Overall staff customer service ranges from barely helpful to combative, argumentative, and elitist. Want to feel like you don't matter and you're an uninformed, bothersome lowlife--this store is for you! Prices range from moderately reasonable to over priced. I proudly shop local--and in some cases pay a premium on the same items I can find cheaper online (with free shipping)--because community matters to me, but if you insist on providing a poor customer experience then your business will not be getting my business, my friends business, my colleges business, and has NO business being in this community. Want to try and provide some guidance to this business to course correct, good luck! I recently tried to provide the manager feedback on an unreasonable, rude, employee and he couldn't push the business card of the "general manager" quick enough into my hand and end the conversation without remotely being interested in the feedback, altercation, or attempting to demonstrate leadership himself. Disappointed? You bet! Don't even attempt to take pictures in this place for research purposes (how I would've LOVED to buy a class set of 30 books of the one I was looking at). Want to send a pic as a text message to ask your spouse if the item is what they were looking for or agree you should buy as a gift. Nope. No. It's against the "rules" and "store policy". Hm...a policy that's not documented and seems straight up archaic in the 21st Century with Amazon, other online retailers, and ubiquity of cell phones and social networking. I frequently pass by this location and see the store barely filled with customers...I wonder why? I'm a local artist, alum of SAIC, an educator, and father. I wished I would've had different experiences here, wished it was a place that was interested in customers and the community... But alas, that seems far from reality. It's a damn shame too. Shopper beware. Your results may very. read more

I have to open this review by stating that I'm writing a negative review after giving this store 6 visits to redeem itself and change my opinion. I get the fact that this is more or less the only show in town for art supplies. That gives Blick the opportunity to shine, not to drag the whole art store model down with its inability or unwillingness to deliver on what Pearl (the company that Blick swallowed up) had going for it. Pearl set the standard for large company, large inventory stores that employed knowledgable and often friendly associates. Of course Pearl wasn't without its faults and that's probably a part of the reason why we don't have them around today. I have tried to get help several times while in this store and on many occasions have been bummed out by what I encountered. Today, I had the distinct pleasure of having the manager walk by me several times without so much as a hello. When I gave up on trying to figure out exactly where what I needed was located, I spotted him again, idly doing busy work. I had to walk up to him, smile and ask him to help me. I was met with disdain and nearly made to feel like a complete dummy because apparently what I needed does not exist. My ego is not so fragile so I shrugged it off with "well it couldn't hurt to ask". Not only did this not make the encounter less awkward, but said manager turned on his heels walked away from me without even trying to think of a solution. Apparently he had already made the store's sales goals in the 1st 3 hours they were open so they didn't need any of my money. And can you please tell me what is with the no trying out the paint markers? Is your bottom line so important that you can't afford to allow people to test out a tip or a paint consistency? Rattle cans I get. -No need to get us all zooted while we're trying to buy things to make art with. But paint markers? Customer service/customer experience, awful. Inventory, halfway decent to good. Prices, high. Incentive to spend money there and not buy the exact same things online, ZERO. I'm glad all of you 4 star gift givers had a great experience. You might be singing a different tune if you had ever shopped at an ACTUAL art store with knowledgable, friendly staff. The Art Store, DOA when Blick dropped in E-Town. read more

Yet another Blick where my art geek kicks in and the urge to spend too much money begins. It's amazing how many ideas you get just by walking into an art store. Although smaller than most city Blick stores, this one is quaint with a friendly staff. Neat and clean store. And yay for the support of the arts with the artists by the front door doing demos and answering questions. All-in-all a great place for a Blick in the suburbs! read more

