An art supply store with 125 years of history in downtown Holland is opening a second location in a former southwest Grand Rapids factory undergoing renovations.
A grand opening for Fris Supply Shop’s second location is expected sometime in April. The art supply shop is opening at 706 Curve St. SW, located at the corner of Curve and Godfrey Avenue SW.
Shop owner Andrew Fris said the second location will be a welcome addition for customers who have had to travel to the flagship downtown Holland location at 30 W. Eighth St.
“I’ve always wanted to get out into the Grand Rapids market just because it’s a big art scene out here,” said Fris, who acquired the company in 2020 and is the fifth-generation owner in the Fris family.
Fris and one of his employees earlier this month were setting up art supplies on shelves and assembling displays at the Grand Rapids store, where a colorful mural was in process on one of the walls.
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Fris said he found out about the Grand Rapids space after connecting with local nonprofit Lions and Rabbits Center for the Arts, which connected him with Hannah Greening, founder and managing broker of Fancy Real Estate.
The art supply store is a great fit for the building that houses several artists’ studios, Greening said. She is working with the building owner, Dennis Griffin, to maintain existing tenants and fill vacancies throughout the building.
The building is part of the original site for Johnson Furniture Co. that’s undergoing a major renovation led by Griffin. The Fris Supply Shop Grand Rapids store is about 1,000 square feet larger than its flagship store in Holland, Fris said.
In addition to an art supply retail store, the location also will include an “art cafe” offering different art experiences for customers to purchase and use in the store, Fris said. He hopes to have four or five different experiences in the art cafe that could include a drawing or charcoal kit with paper, Fris added.
“You can come in with your friends and you could order different things and sit down and just hang out and do art together,” Fris said.
Fris Supply Shop carries a wide variety of art supplies such as graphite, dyes and spray paints, ranging from tools suited for beginners to professional artists.
The store first opened in downtown Holland in 1900 as “L Fris News Depot,” and changed ownership but mostly stayed in the Fris family over the years. Fris purchased the store from his uncle in 2020.
“I grew up in the business, so it was something I always knew I wanted to do,” Fris said.
Fris Supply Shop under previous owners had additional locations, but they were all located in Holland.
“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback, even in the past week or so,” Fris said. “I’ve heard from quite a few people, not even all from Grand Rapids but I also heard from somebody from Greenville that just doesn’t have any art stores so they were happy this would be a little closer for them.”
More from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business:
Developer revamping 2 former factories to keep artist hub on southwest side]
Lost Art Brewhouse expanding with new kitchen
Developer plans hotel and commercial space next to Grand Rapids airport
