Never open. Came by at 1:30pm on a Tuesday and it was locked. Why even bother pretending like you're a legitimate business?

Never open. Even when maps says they're open. Appreciate it if they would update their info

Would not recommend. Went to the store & the door was locked. Then the owner came to the door, unlocked it, let me in, and locked it again behind me. From there, I had to tell her what I needed & wait for her to walk around the store, find the product, and come back. At one point I wanted to leave, but then realized that the door was locked, which to me is very weird. Supplies were overpriced and the store looked unorganized, to say the least. read more

This shop has stood the test of time. They have a large array of items despite their small footprint. I would be weary of buying anything that looks expired or old. read more

They still have crazy hours. Always call first! They were there at 1am yesterday but closed today at 9:15am. Ferd had Golden Clear Leveling Gel and Gloss MSA Varnish w/UVLS. I finished the job on time because of them. read more

Starvin' Artist - Golden Varnish - The good stuff - Art Supplies Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Way Overpriced. Rude. Yelled in my and my daughter's face about how all products made in the USA are better. No wonder it was a ghost town during their extremely limited hours (1:30-6). They didn't have the clay I needed (grey)- fine. But the woman continued to press and try and sell me on other colors. She claimed to know modeling clay and said the type I was looking for didn't come in Grey. She offers white, but that dusty pack of white clay from the 1990s had since been yellowed. I said thanks anyways and on the way out she lectured me on how it's a lost cause to try and shop for other people (an element of my 20+ years career) and that I'd pay astronomical prices on "the internet." Obviously these out of touch people. Save yourself the terrible experience and go to Michael's or Joann's. Much cheaper too. And longer hours. And they carry the mysterious grey clay!! read more

Starvin' Artist - The rare grey modeling clay makes a surprise appearance at an art store in Illinois. - Art Supplies Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Glad I called first because their hours change. Sooooo happy with the golden GAC products stocked here in Oak Park.

I prefer to shop local but we've had a few challenges making it work with both regular store hours -as they don't open until 1:30 during the week- and also once being closed (fair enough, there was a sign) during regular hours. Prices definitely higher than what we'd pay at Michaels but it is about half the distance so we will continue to try to shop here as it is more convenient. Stopped in today with my teen for a few pain brushes and got what we needed. Plenty of street parking. Cute neighborhood. read more

My friend and I were in your store today and I feel we were treated very rudely. The last owner was mean and I never visited it in 20 years. It appears the same type of people has taken over. I won't be back for another 20 years. Good luck because you will need it!!! read more

I drove an hour to shop here. Arrived and was told I couldn't go beyond a few feet from the front of the store due to covid regulations. The owner explained that because the square footage was less than 1k square feet and the isles were less than 6 feet apart I wasn't allowed beyond that point. Pressed for more of an explanation because this is new to me, he said because they don't have a certain type of door installed they are being forced to adhere to Chicago regulations. I shop at many small ma and pa owned stores in the area, this is a first. The gentleman was polite enough, but the restrictions are obviously more of a personal choice. I am not an anti masker, but I am upset customer that just wasted two hours of his life. You will not be allowed to enter beyond a few feet of the store and if you want to see a product they will grab it for you. What a complete waste of time. read more

We have used them for art supplies and framing. Always attentive, knowledgeable, and timely. Exactly what I want from my local art supply shop. Thanks, Brock! read more

I would love to support this local business but, my first visit made me never want to return. Very abrasive rude woman loudly and closely speaking to my family and I about how things made in the USA are better and how other countries have lower standards. Not sure the motivation of the interaction or if more racially motivated nationalism was part of it but it felt overwhelming and so disappointing. My husband and I are artists and makers that have a long list of clients from film, tv, theater, dance, and commercial backgrounds. We were spoken to as if we were idiots. The woman claimed that she'd never seen grey sculpting clay and that we should buy online if that's what we wanted. Not the way to stay in business or create repeat customers. read more

Just got some artwork framed beautifully at Starvin' Artist, for a great price. Excellent selection of mats, moldings and glass. And you wouldn't believe the customer service: the woman working there (Judy) actually called the framer (Brock) at home to see if he could meet with me before their usual opening time (it was the only time I was available) -- and he did! Then, he went out of his way to offer me less-expensive (but still archival quality) options; when was the last time anybody tried to down-sell you instead of up-sell? Truly refreshing. Finally, he proceeded to complete the job at double the estimated speed! Whether you're an artist or just have some items that need framing and hanging, this is the place to call. read more

I called to see what they had in stock as far as screen printing equipment and supplies. I asked what size mesh the prestretched screens were and she said "just regular, but I'm not sure. You can come in and look for yourself" Even after explaining I would be driving almost and hour to get there she said I still needed to come in and check myself. Poor customer service read more