This store is completely amazing!!! I knew generally what I wanted and Hailey enthusiastically showed me multiple options of paints, brushes, and canvases. She was so friendly, kind, knowledgeable about the products and had a ton of creative ideas. She offered lots of encouragement; exactly what I needed as an artist and world traveler getting back into painting. The store is beautifully laid out and super conveniently located in Evanston, close to NU and Loyola and the far north side of the city. I went to check out and got even more excellent advice from the cashier.. it never stopped!! At his suggestion, I bought a couple more items; gesso, etc. I paid for my items and turned around and yet another customer service employee was holding my 48" easel and 24x48 canvas ready to load it into my car, which was conveniently parked right out front!! Seriously, if you walk into the store with an idea and inspiration, the whole team will jump into action. I LOVE this store!!! Thank you so much!! read more

What a mixed bag. THE BAD: Despite the fact that I was one step away from my toddler, he knocked over a $42 pint of oil. Fortunately, it was only one pint of oil; thankfully, he was not in a mad rage and did not go tearing down the aisle and knock over pint upon pint of said oil--so neatly stacked in rows on the BOTTOM SHELF--because that would have left us destitute. I was mortified. I almost burst into tears. My child did. A twenty-something salesperson working the floor came over. I explained what happened and he snapped "excellent. Really excellent." My husband offered to help clean up and offered to pay for the oil. I left the store. THE GOOD: The salespeople at the front and at the register were friendly. The poor young guy behind the register didn't know what to do and said, "You're keeping the store afloat. You're the most honest customer we've ever had." He sweetly threw in a paint brush and little tube of paint. He didn't know what to do. ***** IDK. We owned up to our responsibility, and that was the right thing to do. We broke it. All the same, it was an accident, and it would have been nice if a manager had come to speak with us and maybe charged us their purchase price rather than the retail price or maybe just chalked it up to an accident and said, "That sucks, but that's why we have insurance." And I'm sorry the guy had to clean up the glass and oil, but it could have been worse. It could have been puke. read more

I was so ready to spend at least $40 bucks for some markers and sketch books today for my kid but was asked (not so nicely) to stand outside as the place was supposed at capacity. As I looked inside, the store was not full at all. Not sure what is the deal. Well, don't complain that business does not do so well, you are the one that pushes customer away. Will never return. read more

Ok, I had to return... I still had the gift card and I am pleased to say, that someone must have hired more staff; or I just happened to go on a day when there was staff galore to be of service. THANK YOU! Without any assistance from me - looking like I was lost or bewildered; a newly hired employee came up to me to offer direction and stayed with me until I was satisfied with my selections. She admitted that she was happy that she didn't have to go on a seek and find mission in the back room, ("it's a little scary"). Still, she was a dear. So Blick you earned one more star. Now, if you could just do something about your prices - really nearly $9 for a box of 12 watercolor pencils is a bit much - even with the teacher discount. Regular customers shouldn't have to pay so much - they're creating art for heaven's sake. read more

Helpful, knowledgeable staff are so friendly and interested in customers' projects. I wanted to frame some posters, and Ashley was so competent at explaining the framing process and scheduling my appointment. She even alerted me to an upcoming sale so that I could save more money! When I returned on a different day (during the sale) to complete the purchase, Teresa's enthusiasm and knowledge made me feel confident in my decisions. Everyone I meet at Blick is delightful. read more

This review is for orders placed on the Dick Blick website. The website is pretty buggy for a company of this size, certain products will show up if you search one way but not if you word it a different way, when we viewed our final order orange symbols showed up next to certain products with no explanation as to what they meant leaving us to wonder is it in stock? is it poison? is it nuclear? what?. I made one small mistake on my order and called back within 5 minutes, after 10-15 min on hold I was informed I was out of luck and that the ordercouldn't be changed, for god's sake even ebay lets you amend your order. I generally dislike the superstore experience and this experience did nothing to change that. Be careful, you're on your own with this place *UPDATE* Took a chance and called again to try to correct my order and surprise surprise, no problem at all. I'm not, however, changing my rating because the first operator told me without hesitation that it could not be done, period when clearly it was possible. Corporate customer service, huh? read more

This is an atom bomb of art supplies. I was a bit lost in here as 1) I'm far from an artist and 2) only needed a couple of things for a drafting class I'm taking. Seriously, there was a ton of art stuff. It wasn't that hard to navigate though and the people were really nice and showed me what I needed. I have no way to judge how much things are supposed to cost, but I didn't feel like the erasers, compass lead, and paper were all that expensive. I was in and out real quick, but I could imagine that if I was anything close to having some sort of art ability then I would be in heaven here read more

One of the larger blicks, good location, respectful and helpful staff, good selection.

