unlimited. Note that the closest mall entrance is the one by the food court/target. This is a large space with dozens of artists exhibited. There are all kinds of media-paintings, sculpture, photography, collage, and more paintings along with slightly more usable stuff (crafts?) like linens, soaps, cards and all sorts of not easy to describe creative art objects. Thankfully this does not include a banana duct taped to the wall. Yet. As this spot is staffed by volunteers - this is some kind of not for profit collective-the service is of the wander around and get checked up on periodically model. The staff do know a lot about the artists, which is handy but not so much about art. Highly efficient at running the register which is really what you want in retail staff anyway. Anywhoo this is an excellent spot to drop in and browse. The stock is always rotating-but if you can't find what you saw last week, they have the ability to contact the artist directly which can be very useful. Due to the sheer variety of art it's easy to always find that one thing you didn't know you need until you see it. Pricing is all over the map. Some of the redwood furniture comes in at several thousand each but cards and soap can be had for a few bucks. I'm a big fan of the soap. Got a couple of bars of black soap for less then ten bucks. All in all it's a worthy stop for those interested in art, local shopping, gifts, or if you just have some time to kill.

Visiting David Salazar's glass workshop and store is one of the more unique, fun things you can do…read morein Santa Cruz. It's definitely an off the beaten path, hidden gem. David's been working with glass for decades and is an exceptional artist. He's also a really nice, fun guy! I highly recommend paying the workshop a visit + it's a great place to buy art glass.

This is an art gallery located on UCSC's beautiful campus, specifically in Cowell College right…read morenext to Cowell's cafe and their dining hall. This gallery is school funded and supports local artists with their exhibits. The exhibit changes every quarter and the workers are very knowledgable, especially their curator: Joan Blackmer. Winter quarter, 2014 they held tapestries from India--but their exhibit will change to something else for their Spring, 2014 quarter. Gallery hours: 11am-4pm (Tuesdays-Sundays)

I love this shop. I bought small gifts and earrings during my vacation stay in Santa Cruz. You…read morecould spend an hour in this small shop looking at all the amazing furniture, art, various items, and trinkets. Very friendly staff and the small gifts and earrings I bought were priced right. It has both valuable items and inexpensive trinkets.

My bestie brought me to Shen's Gallery for the first time and I was in awe! There are beautiful…read morepieces everywhere and the best cases of jewelry and priced very reasonably! I will definitely be back. I bought my daughter a beautiful ring and she loves it so now I'll be taking her there as well!

We came in intending to stroll and buy a few art pieces but were rejected almost right away. The…read moreyoung woman at the front was very judgmental. I had my son in a stroller, and without hesitation her judgmental side came out. There was no "Hi, is there anything I can help you with?" it was essentially "leave, since you have a child in a stroller." Cool, whatever. I'll take my business elsewhere. The whole experience felt gross and weird. For a second I even wondered if the judgment was because I'm darker skinned with a light skinned child, who knows. Anyone with kids: I'd say stay away. This place is clearly not kid friendly.

I've been buying client gifts, beloved art, candles, jewelry and textiles from Cierra for over a…read moredecade (since she opened her gallery in 2012). Even when I order holiday gifts for multiple clients, she always takes the time to wrap them beautifully and hand-write notes on my behalf. Please don't let a single negative review here put you off, you'll be in good hands with Cierra and Lumen Gallery.