Pearl Paint

I suppose this is an ode to another Manhattan institution. The end of an era, when mixed media arts were en vogue. Well, it still is but the way you buy it, is not.
It is THE definitive art supply store in NYC. However, it’s the one place you can count on to find that material you know you needed for that project that’s due the next day. You also won’t have to pay a fortune for it. Everything is priced just right for artisans and students alike.
Walking distance from Chinatown makes it relatively convenient, and accessibility to mass transit make it simple for all New Yorkers to get to. The staff are knowledgeable and helpful to the last.
Felled by the advances of the Internet, it was merely a question if and not when this Pearl Paint store of the past would adapt to an ever-​changing SoHo of the ‘30s and ‘60s. But if you find yourself in need of their services, and hard to find goods, you can find then online.
I hope they make a comeback like J&R is doing.

So sad to see that Pearl Closed it’s doors earlier this year.
I remember going there with my mom when I was a freshman in art school.
What a trip. All those floors full of art supplies. Its a sad day for New York.
The day’s of new york being an artist Mecca are over.

Sadly, they closed on April 15, 2014. The building is up for sale now. I remember coming here in junior high school to buy art supplies. They had everything you needed! Well stocked & great staff.
I was walking by a few weeks ago, just thinking, thank God this place is still around. Seems like all the places that define York culture, are all closing one by one… Too many franchises popping up. :(

Well, it’s the end of an era folks. Get it while it’s there.
What art school student didn’t go to Pearl Paint for their school supplies?
*points to self* This one right here. I was spoiled as an art school student and had not one, but three stores to go to within a block of where I lived and studied. Walking all the way to Canal street was just for fun, then getting to go up those million stairs was just for exercise.
Pearl is the go to for your almost everything needs. I loved going to the craft part on Lispenard, but alas, it is no longer.
Farewell Pearl Paint!

The go to place for almost any artist in NYC who is looking for something in particular. Although they are not as stocked as they once were in their heyday, they certainly still have an amazing collection of supplies that you cannot easily find elsewhere (locally).
They are conveniently located in a cool neighborhood and have a charm all their own. Canal Plastics is just a hop skip and a jump away, too.

This place is like one of my favorite art supply store because of the wide variety and the cozy vibe (maybe it’s just the heat?).
They give student discounts when you show your student ID so that’s pretty cool.
I love how they organize the supplies by floor from the lower level to the fifth floor.

this is a super old place with worn out stairs, but it’s a good store to check out if your looking to get some art supplies. Pretty convenient in Chinatown, I usually stop by to check out what they have if I’m buying school supplies or random art stuff. Just be ready to walk up and down the stairs!

Excellent Art supply store, the best in NYC, the best I have ever been to… Period.
Pearl Paint is very old and industrial looking which adds character to the business, with multiple levels of supplies… anything that can you can imagine everything that you cant is available at Pear Paint.
The staff is very helpful.
The prices are fair.
I recommend Pear Paint for all of you Art Supply needs

These guys have almost anything you need. On the downside it’s a mess!
You forgive them because the staff is helpful and the prices are good (for nyc).

Now, before I start this review, I’m going to say that I am incredibly biased when it comes to Pearl Paint. I’ve been coming here for years. When I was little and taking my first non-​public school art classes, I came to Pearl Paint to buy all of my supplies.
Over the years the store hasn’t changed much. They’ve moved the merchandise around a bit but it still has that comforting feel of familiarity and dinginess. This is not the cleanest, poshest art supply you will find in the city. But, in my experience, they price a lot of items competitively and I can almost always find what I’m looking for.
I don’t pursue art seriously anymore, but anytime I do want art supplies or I need supplies for another project like nylon brushes for nail art or extra-​strength glue for broken ceramics, I head to Pearl Paint. The staff is pretty knowledgeable and pretty helpful for the most part. It’s strange, but I feel like they get less helpful the higher up you go. I love the staff on the paint floors. The staff on the clay and yarn floors are a little iffy.
If you’re a newcomer, try and know what you want, be confident, and be aware that you might get hazed a little. They do not allow dogs. (It’s random but I noticed the sign when I was walking by with my dog one day.)
Oh! And if you have a student ID, be sure to take advantage of their student discount. You don’t need to be an art student. You just need a student ID.

So, when I first visited Peal a few years ago– I walked in, did a lap and left pondering ‘what it was about Pearl that made people love it so much? As far as I could tell there wasn’t much to the store. Pshhhh they didn’t even have paint.’
Welllllll, my 2^nd trip was a bit different. A friend had pointed out the fact that the store had stairs. Huh? And what do you know, those stairs take you up to more floors full of fantastic art supplies.
So now it’s become a go-​to. As far as art stores in NYC go– this one is king. They’ve got everything: acrylic paint, brushes in every shape and size, canvas, brushes, drafting tools, etc etc etc and all of it is sold at competitive prices.
Last time I visited I needed some rendering markers. Unfortunately for us the staffer on that floor seemed a bit bothered that we needed the glass cabinet opened. Besides that very minor issue I can’t remember being overly excited or overly annoyed by the rest of the staff. Sadly, they were a bit forgettable.
But the store itself is not. They had all the rendering marker colors we needed. And the price was awesome (at $ 2.55 a piece they are least $ 1 less than most other stores… and when you are buying 10+ markets that can add up to a nice lunch in the neighborhood).

This is a review of the custom framing department.
Before you look anywhere else, you should check out their custom framing department. I made the mistake of going somewhere else and out of curiosity, I asked them for a quote of something very similar to what I ordered somewhere else. The price came out to be about $ 30 cheaper. The downside is that it takes them about 5 – 7 weeks to complete because of how many orders they have.
Second, their already made frames look custom and have glass. The prices are very competitive. I bought some frames from Ikea and very pleased and wasted time at other places. They have a very good selection.
Third, I got a dry mounting project done for a poster that was too expensive to frame. The poster measures 30“x42″ and it cost $ 32 to dry mount, compared to another place on 14^th Street who quoted me $ 50+. The result is excellent, and on lightweight foam board to hang easily using Command strips (which are very cheap there too).
Customer service is excellent. Thank you and will return for frames and custom jobs.

It was so amazing! Such a travesty that it’s closed! It was so cool, even the staircase was a must-​see. It was a great place for both experienced artists and minor hobbyists like me — I’d go here when I needed to, for example, spice up a birthday card. PEARL PAINT, come back!