Dakota Art Store is a well-loved (and well-stocked!) resource for artists from all over Bellingham, Whatcom County and the Lower Mainland of B.C.
The business has been a downtown fixture for 20 years, in a few different locations. The store's newest space, at 1322 Cornwall Avenue, is large enough for a classroom that can handle a more robust class schedule. It also includes an adjacent gallery space, so Dakota Art Store can be even more involved in and supportive of Bellingham's art community.
The retail space is huge, bright and filled with absolutely everything customers need to create their art, whether they're into watercolor, oil, acrylic, or pastel painting, cartooning, drawing, calligraphy or spray painting.
[caption id="attachment_22518" align="aligncenter" width="520"]
Paint, paint and more paint![/caption]
Dakota also carries several brands of paints, canvases, brushes and papers, along with a huge selection of pens, pencils, tools, easels, books and other supplies.
[caption id="attachment_22515" align="aligncenter" width="520"]
Books and brushes.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_22520" align="aligncenter" width="520"]
Papers and pencils[/caption]
Store manager Alan Weydert attributed Dakota Art's success to loyal customers who have supported their efforts to provide a wide product selection and personal service at great prices.
Dakota has a great selection of high quality children's art supplies, too, with more of the "real deal" basic supplies that aren't always easy to find.
Dakota Art Stores specializes in pastels, and just happens to be the world's largest pastel dealer, carrying virtually every available type of soft, chalk and oil pastel, and related tools and supplies.
[caption id="attachment_22512" align="aligncenter" width="520"]
Soft, oil and chalk pastels in every imaginable hue.[/caption]
Take a look at the Dakota Art Pastel online store here.
In the classroom, instructors, manufacturer reps and employees teach classes and demonstrate products and techniques. Recent workshops have included everything from figure drawing to painting cats with coffee (on canvas, not on actual cats).
At Dakota Art's Mount Vernon location, you'll find the Art Center, where well-known artists from around the country teach workshops on a variety of topics.
The new gallery space has been home to a couple of shows so far, including a 6x6 show of works by artists from all over the community that raised funds for the Allied Arts Education Project, which supports art in education. Stop by the Dakota Art Gallery during the next Downtown Bellingham Art Walk to see what's up on the walls—and maybe you'll awaken your inner artist!
Dakota Art Store, 1322 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham 98225 360-676-8918
Hours: Monday through Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Sunday: 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Dakota Art Store on Facebook