This is a fairly large art supply store with a good selection on many areas. The thing I really like about it, though, are the friendly helpful employees. They took the time to explain the differences and uses of several items, and made sure I got what I needed. Thanks! read more

I love you, Blick. You love me, too. You are my respite when I'm in Ev,IL and I need to kill time before a movie or the Purple Line doesn't feel like running. You love me when I walk in and the store is bright and airy and can sell me spray paint, since Chicago wants to keep cans out of the reach of the brown kids who live too far away to come and cop some. You love me when I can find most of what I want or need, even if Blick hasn't gotten that whole "order online and pick it up at a store" thing together. I love you, Blick. Thank you for loving me. (And my money.) read more

I have really conflicted feelings about the Evanston BLICK. I really want to like this store-- they have awesome art supplies and funny random things. However, the Evanston store is overpriced and the staff has never been very friendly. Sometimes I can't even find someone to help me. One time when I finally found someone, I swear they were purposefully dodging me and sort of running away. One of the cashiers was literally throwing my stuff into the bag without being careful. They do have good "BLICK Friday" deals; and their clearance is usually really good ... and they have super funny little gifts... But if you're going in to buy a case of sharpies or a pad of heavy drawing paper, you can definitely find those things for far less at other stores. I have had really good experiences with other BLICK stores, so maybe it's just Evanston? Not sure.... I'll update when I visit again. read more

SUPPLIES: they had a great selection of sharpies, and a decent selection of colored illustration pens as well. Though, I would have expected more. Their selection of cutting and slicing tools was also pretty extensive, but their special scissors selection Wasn't very impressive. They also had some very reasonably priced canvas packs. SERVICE: The gal at the counter was sweet and in a great mood. Everyone there let me walk around aimlessly through the aisle without bothering too much about needing help. I appreciate that, because this is an art supply store--where I like to spend my time and take a look at all the options before making a purchase. STORE: The store was clean, the aisles were labeled very obviously, and read more

HUGE art store in downtown Evanston. Whatever you want for your art project, you'll likely find here. It is truly like an art warehouse! read more

Blick Art Materials - Art Supplies Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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I always have a positive shopping experience at Blick in Evanston. The staff is super knowledgeable and helpful whenever I have questions! Whenever they have a sale, the prices are great. If I were to have a complaint it would be that it's not always easy to find pricing on some products. That's across the board at all Blick stores I've visited. read more

I got my wedding, and family pictures framed here. I had my own frame, but was able to purchase the backing, the hanging hardware, and the photos on my choice of paper. The sales associate was helpful, and even put my order on hold as a sale was starting in just a couple of days. She also explained to me the various glass options I could pick from. Museum glass, although pricey, is the way to go. No glare just your beautiful picture. I'll be back in the years to come. read more

I miss the little art supply stores in Evanston and Chicago and, I guess, everywhere. Retailer chains and people's misconception that the bigger the store, the lower the price have run most of them out of business. Definitely our loss. Although the people that work tat Blick's are usually helpful, they don't seem to stay around very long. I miss getting to know the people that worked at the independent stores and having them actually remember me, what I bought last time, what materials I usually work with. Blick's does has a good selection of art supplies and a large inventory of the things they carry. Most of the people that work there are artists themselves (their art is on display). They offer discount cards to various people. (I get one because I'm a gallery owner.) I'm glad we have a Blick's in Evanston, but the big box doesn't feel like home. read more

Amazing customer service and knowledgeable staff. They will help you with any questions and useful information for your project. They have a great inventory on art materials. Thank you Travis for all your help and suggestions to my project. Check their great sales. Recommended! read more

