Considering it's the only real art supply store in Charlotte, yes I recommend Cheap Joes. What I mean by "Real" is their product range is very wide and includes literally all types of supplies. If you go to a Hobby Lobby type place their art supply scope is extremely limited. I always find everything in looking for at Cheap Joes read more

So I'm a bit late, now that they have moved locations. However, this place is way better then any other place I've been hands down for art supplies. I haven't been to a place like this since I was back living ing LA! Just to let you know I highly recommend this spot for any beginner, intermediate or expert artist! Here's my completed piece using all joes supplie read more

Cheap Joe's Art Stuff - My first abstract painting - Art Supplies Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Friendly staff and some of the prices are good although they're not like Jerry's there are more small scale store but nice and clean

I really enjoyed the selections offered at Joe's. They have sections for different types of painting, paper crafts, sketching, sculpting, and more. The prices are extremely reasonable and they give a student discount on top of that. The staff are also friendly and give great suggestions. read more

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I love the items but the workers are so rude. I don't understand why the can't be friendly. I felt I should have gone back out and got a Parker before entering to prevent the chill. Not a single one of them even said hello or smiled. Not great guys. You are. A customer service store read more

Service was amazing...the staff was very helpful. Great selection as well. Looking forward to my next trip in!

This review is for their website/mail order service, not the store. I recently got back into watercolor painting and have been having fun ordering supplies. I noticed Cheap Joe's has some really nice sample packs of paper which allow you to try all the finishes and weights of a brand. I have also heard good things about their house brand Kilimanjaro paper. So I made a couple orders. I would say the selection is good, and the website is... just ok. (To be fair, I think a lot of art supply websites are just ok.) As for the prices, they aren't spectacular. Some things are a few dollars less than Blick, but sometimes they are more (or you have to buy a larger quantity). It pays to compare. The big downside for me is: Joe's is very slow at shipping. Right now, they take 6 business days from when you make your order to even pack it. Blick, Jackson's, and Jerry's all are shipping orders promptly, within a day or two. I made an order from Jackson's, in the UK, the same day as an order from Joe's. I've had my Jackson's order for days now, but I'm still waiting for my Joe's orders to arrive. And I paid less than $2 for shipping on that order. It's pretty pathetic when you get an international order quicker than a domestic one. If I were Joe, I'd just pay my workers some overtime and catch up, and then try to stay on top of processing times. When I can get supplies from Amazon, Blick, Jerry's Artarama, and even Jacksons more quickly, it's going to be hard to want to order from Joe's. All the other places I mention ship within a day or two of your order; it just seems like Joe's not willing to be competitive. read more

Came in with an idea but didn't know the solution. Staff was incredibly helpful and kind. Amazing experience!

Cheap Joe's has a wide range of products and a helpful staff. The store is always very clean and well stocked. Around the holidays they decorate the windows and create a warm environment! The quality of the supplies they sell is difficult to rival; however, the store is not very large and that does limit their potential to offer the full selection of items they offer on their website (which is why I'm giving 4/5 stars- although I do believe this is out of their control). There are often good quality items on clearance, and they offer student discounts on certain products if you provide them with a school ID or email. read more

Cheap Joe's Art Stuff - A picture of the front window at Cheap Joe's Art Stuff. - Art Supplies Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

A great store packed with all kinds of art stuff I wouldn't know how to use but appreciate nonetheless. I came for the pens and they have a small but solid selection. Very economically priced too. Apple maps made me do a u-turn three blocks away to get in here because they're just before a divider in the road. So you should only half trust Apple or Google maps! But trust the store staff because they helped answer my questions to get the right felt tipped pen even though I couldn't find the same brand. When I got home it was perfect for what I do. I heard them answering other questions too and they are undoubtedly knowledgeable and friendly. No pretensions, just a trusty little store. read more

Very organized store! I'm an inexperienced artist, but there are a lot of supplies I could never think of! I do like charcoal and oil pastel. I'm glad my teacher recommend me this store. They're a reasonable price. They also do student and teacher discounts! read more

Fast service and great staff. Lots to pick from! Delivery is very fast. Prices are higher but competitive. Most stores are closed so everything is mail order read more

