Overview
Address The Merri Artist, Oregon 99W, McMinnville, OR, USA Phone Hours
Closed for today
Merri Sayers founded The Merri Artist in 2004, and the operating principle is simple: it’s an art supply company run by artists. Sayers works in all mediums, and everyone on staff is an artist in their own right.
That shapes the buying. Their own line is that they don’t try to have everything — they try to have a well-thought-out selection of the finest supplies available from anywhere in the world. That includes M. Graham and Gamblin, both manufactured right here in Oregon, alongside paints, pens, canvas, papers, airbrush equipment and parts, matte boards, and Italian palette knives.
It’s small next to a big-box craft store and stocked far better for anyone serious. Artists who’ve been painting for decades describe finding things here they’d looked for everywhere. The staff know the materials well enough to solve problems rather than point at shelves.
What’s remarkable is the reach. A significant share of their reviews come from people in San Diego, Phoenix, Georgia — artists who found them online, ordered, and got their supplies faster and better packed than from anywhere closer. Someone hunting parts for a decades-old airbrush found them in stock and had them in two days, cross-country, and noted with some surprise that a person answered the phone.
The shop moved to a larger location on Highway 99W and posts notices about local art opportunities and classes, which makes it a useful entry point into the county’s art community.
Their own summary: small enough for great service, big enough for great prices.
On Highway 99W in McMinnville, not on Third Street. They moved to a larger space.
Common questions
What do they carry?
Any Oregon brands?
Do they ship?
Who runs it?
Can they help me find something specific?
Are there classes?
Is it accessible?
Where is it?
