The Arsenal

Great Place! Great People and Artist! They always give great recommendations and have experience with everything they sell! Support your local Art Shop! Keep up the Great work you two!

Best art supply in SJ for sure;) I can always find everything here I can’t get at the big name stores. Keep it stocked. thanks!;)

Solid selection for the urban artist. Incredibly friendly and informative owner. Small gallery, screen printing shop plus really interesting art lessons (spray paint — yeah!) round out the offerings. Teen graffiti artist says — must see and support the locals!

I’m only giving a low review because I drove out to them and they were closed during normal business hours. I got off work early just for xmas shopping. Not the best time of year to be closed on a Monday!

I hadn’t ever been there, and I went to the pop up store in Valley Fair because my niece was going to a birthday party there (11 – 13 year olds); I left super impressed with the quality instruction, materials and the outcomes of the art they created and the project they had, this was leaps and bounds better quality than some of the other craft/​art birthday activities I’d been to for kids. I learned a lot just by being there, the staff are friendly, willing to guide you and know their stuff, it’s a lot different than a big box store. I’m a fan, I’m looking forward to attending workshops or even having my own b-​day party there and I’m 35!

The short: limited supply art store
I don’t think I am the best judge on what constitutes a good art supply store, so here goes!
This place is very small and contains the essentials of what an artist needs. Paint? Yes. Brushes? Yes. Charcoal? Yes. Spray paint? Yes. Pens? Yes. Paper? Yes. Variety and supply? No. Fortunately, they do carry a couple calligraphy nibs, which is what I came in looking for. Perhaps it’s best to give them a call ahead of time to see if they have something in stock or for whatever you’re looking for.
A unique feature is their mini gallery off to the side. It’s pretty neat to see what local artists are up to.
I’d come back again to support «local,» but then again, I might find another store that has more items in stock in case I decide to explore another art medium. I’d say go check it out to see if it’s your vibe, and I have hopes that The Arsenal will help raise up the cultural art scene in SJ.

Support local business!
Very cool local art store. Artist-​owned and artist-​run store. They had all the art supplies I needed and were very friendly and willing to help when I wasn’t exactly sure of what I needed. Will definitely come back.
Perks:
–The store is in a really nice area on The Alameda
–Really cool art on the walls.
–They give art lessons

Really nice shop. I came in here to buy some sketching materials and left knowing that I would come back. (I noticed that they had some beautiful modern calligraphy pens, which would probably make great gifts in the future). There were also some nice holiday deals. The store has a hip, utilitarian vibe to it, since there’s a studio attached; it’s nice to walk into a place knowing that they practice what they preach, and there’s a lot of quality pieces on the wall to show for it.
Note that the store itself is not very large, but they seem to carry most everything that anyone would need. The store owner was super friendly and the girl working behind the counter immediately asked if I needed any help as soon as I walked in. This might seem like a small point, but after two disappointing shopping experiences in a row during the holiday season where the store owners failed to acknowledge the fact that I was running around looking like a lost cocker spaniel in a Petco, it was refreshing to get some courteous service. Above all, the store’s presence seemed to add a lot of character to the neighborhood, which seems to be teetering on the edge of the gentrification scale.
Apparently they conduct classes and hold regular art shows, which would be worth returning for alone. Hooray for culture in SJ.

It looks like a cool place, and I would have bought all my art items there, but they were out of the pens I wanted and a couple of other things. It looks like a good place for teens/​kids to take classes and the community seems cool.

My husband needed art supplies for an upcoming job. The arsenal was a fantastic place to come for this need. Run by other artists, my husband is able to ask questions and get exactly what he wanted. Since he was talking to other artists, he was able to get advice from other experienced people who use the same materials.
The store is geared on getting you what you want and what you need. They tried to sell us what was popular and works best and were not really concerned with what was most expensive. We wanted to buy a watercolor set and they recommended one that was portable and only cost eight dollars.
There is a little gallery inside and flyers of local art shows as well. My husband and I will definitely be coming back to the Arsenal for all our art needs.