I became a fan of Cheap Joe's before I even got to the store. I first visited their website and found it to be very user friendly and easy to navigate. Their motto is "Make more art, Spend less money" = true dat! As someone noted in another review, they are a friend to the starving artist. Stuff actually goes on sale and sometimes clearance! I ended up deciding to visit the store to get the full Cheap Joe's experience. It's a little tricky to find the first time but once you know where it is, return trips are easier. I called ahead to make sure they were open and their hours were correct before making the trek. A really nice young lady helped me and gave me additional directions. The store itself has really nice natural lighting. Everything is set up in common sense order and easy to find. The associates here are super quick to offer help. So as far as pricing, it seemed very reasonable - although I'm the guy who used to shop at Utrecht 30 years ago and art supplies in general were expensive even then. Oil paint and brushes ain't cheap!! Jeez, we even stretched our own canvases back then! They carry name brands like Grumbacher but they do have their own house brand which includes pre-gessoed canvases and paint brushes. Great place to get a gift card for your artist friends!!! Looks like they have locations in Asheville and Boone too! read more

Arrived fast, in excellent condition. And sure enough, the paper looked cheap. This was handmade Indian bark paper. It was very light with dark blobs scattered around. I own a lot of Indian bark paper. This is the ugliest I've ever seen. Joe must've bought the cr*p that didn't sell. read more

If you're looking for a comprehensive collection of fine art/ drafting supplies and a great framing department, and are willing to spend a little extra to support a local business, then look no further; Cheap Joe's is for you. Quality paint and canvas, good collection of printmaking supplies, pen and pencil collections to tempt you, they even sell silkscreen by the yard! Staff is smart and friendly. This is by far my favorite art supply store in the area. And like the reviewer before me said; don't come here looking for candy-making materials and silk flowers, you'll be disappointed. read more

Love the selection of materials, though something tells me the would order something if you really need it. I mostly go here for the pre-streched canvases, but Cheap Joe's definitely is a big help with my paintings that I do. I used to deal with having to drive around Charlotte looking for the best deals on canvases and paint, but this is the only place I go now for supplies. Location is convenient, but watch out for rush hour traffic on Monroe Rd. Plenty of parking. And remember this place is closed on Sundays! read more

Erica was sitting on a stool playing on her cell phone from the time we came in as we browsed around for about ten minutes until I asked her a question and she started griping at me about not wearing a mask and refused to even answer my question until I put a mask on. I put it on then started telling my wife on the other side of the store she has to put one on too. I know we were supposed to have masks but if she wasn't on her phone the whole time she would have seen us. We've been in there three times in the last month with no problems over no masks. Other problem is we went there for photo sleeves and they have them in rolls of ten which rolled up makes it a little difficult to slide the photo in without trying to flatten them out somehow. They are also 27 cents a piece which isn't cheap. Main thing is Ericas lack of friendliness and customer service. I'm sorry we took her away from her cell phone read more

We started painting a few months ago and have just discovered this gem of an art supply store. They have all the supplies you need for beginner to advanced level painting. They also have a brand of acrylic paint that is specific to their store, can't wait to try them out and see how they hold up with some of the well-known brand. I just got into alcohol inks and was surprised that they have tons of colors and a few brands.The staff are extremely helpful you will not be disappointed if you go here. read more

Amazing customer service, great prices . Had an issue with a brush. They replaced it it without any issues.

For what Charlotte has to offer, Joe's is stellar. There are times they do have items that are lower priced and that you won't find at Michael's or Blick's. They also do some sample packaging (e.g. Yupo paper of all sizes). There have been occasions (e.g. linseed oils or gallon pouring mediums) where they are higher priced than Amazon and they do not price match, which is sometimes too much of a price difference for me to consider if I'm going through multiple gallons per week. However, that doesn't change the fact that they're a great option for the non-hobby artist to find more specialty items. You're sure to find new items to try or experiment with. I love their pigment selection, inks, and alcohol inks! read more

Disappointed. There is Little to NO coordination between their website offerings and their own stores. So, seeing an item listed on the website, but being about 20 minutes away from the Asheville store I drove to pick up the offer in person, BUT, the store did not have it the way the site said. Followed up by ordering by phone (at the phone number given on - you guessed it, the web site). Could not match the order! THEN, ordered from the site. SORRY, but not in stock. SO, the store had the item, but not the offer, the Phone oder center had the item but not the offer. The website had the 'offer', but not the item. Sorry, but this is very uncoordinated and misleading. read more

Neat place for serious artists. Huge canvas and large selection of supplies. Very helpful staff.

