Blick Art Materials

My daughter will be studying art next year in college, and while we were in town we stopped to shop, on the advice of one of her future college professors. It was nice to see a deep selection of good art supplies, canvases, etc. unlike what you find at most craft stores. The salespeople were very helpful too, signing my daughter up for a student discount card (which is free). We really enjoyed our stop and will be back again soon!

For being such a small location, they sure do pack alot in. The staff is always so helpful and extremely knowledgeable. If they don’t have what you need, they will see if the Sawmill location does or they can order it in. Also the buy more save more price structure, spot on! Couldn’t be happier!

very professional and courteous staff, especially the store in Columbus. They have a great variety, and if they don’t have it they can order it for you online and have t delivered to your house. Some stores are bigger than others and thus have more variety. The biggest one is in NYC.

They have the best supplies here and the employees are always the friendliest! Love this store!

I had been searching for some supplies for one of my photography classes that I am taking. I had tried a few spots around town, but could not find what I was looking for in the size I needed. Based on a recommendation for a fellow student, I sought out the store. I am so glad she recommended this place.
Utrecht’s is located in the Short North area. Parking can be challenge in the area and usually pay at meters, but I was fortunate to find a spot not too far away. The storefront is not very big, but that is deceiving. The store is deep & narrow. Aisle ways can be a tight fit and shelves are stacked high. The staff were very friendly and eager to assist. They helped me locate what I needed and explained different options in the size I was needing.
I learned that Utrechts & Blicks had merged together. The way I learned about that is that their rewards card applies to both stores. Take advantage of their free rewards program to help offset the pricing. Prices are competitive for local & online. I’ll definitely be back when I need more art supplies in the future.

The staff were extremely experienced and friendly. This store is definitely worth buying supplies from.

They have a ton of stuff at decent prices. I can find these things much cheaper at Michaels if I wanted to. That said… it’s still a nice store. The people here are nice too and very helpful. I asked a few dumb questions to see if they were patient and they seemed nice enough. I picked up a new palette and some primary paints for $ 6 each.
They have what I need so I know if Michaels doesnt have it they will. I’m just glad theyre not so overpriced like most art shops.

Small and quaint little art supply store. Like most art supply stores it can be expensive for some things. There is a limit on what is even available, but they def have the basics. The people are friendly that work there and know what they are talking about.

Thank god for Utrecht. I needed art supplies for school and had planned on spending a good chunk of time looking for everything I needed. When I came in with my list, the worker took it and helped me find every single thing I needed within 30 minutes. He was a huge help. The workers here really know their stuff. Needless to say, I’ll be coming back here again for more supplies.

This is a small store. It has to be, it is in Short North. Speaking of location, it is close enough to the University to hop on your bike or take a bus. It is CENTRALLY located in the heart of Columbus, which is something to be said in and of itself. Yes, the parking is not ideal, but there is a lot right next door! I have never purposely gone here and not found a parking spot either in the lot to the north or on the street at a meter (watch out, they DO ticket heavily here).
Much like my review for the ‘other’ art store across town, I must say that you get what you pay for here. If prices seem too high, think of the quality of the materials that you are getting.
The staff is friendly here (something the other store lacks) and is always willing to help new customers find supplies. I can think of several times that I have witnessed staff becoming personal shoppers– walking new college art students step-​by-​step through the store to find all of their required class materials. The store also offers a discount for students and faculty!
Utrecht simply does not have the space to have every supply on hand for immediate purchase. What they lack in space they make up for in personality. They are more than willing to order materials in for you, they also are friendly, helpful and if they do not have an answer for you, they will seek one out and if need be– call you back!

I was not terribly impressed with the staff on hand when I visited. They didn’t really know much about the store’s layout or what they stocked.
The products were pretty pricey. A lot of the same products are carried at many other art and craft stores at better prices, and you get better coupons at those stores as well. I’m a bargain hunter, though, so I’m terribly addicted to trying to find things cheaper. :)
Though it can’t really be helped by the business itself as it is located in the Short North, it is a notable fact that parking will almost always be absolutely horrible. Walking is the better option, as street parking is almost never available.
I’ve only visited once, and I probably will not be back. There are better deals to be had elsewhere.

