FLAX art and design

Huge store with a broad selection of art supplies in different media. Staff are kind, helpful, and knowledgeable. My favorite art supply store in Oakland.

AMAZING ART STORE! A definite hidden gem in East Bay....great stuff you cannot locate elsewhere. Staff is super friendly, helpful, filled with much knowledge.
Be prepared to be amazed at just how many art tools & supplies you can locate here. Prices are fair as well. Will definitely be back more and more.

I could spend all day talking to Jane and TJ about fountain pens. They are just all around great human beings who know their stuff and are into pens in a way that feels like we are all on an adventure, and they're further up the road encouraging others on to explore and see whatever lies ahead, to look closely at everything and to discover the details that speak to us. Flax is also well stocked, local, and generally awesome for art supplies. Why go anywhere else?

A workshop on a brand of acrylic paint products brought me to Flax this past Sunday and it marked for me a reintroduction of this retail establishment after a period of away on my part. The presenter was very knowledgeable about the products associated with the paint brand but she also responded skillfully - and with a touch of humor - to questions posed by those attending the workshop. In anticipation of the workshop, of course, the store offered discounts of the product and store employees were on hand to answer questions and offer recommendations on brushes and other related products. In addition to educational experiences like this workshop, Flax hosts other gatherings such as a Kidsfest, a free day dedicated to arts and crafts for kids and their families. For those of us who find joy browsing in the midst of brush pens, sketchbooks, water brushes and other art supplies Flax is an awesome place to roam.

Really great art store in Oakland. I don’t live nearby but happened to be in the area for work, and wanted to look at some papers for bookend sheets. They’ve got parking in the back, but I didn’t realize this until I had already parked on the street out front. Luckily I had found a meter that was already paid for!

Very bright and large art store that looks to have anything you would need for an art project! I was greeted by an employee as soon as I walked in the door and pointed in the direction of what I was looking for.

Like I mentioned, I needed high quality papers for possible bookend sheets, and boy did they have a selection! Attached are some pictures I took. I didn’t buy any because I was just scoping, but I’ll certainly be back when I decide on a color scheme.