This review is for their website order service, not the store. They removed the review from their website, as I suspected they would, so I'll just leave it here instead. I ordered one of their Signature Taborets for my wife's X-mas gift, because it was exactly what she was seeking and from what I can tell, as someone who has been doing custom carpentry and furniture restoration for 40+ years as a hobby, it was quite well made. However, the shipping cost for "pallet shipping" was $285, for a $489 piece of furniture that supposedly weighed 110 lbs. I helped the delivery driver take it off the truck and it probably weighed 75-80 pounds at most, but I'll stipulate the weight. Even so, the item was only covered in a flimsy box, with thin styrofoam sheets inside only protecting the flat sides and not the corners or edges. It's banded to a 36" x 36" pallet, but nothing else is protecting it. And it shows. The item had been tipped over, banged on the exposed edges, and something apparently dropped onto it. As a result, one of the corners on the top was broken and a top crosspiece that attached to the corner was cracked loose from the corner. Which, of course, made it entirely unacceptable to give as a gift, much less accept the delivery. I refused the shipment and requested a replacement be sent, with proper packing this time, but although the person I was corresponding with was understanding and helpful, apparently the warehouse didn't even have protective cardboard corner covers, extra cardboard, or pallet wrap on hand. Here's the thing. I am also a retired journalist who has done consumer affairs writing and research, and I looked up the shipping company being used--numerous complaints; apparently they are quite bad. Furthermore, the driver who delivered the item was slinging around the delivery like he was hauling garbage. I had to help him get it off the truck, and slow him down so he didn't bash the box around even more. As well, I went to multiple shipping companies and got quotes for shipping the same item, with insurance, and came back with an average pallet shipping cost of about $90. Not to mention, I've sent furniture and other items by freight, and I've never had to pay anywhere close to $285 to do so, with full insurance. So, there's that to consider. After multiple back-and-forth e-mails and phone calls, over more than three weeks--almost a month after I ordered the item, I finally cancelled the item and requested a refund--which, in fairness, they've agreed to refund (although as of this day, January 15, the refund hasn't hit my credit card yet). This experience has completely soured me on buying anything that would be even remotely easy to break from this company; while they may be responsive and well-meaning, they obviously don't have the means to get the merchandise to the customer reliably in good condition. The review for this item on their website by "Dan" all the way back in 2015 exactly matches my experience, and simply having the shipper plastic-band it to a pallet does nothing to protect the top and sides of the item in its wholly inadequate shipping box from the rough handling the incompetent freight company is obviously subjecting it to. No matter how good the item or friendly the customer service, if I can't be confident that I can even get the item delivered to me non-damaged--and since it was a gift, it needed to be **perfect**--there's no way I can continue to be a customer for this product. I probably won't buy anything else from them, and recommend to the rest of our artist friends that it's definitely a roll-the-dice, buyer beware to try to order anything fragile from them. read more

I know just enough about art to be considered dangerous, I think. i took all the classes in high school and college. So while on a budget and looking to get back in touch with my creative side, an art gallery owning friend and artist recommended Cheap Joe's. The staff was extremely helpful as I muddled my way through what I needed to get started and made great and inexpensive recommendations for me to begin my career as an artist. I even got a few tips on color mixing and shadowing a subject that have been helpful. read more

I've visited every art supply store in Charlotte and will be using Cheap Joe's for my supply needs from now on. The staff is friendly and helpful. The store is bright, organized, and very manageable. But what is comes down to is that this art store is SO affordable. I've been buying oil paint for 6 years now in 3 different cities and Cheap Joe's prices are unmatched. Cheap Joe's is a friend of the starving artist. read more

