I have been buying from Blick since I was a little kid, using their print catalog to order with…read more I've been to a few locations of their Brick and Mortar, including the one in Las Vegas, and the ones in the East Bay. Ever since University Art up and abandoned us, we've had no good art supply stores to go browse through. Having Blick come to the South Bay is fantastic. So The store is neatly laid out, aisles are clearly marked, and they do have a really good selection. Not everything they sell on the website is in the stores, but there is definitely a good set of choices for every discipline in stock. They have very competitive prices, and decent discounts off of list prices, and they also offer a store branded version of nearly everything, which are of good quality and a fair price. Service-wise the employees are great. I've been three times since the grand opening, and the employees have been friendly every single time. I do have one complaint about the service, and that's just that the click and collect store pick-up from the website is very clunky to use. Rather than add your stuff to cart and ask for store pick up at the shipping section, you have to make a store pickup list and email it to them through the webform... It's very weird. And then you pay when you pick up rather than online. The employees help you figure it out, but it seems like the company could make the process easier on us and their employees.

I love the selection here but the products here are overpriced. I've shopped here on a few…read moreoccasions but wouldn't personally buy anything here unless I'm in a pinch and have an immediate need for a product. On my most recent visit here, I was shopping for Posca markers. The markers were locked in a case and I had to wait for an associate to help me unlock the case. It was hard to find an associate so I ended up having to bother an associate who was helping another associate restock shelves. The lock was kind of finicky so I waited a while for the associate to unlock and relock the case. I tried to walk to the cashier with the markers but the associate said I needed to wait for her to finish locking the case so she could walk with me. I asked her if they would honor the price on their website and she said she thought they would. The markers were $60 in the case but $38 on the Blick website. When I got to the cashier, the cashier said they wouldn't honor the price on their website and that even if I purchased it on their website, they don't do in-store pickups so I wouldn't get them for the price on their website. I ended up not buying the markers and buying some Posca markers from Target down the street. I really want to support smaller businesses but not at the expense of good customer service and reasonable pricing.

San Jose Made was founded in 2011 and has since been helping arts and crafts small businesses grow…read moreand thrive. Now San Jose Made is like a brand per se (you can see their cute tote bags that they have been gifting al multiple events, like the first 100 to enter get one). Lillte by little I have been seeing their imprint in many craft fairs around the Bay Area. I have attended both the curated pop-up retail events and the massive ones (like today at the Santa Clara Convention Center). I have been also in some of the maker meet-ups. Overall, this is the type of organization I would go when (one day) I would want to participate also as artist (because I also paint and draw and do many other cute little artsy things:). They seem to be super organized and never encounter any issue, with the vendors, the venue or anything. I would suggest for the massive events to have more food related vendors and less jewelry and cards/illustrations as it seems pretty saturated and can be overwhelming for the customers. The pics I will post here are fromt he Santa Clara Convention Center Thanksgiving event.

San Jose Made is truly a supporter of small businesses and makers. This is a big shoutout to this…read moreorganization for bringing in an excellent curator of small businesses and makers to this brick-and-mortar establishment. But it does not stop there. You must attend their events and online store where you find the best of the best makers and businesses. Thank you SJMade! You have my business!

Discover San Jose is one of the better souvenir shops in SJ Airport…read more The shop has nice Tee shirts, Soaps, Chocolates (Yummy "See's" & Lulus), Olive Oils, Vineyard Pasta etc... Price wise, items are not over the top. Checkout is very fast. Definitely check out this cute shop before departing Terminal A.

Wow!! First to add, first to review and first to tip!! Feel like I discovered (pun intended)…read moreAmerica!! Where many have been before and many more will be!! Their selection of olive oils, mustard salsas and fun jams made my day!! The service was great and the deals were ample ... what more does one really need?? I thoroughly enjoy the San Jose airport and all that it has to offer!! This is jut one more little gem to ensure I see on my way through next time around.

Awesome way to spend a Saturday afternoon learning about local artists and new (to me) art…read moretechniques like the felt art or the giant fruits by Jumbo Jibbles (among my favorite ones). It was my first time attending this event at The Alameda and I totally recommend to take your time to talk to the artists. All of them are super approachable, passionate about their jobs and very didactic teaching or explaining their skills and talents. Park on the street as parking is very limited and also it is very pleasant to walk that beautiful alameda anyways. No cover to enter, and in most cases you can buy art on the spot if you would like it, or even give your email address for future classes by some of the artists.

Went on the 2nd weekend of May for the Silicon Valley Open Studios http://svos.org/index.php…read more http://www.yelp.com/biz/silicon-valley-open-studios-campbell#hrid:4PpcUEfcgv1E4R38qXLtqQ/src:self Quite a large venue with multiple artists. Two buildings. Parking lot in the rear. The artists were welcoming, answering questions, offering snacks and selling their various art. Didn't know of this venue in SJ.