Utrecht is one of the few art supply stores I know of in the Columbus area, other than Blick’s, in the northwest side, various Hobby Lobbys, Michael’s, and… er… is that it? Oh, yeah… CCAD art store and ‘Longs’ Barnes & Noble bookstore.
I’m giving Utrecht 4 stars because I liked my first experience visiting the store and my first experience looking for art supplies. Ever. I didn’t give 5 stars only because of it’s location in the Short North. Although the store is on the #2 bus line that goes up and down High Street, if you are coming from outside the city by car, then parking is never great in the Short North area. There are meter parking spots on the street and in some lots nearby, but usually they are full, and it costs a quarter for, as I recall, about 9 minutes of parking time. So, unless you find a spot really close you’d better be quick. Tickets are STEEP!!!
So, Utrecht. I was helped by a guy, whose name I do not recall, who went out of his way to explain to me the uses for several different products in the store, show me where they are found, and explain to me why he prefers one over the other for particular uses. We looked at all kinds of pens, mixed-​media papers, and gel mediums, and he informed me about all of them. I ended up purchasing Golden Gel Medium, a Sakura Pigma pen, 3 packs of brush pens, and a sheet of a kind of transparent vellum to try out as a support for an image transfer, some painting, and some gel pen work.
There is a blog that is kept up for the store, and on that blog are listed sales and workshop events. I was told about that, and the customer service rep wrote down the URL for me on a business card.
The store is not very large and has some very narrow aisles. I can see that when it would get crowded the experience would not be quite as enjoyable. There was a workshop going on at the time I walked in, and there were about 5 people in the front of the store taking part in it. Then, a few more people came in and out. It felt a little crowded.
There seems to be a good selection of products here, especially for oil painters, but I noticed that the stretched canvas selection wasn’t too large.
I think that the prices are a little high here, but I’m new to this. I’ve been looking at the websites of several art supply product manufacturers and distributors, and the retail prices at Utrecht seem to be a little higher than purchasing many of these items of interest online. However, you can’t beat face-​to-​face interaction when it comes to learning about products and product possibilities.
As a result of this trip, though, I began my explorations (other than as a child), or maybe I should say, began my further explorations, into art. It was a good trip.
Thanks for the good experience, salesguy at Utrecht!

I was in need of a new presentation case for my design portfolio. I had looked at most of the other art stores in town and did not find what I was looking for. Everything elsewhere looked really cheap. I checked out Utrecht’s website and saw one I liked, so decided to check out their store.
Upon entering, I was amazed by the number of art supplies that they had available. I didn’t really look at anything in too much detail, as I quickly made my way back to the portfolios where I found exactly the one I was looking for. A store employee came by and was very helpful in finding the inserts I needed.
The case I bought was pricey, but that’s because it was a nice quality leather. I didn’t care so much because it was exactly what I was looking for and was very comparable to similar cases I found on-​line. Plus, I had a 30% off coupon from their website, which helped a great deal. I actually forgot my coupon in my car, but the employee told me it was ok and rang me up with one they had stashed by the register.
Overall, a very good experience. The only reason I’m not giving Utrecht 5 stars is because I called them on several occasions to see if they had the item I wanted, but they never answered the phone. I didn’t even get voicemail. I’m really glad I decided to stop in anyway.

For many years, The lower level of Long’s bookstore on campus was my go to place for art supplies. Unfortunately, after essentially becoming a Barnes and Noble, it didn’t seem to have as good of quality or as large as a selection as it did before. I’m not sure why I never came here as a replacement, but I’m glad that I’ve discovered and will make it my new go to place.
The staff was helpful and they had a lot of quality art supplies. I was able to find a replacement lead holder for a pretty cheap price. I have 2 pieces that I’ve been trying to find but haven’t been able to (a straight edge for my drafting table and a replacement bulb for my light box) and rather than just saying ‘We don’t carry them’ they gave me some really good options (which I’ve yet to try out).
I’ve definitely be back whenever I need some art supplies!
It is small, however, and because it is in the short north, that means that parking is a pain. I wouldn’t want to buy a large item or a whole bunch of stuff that would require a trek to the car.

