Art & Soul's owners celebrate 20 years of fueling the artistic soul of Sebastopol
Art & Soul is having its 20th anniversary celebration on Saturday, May 30, from 10 am to 6 pm, and you're invited
For 20 years, the owners of Art & Soul have been proving that you don’t need a Master’s in Fine Arts to run a full-service art store. When Sabina Fried and Margaret Conner bought a Sebastopol art store in 2006, neither came from a traditional fine arts background. Fried, who had worked in banking, brought her experience in accounting, customer service and management. Fried says Conner, who makes jewelry and does beading, is the more artistic half of the pair. Together, they moved up from Southern California and jumped headfirst into learning the business.
“It was really a crash course,” Fried said. “Five very intense months, 50-hour weeks, just learning everything.”
When Fried and Conner first bought the business—which was founded as Montmartre Artists Supply by Chris and Ellen Cheek in 1997—it was located right downtown on Sebastopol’s Main Street. Fried and Conner quickly expanded the inventory. By 2009, having outgrown their space, they opened an annex next door, adding craft and office supplies and more products for kids and families.
These days, the business is located in that vast warehouse on Petaluma Avenue that for many years housed the vintage clothing store, Aubergine. When they first made the move to their new digs in 2018, some folks in Sebastopol wondered, ‘How are they ever going to fill all that space?!’ Needless to say, they managed.
Walking through the store today, you can find everything from fine art materials—like paints, inks, brushes, canvases, art pads and art paper, and easels—to spray paint, children’s art supplies, art journals, and craft kits. And everything in between. (See a more comprehensive list at the end of this article.)
The store now includes a dedicated classroom space, offering watercolor, drawing, acrylic painting and journaling classes taught by local instructors.
It also features nearly 2,000 square feet of shared artist studio space with easels, worktables, a sink, and even a printing press. Members pay $150 a month for studio space, which includes lockers for artists’ personal supplies.
When they moved to the new space, the store also added a full-service custom framing department, which Fried is particularly proud of. “Those guys are really, really good at their job,” she said.
They even have a small office supply section, and a few years ago, they added a colorful mural, created by Clark Hipolito, on the corner of the building, using spray paint sold in the store.
With so much to offer, part of the secret to their success is their knowledgeable staff, “We have a really great staff,” Fried said. “They really love to help people and answer questions.”
For Fried and Conner, what began as a leap into the unknown has paid off. They’ve now spent two decades helping Sebastopol artists, from beginners to professionals, find supplies, advice and inspiration.
You’re invited to their 20th Anniversary on Saturday, May 30
The store’s 20th anniversary celebration is tomorrow, Saturday, May 30, and you’re invited. There will be a full day of activities from 10 am to 6 pm, including artist demonstrations from 11 am to 3 pm, face painting for kids from 2 pm to 4 pm, new product demonstrations, an art show, a raffle with prizes, and storewide discounts ranging from 20% to 50% off. The radio station KRSH (The Krush) will be broadcasting from Art and Soul’s front porch from noon to 2 pm.
Art & Soul is located at 755 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. Find out more at artandsoulsebastopol.com.