Amazing personalized customer Service . I will always call Kathy first when looking for Italian…read moreart and gifts!

It's been such a delight shopping at Gioia on Roseleaf Terrace. The ever-changing selection of…read moreremarkable hand-crafted items, many from Italy, make the shopping experience akin to a visit to an art gallery. While writing this I am thinking about my jewelry box and the lovely pieces made from Venetian glass it holds, or my linen drawer full of hand decorated tablecloths, or my buffet table sporting its Tuscan pottery. You will occasionally even find some small pieces of hand-made furniture! Make time to drop by this lovely Los Gatos location. If you are lucky you might be there on a day when a small buffet lunch is served. I will not forget the delicious melanzane that was served when I last visited! The owner, Kathy, is incomparably warm and delightful. It's my pleasure to support Kathy and her business. She and her business are an asset to the community.

Free art gallery in downtown Saratoga area!! Open to the public! Arrived with some friends around…read more2:30 pm on a Sunday afternoon. Sundays are the best days to visit any downtown area since parking isn't a struggle and it's free. We stumbled upon this art gallery since we were enticed for the free art magnet if you visit the gallery. It houses up to 25 artists and they're one of the few exhibits that survived throughout the pandemic. Faye, the caretaker, for the day was super kind and descriptive in the art gallery; great conversationalist and knowledgeable about the art and artists in the gallery. There's about 4 rooms from jewelry, scarves, ceramics, and prints. Breathtaking art from abstract, landscape scenery, small prints of flowers and plants, and so much more. Seeing recently produced artwork is awesome; my friends had such a blast that two of them bought some art prints for home decor, especially some cat art prints. It's a great sight to see in downtown Saratoga! Take a quick stop to enjoy the art!

Local talented artists contribute to and staff this little gallery in quaint downtown Saratoga. The…read morepaintings, drawings, photographs, and ceramics are all lovely. The prices are low, in comparison to the high end galleries in SF or Carmel. Currently (Jan 2022) there is a sale. This place is a great find!

I absolutely LOVE attending Silicon Valley Open Studios. I have been to see the local artists…read moreSaturday and Sunday for two consecutive weekends this year and three previous years. I have gone to Open Studios in Campbell, Los Gatos, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hill. The variety of the arts on display is impressive. The purpose is twofold - one for the pure enjoyment; the other is to purchase art. I recall seeing paintings, photography, Gourds, jewelry, and more. Also, I enjoy talking to selected artists about their work. This year I purchased three photographs and one abstract watercolor painting. Last year I purchased two photographs. The prior two years, I just enjoyed the art without purchasing. Some of the displays are situated indoors, while others are in the front or in the rear of homes.

Went to the free first weekend of May open galleries in the Palo Alto area. Checked out the…read moreCubberley Community Center, Palo Alto Studios, Community School of Music and Arts and Gallery 9. Signage was great on driving directions, I did pick up at map and pamphlet earlier in the week at CSMA but the yellow signs definately helped with finding the hidden studios. Great to see the artists and works at their studios, artists were very welcoming and wanted to talk to you about their art, many offered free snacks, parking can be a bit challenging at some venues. Some artists only show at this event and some studios are rarely open, so this was a treat. Still two more weekends in May that they are showing.

Today on 6/30/26 I was taken advantage of by Fernando who works in the front. He stole a print from…read moreme and claimed I didn't bring it with me. That was the first print on top of my stack. Do not trust these people they are thieves. I will never show my work here or be represented by them ever in the future. The curators are dishonest and Cherri the curator didn't check to see if he had stolen it. They said there were no cameras at the facility to see if my print of Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix was taken by him. The most important thing about this is that if he wanted the print so bad all he had to do is ask me for it and I would have given it signed and dated. Don't socialize or have anything to do with Kaleid Gallery they are untrustworthy.

The 5 stars is for the customer service with the dude behind the front desk. Sometimes he is doing…read morehis paintings outside, but he is still happy to stop to help visitors inside. Like a duck in water, he is in-tune with the surroundings. And the business activates with him when he is there. This also occurs with another dude who works at The City Fish, the ladies who work at the Jack in the Box, the guys at The PoorHouse Bistro, and the guys at Devine Wine and Cheese. They are all good at what they do. The place is not like a Museum in Paris where million dollar paintings hang for the rich and famous. It is not like a factory warehouse or classroom for mass producing for sale in Cost-Plus or Ross. This is a place like where ordinary people could be standing outside their living room with an eager smile saying "Hey, wanna come check out my art?"