Please be aware that the price you see on their website is NOT the same price you will pay in store. It is more in store. Even if something is marked less online. I just had this explained to me over the phone from the man who sold me two pads of paper for $7 more each at the store than what their website showed. As I was not allowed in the store due to Covid, I could not determine if the product was mismarked, or if perhaps a sale would be reflected at the register, etc. I exhibited a bit of trust when handing over my card thru the door. After I got home and called to inquire about charges, man explained rudely that they are serving "different markets" and would not consider a refund. ???. I had wanted to shop/support local OP business. But there is no place for this shady business practice backed by rudeness. Normally I'd give a local business owner the $14 difference in price, but this merits a zero star review here. I will not return. read more

Very rude lady answering the phone. Not surprised at the poor ratings. Customer service was bad.... Not willing to answer any questions at all over the phone. Misguided us over the location with the phone number published against a different store location. read more

No wonder they are starvin' artists, they are SUPER RUDE. Who would want to do business with these people? We called to ask about stretching a canvas painting and he essentially told us to do it ourselves and fell just short of calling us idiots for not wanting to do it ourselves. We didn't want to do it, we wanted to PAY to have it done. And guess what? We are paying to have it done, by The Great Frame up..the lady we spoke to on the phone was super nice. Strange how being nice earns you business. read more

This has been the worst customer service experience from any online company. I placed an order on 11-22-10 and a week later there website crashed. I called all 3 numbers and got the same answering machine, I left messages and never got a return call. I kept calling and eventually got some old lady who didn't know anything and then I got a male who told me to call another number. That number didn't answer so I called the other number back and the man said they got a virus but will have it fixed and order will go out soon. Their email doesn't work and now it is 12-15-10 and I have yet to have an order shipped. I called today and got no one and no return call. Failure Notice ... From: MAILER-DAEMON@nm21.bullet.mail.ne1.yahoo.com MAILER-DAEMON@nm21.bullet.mail.ne1.yahoo.com ... Add to Contacts ________________________________________ Sorry, we were unable to deliver your message to the following address. mail@starvinartist.com: Remote host said: 550 #5.1.0 Address rejected mail@starvinartist.com [RCPT_TO] read more

Super disappointed, both as an artist and as a customer. I was warned by some of my friends. I REALLY wanted to support a local business, but now I know I should have listened. The staff does not seem to care about selling anything, and they were kind-of rude. One time I went, the woman working there didn't seem to know anything about the stock. I gave her many opportunities to elaborate or to help me with anything, but it seemed like she was trying to push me out the door so she could close up & go home. The stock itself was okay, but a little sparse. Also, a little overpriced from what I can tell. The one tube of paint I ended up getting was unfortunately a little old & partly dried up. I could see this place being helpful if you're desperately trying to get supplies for your kid's last minute school project and you don't care how much you spend. But be forewarned, their hours are very sporadic from week to week. But if you're an actual artist, I'd head to Blick. They have more, of course, but they also often hire artists, so the staff at Blick tends to know more about the stock. To be honest, I'm not sure how Starvin' Artist stays in business, unless they own their space & don't have to pay rent, or perhaps have a "sponsor" of some kind. Very odd. read more

I personally had three big issues at this business. I went here to purchase a few things for my wife for her birthday. She is in to lettering (not calligraphy), however the lady working there tried to sell me calligraphy gear about four different times (strike one). I ended up purchasing a light box and some paper. I had done some research online about pricing and the light box was about twice as much as it is at big box stores (strike two), but my wife loves local businesses so I decided to pull the trigger and support them. To make a long story short, the light box wasn't what my wife wanted so I went to return the item. I was flat out told that they do not accept returns on light boxes, since it's *possible* that I could have used it once, only to then return it. The lady then pointed me to their returns sign - it states that they do not accept returns on "consumable items, i.e. paper and pencils". Who would have thought that a light box (which, even if it had been used once, still retains all of its utility, unlike paper or paint) would be considered a consumable. She also noted they do not accept returns on things like easels - again, because conceivably you could use it once only to return it. The fact that we had never used the light box, much less even opened it, did not matter. Strike three. Now I'm out $100 and they're out a customer. My advice: Head to a big box store. It's cheaper and you can actually return the merchandise if you are not satisfied. read more

The store clerk was very helpful the first time I went in looking for some economical framing options. As a result, when I needed some custom framing work done, I wanted to support this local business in my neighborhood. I went a few weeks ago, and there was a note on the door that they would be back in 15 minutes. (I was too impatient to wait more than five.) The second time I tried, I walked the three quarters of a mile there (carrying several pieces of artwork!) to find a note on the door that they were opening later than usual. Grrr. The final time was today, when I showed up at around 1215. They were not open though the regular business hours are listed as starting at 11 AM. I called and the clerk who answered must have been at a different location. He was unapologetic and unhelpful, so I told him I will take my business elsewhere. I don't understand how a business that does not keep consistent hours can stay in business. I am assuming this is a regular problem if it happened to me three times in the past several weeks. read more