Artmax

Not bad little art store for Seaside! I buy water lay and concrete when there.
At times the clay has set a long time and is hard and dry. But the people are very nice!

This review pertains to the frame department at Artmax, not the art supply area.
I walked into Artmax 10 minutes before the close of the store at 5pm to purchase matte board, which I had previously purchased at Frames on Broadway, now consolidated with Artmax.
I spoke with «Tom» who immediately informed me that he was not taking any frame orders because he had leave at 5pm. I told him I was not ordering a frame but the matte board I had formally purchased at Frames on Broadway. He said I’d have to come back on Monday because he had to leave soon. I told him I drove a long way to get there, in which he retorted, «You had all day to get here.».
I complained to the manager of Artmax, who took no responsibility whatsoever, claiming she was in charge of art supplies only. I have the feeling she will do nothing and not report this to the owner as she implied.
Very unprofessional. I don’t feel bad about ordering online now and not supporting local art store businesses.

I hate do down-​star my review, but just had to. Went in the other day. I am assuming they are under new management. Not too friendly or helpful. I hate when art store people are snobby and unfriendly. The ladies looked me up and down when I walked in and muttered a hello. Ugh. anyway, didn’t have anything that I was looking for. Store has become so unappealing and friendly, too bad. So now I don’t have a favorite art store, sucks!

Basic arts supplies but nothing amazing. There Old Holland oil paints are over priced. I put in a request with the owner for some materials, which she admits to have forgotten to order, a killer for business. Call them ahead of time to see if they have something, but that’s no assurance they will or even know what you’re talking about.

easily my favorite art store in the monterey area.
the staff is really friendly and it’s got a great vibe compared to the big box cookie cutter stores.
i’ve been painting on and off the last couple of years and i never found the selection to be lacking or the prices to be high.

As an art major, i need a lot of tools to help me entertain the notion of taking every art class in school. I like variety and i like trying new mediums of art. First it was sketching, painting, sculpture, and who know what will be next. And in each and every class, my teacher has always recommended me to this store.
As i walk in early one morning, the guy who works there is juggling balls. really. no lie. i knew i was gonna like him right off the bat. He smirks/​smiles at me and asks me if i need help. i pull out the list my teacher gave me and he says «oh, you’re in gary’s class. let me get you a basket.» he takes me to the sculpting tools section and explains all the different types of tools and clay and then another lady walks in. she immediately says «oh, you’re in gary’s class». lol. i love these people. they came prepared. she takes over and personally finds me all of my supplies and rings me up.
another reason for their awesomeness is that they give students 20% off. yea. it doesnt get better than that.

Good news! Apparently the horrible selection the last few months was because the owners had run out of money and stopped getting inventory. However, it’s under new ownership now (somebody told me the original owners bought it back, not sure if that’s true or not), and they’ve ordered tons of stuff to rebuild their stock. They have very reasonable prices, so it’ll be awesome to be able to shop there versus order online — I’m happy!

I’ve found Artmax to be a great store with a fun atmosphere! I haven’t run into any ‘meanies’, but I’ve found the staff to be energetic and knowlegeable… most of them artists themselves. They seem to have a bit of everything… even Montana spray paints and I think they said they’re getting the pens soon. They let me know that they are having kids classes during the summer… all this from just asking ‘what’s new?’ They all seem to be very helpful.
They also have a store on Lighthouse Ave. in Monterey.

While living in Monterey a few years back, I visited Artmax to buy the required supplies and materials for my college art classes. I had been there several times, and the service was painful on occasion. I would rate my day as «lucky» if I didn’t run into the mean old lady who worked there at the time. All my classmates recommended to each other NOT to go to Artmax, or to be wary of the «mean old lady». I obviously refrained from going there at all costs and found other art supply stores in the area who had pleasant customer service. They did, however, have a good selection of art supplies to choose from among other suppliers. You’re sure to find most of your art material needs here and for that they deserve two stars.

Staff is fiendly and helpful. They have a plethora of items for all types of artistic needs. I normally purchase these pens and brushes that I practice writing calligraphy and chinese characters.
A good local business with lots of different items for all your needs.