My teenage daughter has been taking small-​group art lessons at The Arsenal for a couple of years. She really enjoys it and has benefited from the instruction.
She also buys art supplies at The Arsenal. They carry high-​quality products. The prices are very competitive and the staff is very friendly.

Fun, friendly shop, locally run– great find!
They had everything I needed and the staff was very nice– will be coming back soon.
I also saw that they have classes, a gallery, and paint for corporate events– I have to check those out!

Art supplies, a mini gallery, friendly staff, and student prices.
I bought a 24″ canvas here and it turned out to be on sale! Woo hoo! I would definitely come here again. The staff was so nice and eager to help!

I really wish they could restock their spray paint display, but none the less, they still have the finest spray paint in the area when comparing to like Home Depot and Lowes. The cashier was very friendly and was able to help me get the color I wanted. I’ve been looking for a specific mandarin orange color to paint and luckily I got the last can. If I ever need spray paint, this will be my first store to go.

Nice little art shop with an urban art focus to it. I was searching for a specific color of spray paint and found this place. Friendly little place that looks like it gets alot of it’s business from art students.
I like to shop local so i was happy to find this place. I rather spend my money here instead of HD or Lowe’s.

This place has quite a selection. Graffiti supplies, art supplies, everything. Also quite pricey. Staff knows what they’re talking about and is very helpful.
Parking’s in the back, and they offer art classes. A+

Although my last review was a bit harsh, I still love The Arsenal.
Walking in, smells like any art store, so don’t let that deter you away. The staff may not be very responsive to you if they are chatting it up with someone else, which I respect. Since once that person leaves, all attention was on me. Although there was a lot of items sold out, everything else is well stocked. This is my go to place for art supplies :) employees are super knowledgeable, as well.

Gotta love & hate a store that appeals to artists who love art so much they tag other people’s property!
If you love «urban art» and don’t always see it as blight, but as the outcry of our youth screaming to be seen then this is the place for you. This is a big contrast from the locked spray can aerosol cages at Home Depot or Lowes. They have top of the line quality spray paints, marker pens, and everything an urban artist would need. They even teach classes.
Like the other reviewer said, Why oh why can’t they paint a decent sign on top of their shop is amazing to me. Probably paralysis over doing the sign justice. I wish an urban tagger would just do the job for them and get it over with! If you check out their website blog and links to some of the underground videos you’ll get a better sense of it all. Hopefully there will be a day when funding for school art programs is restored, that dilapidated «public» spaces will have a process for urban art renewal that doesn’t involve us spending precious tax dollars and time to clean up. Until then the Arsenal will continue to be ground zero for urban artists.

If you’re looking for the best Art Store in San Jose then don’t go to University Art. Don’t do it. They are over priced and not very nice.
The Arsenal Art Store in San Jose however is a hidden gem and I love supporting local independent businesses.
They offer art classes to kids and I really enjoy the art that the owner makes.
I just went to their first gallery opening to celebrate the creation of their new gallery space and I feel like this place is doing a lot of great things for San Jose.
It’s nice to see a business giving back not only to the community but to the kids. They did definitely win me over when I found out they give art classes to the youngsters.
The selection is really great. I love how the spray cans are organized and displayed.
I’m not a graffiti artist but it seems like it would be a graffiti artist’s paradise with the wide selection of hard to find brands and colors.
My only complaint is they need a clear sign at the top of the building that says «Art Store».
It shouldn’t have to be such a hidden gem being on a busy corner of The Alameda.
The place still has the remnants of the old businesses sign above their overhang.
I strongly suggest painting over that blob of the previous businesses sign and putting up a big clear sign saying «ART STORE» above the overhang so people can actually know what the business is from across the street.
It’s hard to tell what is going on in that place unless getting really close.
Overall,
I really enjoy The Arsenal and would like to take some art classes there myself. It is a great space and I look forward to going to more art openings there in the future.
Hope you found this information useful…

I bought a gift card here solely on the reviews here on Unilocal.I wanted to get a gift card somewhere that was just this… local…small…independent.
I like that they have classes here for different age groups and different media. The customer service was super friendly as well.
Easy parking in the back!