Cheap Joe's Art Stuff - Helpful handouts throughout the store! - Art Supplies Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I really enjoyed a recent visit to Cheap Joe's. This place isn't a craft store - as others have said it caters more to the fine arts. I liked that I could go in an easily find what I needed. The store is medium sized and well organized. I spent most of my time in the acrylics aisle and I was impressed by the displays for the compounds that allowed you to see the resulting texture and what not - very helpful! They have a private label line for major products. I opted for some private label Cheap Joe's canvas and they are working out well for me so far. Caution: you can easily drop a lot of cash here! read more

Awesome little art store. Don't let the name fool you, the prices are low, but the quality of products aren't "cheap". They have everything you would expect at, say a Urecht, well not everything, they had no L shaped ruler... Anyways, the purpose of my visit was originally to get an easel since my old one was broken. The had a rather nice selection of easels and drafting tables, however the selection was a little too nice. The cheapest one I could find was $90, which isn't bad, but I didn't want to spend that much. After deciding to look else where for a more simple easel, I walked around a bit to examine their goods. Some time had gone by when I had came across a sign, for a sale on canvas. Not just a sale, some of the best deals I had EVER seen on canvases. I picked up a 5 pack of 16x20 stretched canvas for around $25! They even had huge 46x72 (approximately) for under $100. All be it I didn't get what I came in for. I have found a great place to buy canvas! This should be a first stop when shopping for art/craft supplies. read more

I found Cheap Joe's on Yelp after looking for an art store similar to BLICK. Tucked on Remount Road, Cheap Joe's is small, organized, clean and affordable! What you lose in variety you gain in affordable prices and genuine customer service. I went in looking for watercolor brushes and paints after taking a recent Skillpop class. Found what I needed, 2 brushes under $20 and I'm all set! I'll be back. Check them out Yelpers! read more

Since I am a nail tech, I get my shader brushes here. They have a great selection of quality brushes for a reasonable price. If you have kids in school that need their canvases this is a great place to get them, due to the fact you can buy them by the case for less than $20. read more

Excellent customer service and staff, very helpful and willing to assist you. I had an issue with an easel I bought and it was replaced with no problems read more

I wanted to write a review of my experience with the online Cheap Joe's Art Stuff store. I ordered 26 Prismacolor colored pencils, mostly one pencil of each color, but several involved two pencils per color. I found the website in general and Prismacolor pencil order page specifically to be easy to navigate. I chose standard delivery, said to be 5-8 business days. I am located in the state of Washington, while the store is in North Carolina. I was shocked when my order arrived today in excellent condition and completely correct, given my distance from this company. It was filled the day I placed the order and crossed the country in five days total time, some of which are not considered business days, so it was delivered earlier than expected. The pencils were in a protective plastic bag which was surrounded by bubble wrap and were in perfect condition, all placed in a recyclable box. I really can't say enough good things about my experience and will gladly buy from this company again. read more

This is my first time ordering from Cheap Joe's online. I live in Colorado, so I've never visited the store, but they come highly recommended to me. While their selection is great, their prices were comparable to my local art supply store. The website was easy enough to navigate, and I liked being able to find all sizes of brushes on a single page. I found, however, that several items said "in stock" on the main page, only to find it was "backordered" when I changed to the "cart" page. A minor inconvenience that perhaps was a fluke. A bigger issue for me was their shipping policy. The good news was orders over $100 ship for free, but you get what you pay for. Be aware that shipping is not typical. The quoted shipping window does not begin until after they finish "processing" your order, an additional three days unless you pay extra to expedite this. What was listed as "Value"method shipping (6 to 9 days) was actually 9 to 12 business days when processing was accounted for. (It has been 12 days and I still don't have my order.) Furthermore, my receipt says UPS shipping but "no tracking available." I inquired about this and was told they use UPS Mail Innovations, which is not the regular UPS. Your order will actually be handed off by UPS to your regular postal service for delivery. They have live chat service on the website, and they were very helpful in answering my questions about my order, so I appreciate that feature. I shop online for the convenience, but if shipping is more than my drive to Denver, I may decide to make the trip. In summary: nice selection, easily navigable website, but beware of the shipping and pay the extra if you need it quickly. Update: I added a star because on the very day I wrote this, my order arrived. Now that I understand their shipping, I can plan around it. They do have a great selection, and I like their frequent special sales. I'll probably order again. read more