I recently had the best experience with this place. I was in a jam at work and needed to mount some drawings on foam board ASAP for a special event.
First of all I am not good at this and second we were out of the spray glue.
I called Utrecht and told them my plight. In the interest of saving me time (before I even had to ask) they checked if they had the glue in stock. I asked if they would be able to mount and they referred me to a staff member who was able to meet me after work, mount the drawings and even teach me how to do it!!!
The price for all of this work was less than a $ 100 bucks which included a good stock of glue. Based on this experience I will go here for all my art supplies regardless of the cost.

I have to admit that this is probably my second choice when it comes to buying art supplies. The biggest reason for this is the constant frustration of the parking, the impossibility of biking (think about it… large canvas, a bike, and a 5’1″ girl. On the bright side, if I wanted to die this would sure be an interesting way!) and the fact that I usually end up ordering something that requires a second trip down there.
There used to be a homeless man who would ‘direct traffic’ in the parking lot.
Apart from those little things, Utrecht is a good place to get supplies inexpensively and to get stellar advice to go along with it. The people who work there are always cheerful and attentive (without stalking you) and they know where everything is.
If you’re in the neighborhood, its worth a stop by. An artist is always out of something, even if they don’t know it yet.

This is a perfectly okay art store as far as I’m concerned– but I should point out, once again, that I’m not really an artist. Creative genius, hell yeah– but I’m not quite a painter, a sketcher, or anything else like that. I write. And for that, Utrecht even has something for me– a workable selection of pens (this is where I buy my Uniball Vision pens). Even though I’m not an artist’s artist, though, I love browsing this place!
Sure, as others have said, any place in the Short North suffers from horrible parking options. If you can find a meter in the lot next door, great. If not– hope you like walking.
Utrecht might be just a tad bit better in, say, the South Campus Gateway, but the modus operandi of that complex seems to be to offer stores no college student would ever need or even want (hello, now-​deceased soap boutique). Still, art students put up with Short North parking to go here because it’s a perfectly serviceable little (emphasis on that last word!) art store.

Utrecht Art Supply is a real pain to get to – practically on the Cap with more than limited parking. The selection and knowledgeable staff more than make up for it, though. Good art supply shops are a rarity in C-​bus, so one like Utrecht is especially a find.
The store stocks a healthy supply of paints, canvases, paper and more. I love the Moleskine notebook selection. Plus, everything is 10% off for students. Rad. It may not have the selection of a superstore like Dick Blick, but it’s a mighty fine shop.
It’s tough to find shops in the Short North that aren’t boutiques. Long live Utrecht!

Utrecht has the usual problems of all Short North establishments. It’s definitely smaller than you would hope. However, whatever they don’t have they’ll order for you without charging shipping. So if you get one of those handy Utrecht catalogs, they can help you with pretty much anything you need.
Beyond that, It’s a great place to get a $ 10 pen that you’ll love forever, or a Moleskine at a decent price… or even something Moleskine-​like for next to nothing.
I went in looking for «something I can mold with and use… probably plastic». That makes me a clueless customer. But the girl at the desk with the suspiciously false name tag displaying «Susie Q» found exactly what I would need in under 5 minutes.

If you are an art student at OSU and without transportation, please for the love of everything good and holy, do your art supply shopping here.
I hate it when kids go get their paints and papers at Longs! It’s overpriced and the staff has very little knowledge with anything art related because the bulk of their sales are in books.
At Utrecht you’ll at least find a knowledgeable staff and decent prices. The prices get better if you have one of their frequent shopper cards and a student ID. Just take the #2 bus south on High Street until you hit Union Station.
My only real complaints are in the size of the store (small) and their selection of canvases (tiny).