Asheville – It has now been six months since Helene devastated local people, businesses, and our artist community. Recently, the artist community has faced another significant blow as two of our top stores for professional art supplies, as well as arts and crafts supplies, announced their closures. This leaves no art stores in Asheville proper, the central hub of art in Western North Carolina.
Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff
After four decades in business, Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, a family-owned art supply store known nationwide, has announced it is closing its doors. The store stated, “we will be putting down our paintbrush and closing our doors. We want to express our deepest gratitude for your support throughout the years. It has been an absolute joy to serve you and be a part of your creative journey.” They will be shutting down their locations in Boone, Asheville, and Charlotte. Following the announcement, the internet was filled with artists expressing their grief.
Joe Miller
Joe Miller’s life was always connected to the arts in various ways. While working as a pharmacist at Boone Drug and moonlighting as an artist, Joe began a small corner ‘shop’ he jokingly named ‘Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff.’ The name stuck, and Joe later left his pharmacy career to grow Cheap Joe’s into a significant player in the art materials world.
Joe’s passion and dedication to the art community earned him numerous accolades and awards, with his highest honors including the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, the American Watercolor Society Dolphin Medal, the North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine, and the NWS Arts and Humanities Award for his contributions to his extensive community.
Joe emphasized his belief in the healing power of art, sharing stories of Vincent Van Gogh and his brother Theo. This inspiration led Joe Miller to start the Brushes for Vincent charity, which is committed to healing through art by providing free materials to assist artists in crisis, victims of illness or infirmity, and victims of natural disasters.
Cheap Joe’s didn’t just offer art supplies; they also provided online tutorials for artists and brought renowned artists to WNC for multi-day workshops.
After Joe’s passing on September 6, 2023, his family continued to run the business but found it challenging to maintain the services people expect due to economic strain in the industry. Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff stated that as it prepares to close its doors, it is working to sell existing inventory to continue paying employees “for as long as possible.” Discounts have already begun on some items online.
In a statement to WCNC Charlotte, Cheap Joe’s said it would continue online sales until the end of the month, although the closing dates for the outlet stores have not yet been determined. “We want to express our heartfelt thanks to our loyal customers, employees, and partners who have been a part of our journey,” Joseph Miller, CEO of Cheap Joe’s, said in the announcement. “While this chapter closes, the journey was a great one, and we will be forever grateful.”
Joann Fabrics
While Joann is predominantly a fabric store, it also carries many supplies used for mixed media art as well as arts and crafts. Creatives are mourning the loss of a major source for fabric, art, and craft supplies, as other stores do not offer the same range and quality of fabrics or sales.
Joann Fabrics has been a beloved source since opening in 1943; however, after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice in less than a year, Joann announced the closure of “approximately 500” stores, leaving locals hopeful that the Asheville store would remain open. Ultimately, the decision was made to close all 800 locations, including the one in Asheville. A liquidation company is now selling out the inventory of all stores.