The staff here is outstanding! They really know their stuff, and are super helpful. They put together my sizable order for a class I'm teaching, and even called their other stores to find a few items they didn't have in stock. They made the whole process so painless and safe- I recommend this shop highly! read more

Was in need of art supplies for a project. Staff was friendly and helpful and directed me right to what I needed. Quality products at good pricing. read more

I absolutely LOVE this place!! At first I thought that cheap Joe's was only a website, and then one day I was in Charlotte for a doctors appointment and I saw this location on Google maps. Of course I had to stop, so I went in, and my mind was blown by the selection there! They had EVERYTHING I wanted, plus some stuff I'd never even heard of. There's actually one thing that they don't have that I really wish they would start to carry, and it's epoxy resin. I have to go to Michael's for that. But other than that I'm always happy with my experience shopping there. They are very good about stocking the shelves and keeping items in the store. They have the cheapest canvases and wooden art boards, and the quality is great- plus they're often on sale for even cheaper, somehow! And their brand of acrylic paints are wonderful, the quality is much better than I expected. Another thing I love is how they put out the tubes of high quality paints that are "damaged" or "leak" (the worst I've seen was a tube with a tiny bit of paint around the cap, no biggie) at an incredible discount. We're talking tubes of expensive Golden paints sometimes more than half off! The only other art supply store (not an arts and crafts store, like Michael's) that I know of in the area is Binders- who I have had to give up on because they never restock anything, so it's nice to know whenever I make the trip down to cheap Joe's they will have what I am looking for. read more

Cheap Joe's Art Stuff - All of the amazing stuff I got on my last visit to Cheap Joe's! - Art Supplies Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

The day after I wrote my review customer service reached out and resolved the problem in a fair way.

Ripoff shipping charges and their prices aren't that cheap. I thought they were the only ones who had a small item I wanted, so I paid $6.92 for it, plus $8.95 shipping within the US. Found out today that Amazon has exactly the same item for $5.99, plus $4.99 shipping. Roughly $4.00 cheaper than Joe's. They included a cheap "gift" set with my purchase: A house brand lead pencil, a house brand rubber art eraser and a small plastic pencil sharpener. Junk I don't need. Shop around before buying from Cheap Joe's. You'll probably find lower prices elsewhere. read more

I have used Cheap Joe's for years. It was my go-to place for affordable materials, as a private artist. However, since I started teaching-with planning and time involved-I find it very poor. 24 days ago, I put in a $89 order for colored pencils for a class that was held yesterday, June 13th. No pencils arrived. None. Initially the whole entire order was held for three back order pencils (though listed in stock). I got that straightened out with them to send shipment anyway but found out later even more were not in stock, from an email list. It has been chopped up into three shipments, one of which arrived today, the day after the class, one of which is still in limbo somewhere, and one of which is a back order. I would not have ordered any if they were not in stock. I trusted what was listed. A clue for me is on he website it says, "any back orders will be canceled after 60 days". If you even come close to letting something go that long, in this day and age, there is a problem. Sadly, after years of a go-to place, I will be using a well-known competitor from now on. I spent a lot of money on behalf of a non-profit, which on top of not having the materials that were purchased after 24 days of trying to solve this, I will have to absorb the cost myself. All the while wondering, will I even have what I ordered? I really feel I must register my experience honestly and forthrightly. It is not the first time there were these issues, but it is the worst. Thus, too much failure to continue. read more

As an artist, I love this store. But I only draw cartoon style. They have so many things that it's hard to look through everything! But that makes it great. I would definitely go back if I had a reason to. Their selection is so wide and you literally find anything you want to make whatever your heart desires. I also love the stores where they have a big shelf of colored sharpies, and all the customers write whatever they want on that shelf. Big fan. read more

I love shopping at Cheap Joe's Art Stuff because they have a wide range of various types and grades of art equipment ranging from student to professional grades. Although the prices on the art supplies are still on the expensive side, but I do notice that they are sold at "Cheap Joe's" prices rather than the "List" prices. The store is also very spacious and well-organized. Whenever I come to this store, I definitely have a feeling to being that "kid in the toy shop". I, too, noticed that this store caters more to the area fine arts than anything else. read more