I've patronized Blick for years as they have a great selection, and the employees are usually pretty helpful and friendly. I don't like leaving a negative review for a store I appreciate, but I was treated so rudely by an employee today, that I do feel the need to write something. I don't know what good a yelp review does, but I'm gonna go ahead and put this out there. I was trying to do a return, and the sales lead (Travis) was incredibly condescending and rude. I have never, ever been treated THIS rudely by a customer service employee anywhere. Frankly, it was humiliating. I felt bad enough doing a return, but his mannerisms were just uncalled for. Even if this guy was having a bad day, taking it out on customers isn't cool. There are so many friendly people who would love to work here, and it's a shame they hired someone that is clearly not fit to interact with people. What kind of sales clerk snarks to customers to "come back tomorrow and talk to someone else"? If anything that's pretty shitty even to his own coworkers as his pettiness just passes the buck to someone else. I've contacted the Evanston manager about this. I am doubtful anything will come of this, but this was just ridiculous. I really used to love shopping here, but no way am I going back if they condone employees treating repeat paying customers so appallingly. Basic empathy and a calm demeanor really shouldn't be so difficult. *UPDATE: I went to the Chicago Loop location where one of the managers was understanding and friendly and helped me with my return. In hindsight, while my experience at the Evanston location left a lot to be desired due to pretentious bros that get off on being jerks, I do have to say the people that work at the downtown location have always been pretty great. So my low rating is pretty much just for the Evanston location... I'm not going to let some jerk ruin an otherwise decent company for me. :/ read more

The WORST customer service I've had in a long time. There were 4 customers in the store and 10 people working and no one to help me. Pathetic. read more

I really enjoyed this artist-friendly store.not only they sell spray paint, they also have high quality printer for your photo prints

I have been to this particular store few times since it's my daughter's favorite place for art supplies. Went in today, staff were somewhat friendly, cashier young guy with glasses who's hands were covered in paint- took the cash I gave him ( a 20 and 10 dollar bill) and raised it up for a good 30 seconds .. assuming to make sure it wasn't fake bill? Are you fucking serious, while a white customer ahead of me paid by cash and none of this happened! So disappointed of how I was treated- hate to think that it's racial motivated but then again it's in Evanston where walking while black is a crime of some sort! I will not visit this store aga read more

Stopped in to this store in Evanston in order to re-fuel a painting hobby of mine, and loved it! The store is packed with art supplies, and the staff is young, but very friendly and helpful. And, EVERYTHING was 50% when I was there. I hope this type of sale happens often because I love to dabble and want to visit regularly for inspiration. Really a good resource to have right here in Evanston for creative types like me! read more

This place is enormous and makes me wish I was more artistic or creative or something! But no, that probably won't happen so I'll stick to buying the non-artsy stuff that everyone knows how to use... like wrapping paper! Stop #2 in preparation for JN's birthday festivities, Blick has some gorgeous wrapping paper. Maybe a little pricey if you have a lot of presents to wrap ($3+ per sheet) but make sure nobody tears into their presents and you could make your house look pretty after the celebration is over. Framed wrapping paper art anyone? Seriously. The wrapping paper here makes me want to plaster it all over my walls. Beautiful! read more

This has to be my favorite art store. The prices are reasonable, particularly if you have a student discount card. It's always squeaky clean inside and neatly organized. You can find everything from art books, journals, drafting supplies and a huge selection of artist papers. Parking is located right outside in the form of meter parking or a parking garage across the street. read more

WORSE CUSTOMER SERVICE....EVER. p.s. Who the hell prints up coupons and SENDS THEM TO YOUR HOUSE....AND WHEN YOU GET THERE THEY SAY THEY ARE NOT VALID? read more

