As the last remaining independent art store in the Midwest, Urbana’s Art Coop aims to serve all customers’ art needs.

Located in Lincoln Square Mall, Art Coop is run by a close-knit and progressive staff who strive to create a welcoming space for all their diverse patrons. Customers will find both specific and random art supplies, gifts, stationery and even a photo supply when entering the shop.

The staff at Art Coop take pride that they work closely with the University, Parkland College and Champaign Park District to supply art kits for specific art courses to students.

Art Coop, which initially opened in 1971, was recently staffed with young and exciting owners. The shop is currently owned and run by a 100% female staff who plan to do everything they can to keep the art store thriving even, and especially during, the times of COVID-19. The pandemic has required the new staff to reinvent their typical hands-on and in-person site into a social media and online shop. One of the current owners, Hilary Pope, explained, “(The pandemic) forced us into the future.”

Now, interested customers can check out Art Coop’s website, as well as its large social media presence on Facebook and Instagram. Its website allows users to order many art and craft supplies online, from acrylic and oil paints to kits for kids and even mugs, apparel, socks and stickers. Students in several art courses at the University and Parkland College can online order art kits for classes as well.

Mystery kits are also available for purchase. These include mystery oil painting kits, paint date kits for date nights and super mysterious acrylic mystery kits. Even the website shows off the quirkiness and uniqueness that is Art Coop, filled with bright neon colors, fun fonts and lots of exclamation points.

Art Coop’s social media pages also feature several political and progressive posts. Art Coop’s current owners, Pope and Anna Peters, said that they cannot avoid being politically active on social media. When scrolling through Facebook and Instagram, users can see Art Coop publicly showing support for minority identities, such as the LGBTQ community. Pope and Peters were actually inspired to own Art Coop after connecting with a queer bookshop. They wanted their shop to not only welcome their diverse customer base, but to embrace the identities of their many customers.

The shop currently sells many LGBTQ-themed items, and it often has customers who come in the store specifically asking for these themed items, such as illustrated books, pride-themed socks and LGBTQ art kits.

“It just feels like we’re being who we are,” Pope said. “We want to be inclusive, and basic human rights don’t feel radical to us.”

Recently, Art Coop safely reopened its store to allow for a certain amount of customers to visit in person. For customers who are either immunocompromised or simply prefer the space to themselves, there is an option to make an appointment with the shop to visit the store while it is empty. Art Coop’s staff encourages people to come in and check out their shop. Art Coop is the perfect stop to buy gifts for a friend, to buy gifts for yourself or to visit if you’re interested in what the shop offers.

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