Even though this location isn't very different from the one in Chicago, I somehow like it better. The service and selection is the same. Maybe it's the whole going to Evanston for a day thing. I usually come here and then go somewhere for dinner or a movie. Evanston just has such a charm about it. read more

apparently the cashiers are overworked and underpaid, last time I came here to stock up on pens, paint and charcoal the snooty cashier #2 who had his own line told me that it was one big line with an attitude. A 3RD cashier opened up to ring up some old lady so I got in his line and he tells me the same thing, like they have selective preferential customers they can and can't ring up. I just dumped my intended purchases and walked out. Back to Genesis my favorite art store. read more

Expensive, beautiful and huge. It is easy to drop a lot of cash here, so make sure your bank account is sufficiently stocked to handle the damage you are going to do here. Lots of parking around, including a public garage. Very close to Metra and the Purple line (when it runs). read more

Great location, well stocked, decent prices. Nine out of ten times, if I'm in the neighborhood I get sucked in. Over the years my needs have changed, whether I was looking for journals, pencils, markers, paper, whatever the case may be, I found it here. read more

If you need art supplies this is the go to place. Its a real art store. Ive always stopped by for block printing supplies and items for gifts, like cards and wrapping paper. The one down fall, theres one gentleman who works there that seems miserable. He's unfriendly when he rings you up at the register. read more

If you need art supplies then this is the place to go! The sales associates are really friendly and can help you with all your needs. It also helps that it is in a really nice location and parking is everywhere. They have everything from screen printing materials to cute little pins. My go to spot for everything art. read more

Three stars for having most things I need in one place. Sales clerks run the gamut from helpful/knowledgable to an "I hate my job" attitude. Here is an important caveat: web price matching is completely misleading. It is not item for item, I recently found out. It includes shipping costs on the web, even when you qualify for free shipping. If an item is for sale on the web, you don't get the sales price in store. I compared my in store receipt with what it would have cost online and there was about a $24 discrepancy!!!! Ugh! Corporate should beware. If enough customers catch on to their shady marketing, it could cost them in the end. I encourage everyone to check web prices before going in the store. Corporate marketing: one star. I'm feeling generous. read more

This giant art supplies store is not just for painters, but also for sculpters, draftsmen and sketch artists. Wear your coolest beret and be prepared to browse for a while because they have a huge selection of canvases, paints, brushes, easel and drafting tables. read more

This store has a lot of good items and the staff is very helpful. I come in at times to purchase canvas or pencils. They carry a large variety of art supplies and it's in a great location. read more

So, a while back I stopped going to get my printing done here because the print manager at the time was incompetent (messing up sizing, discarding files immediately,etc.) So I was going to the Lincoln Park location for all my printing needs. But I would still grab colored pencils if I was in Evanston, or go there for paint, etc. But the last two times I went in with my coupon and it wad rejected. Tonight I went to buy an easel that was clearly marked EVERYDAY PRICE. I waited in line, not saying anything when they took people who weren't actually in line before those of us in line. When I got to the cashier, I was told the easel was on sale and I couldn't use the coupon. I said it was not on sale, it wad clearly marked EVERYDAY PRICE, but she just said no, it was on sale and I couldn't use my coupon. I left the easel on the counter and walked out. I got about two steps out and decided to get my coupon back, but when I went back in, she'd already torn it up. So I couldn't even use it at Lincoln Park. And I think Drew, one of the managers is great, but I won't give them any more of my money. I actually ordered the same easel on Amazon before I wrote this, for $22 cheaper. So I guess everything worked out. read more

I went in to stock up on some basic drawing supplies. Thing is...I don't know anything about drawing or drawing supplies. When the nice, young man greeted me upon entering, I went straight to him and asked for help. He showed me what I needed and explained what all the pencils did (H, B, HB, etc.). It's a big store, and they have a good selection of Blick brand stuff to more high end stuff, which is comforting. I got a few big sketch pads, charcoal pencils, graphite pencils, erasers, and one small set of pencils for under $40. I was at Michaels recently and saw the same supplies at much higher prices. I'm impressed that they have good deals and offer a free rewards card for more discounts (not what I think of in Evanston). I'll definitely be back when I need to restock. read more

Very cool art store and Framing store. Check out all the cool artistic fun things. 50% off sales and go check it out