The sign in the window reads "Closed for Remodeling," but make no mistake, The Shop of Art in Tempe is done for, and with its closing comes the end of an ASU art era.
The small art supply store at 26 E. University Drive closed its doors on Oct. 11 but will re-open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday for a final liquidation sale.
"It's sad to see it close. We had huge dreams for it all our lives," said Marc Jung, whose family bought the building in 1968 and opened it as an art gallery.
The shop soon added art supplies to its inventory, making it one of the most popular mom-and-pop providers to ASU's art department and local artists.
"ASU art students have always been our biggest customers," said Jung, 50.
But trying to keep up with a burgeoning downtown Tempe and big chain competitors proved to be too much for the independent supply house.
"We've been through quite a few competitors, and we've stuck through most of them... but some of them cut their costs to below what we could even buy stuff for," Jung said.
During "good" years, the store pulled in around $300,000 annually. That number has been cut in half in the past few years, Jung said.
Jung, a graphics designer, worked at the shop during the '70s, when business was "vibrant and booming." His brother has owned and run the shop since 1985.
Ted Jung, 54, is currently in the hospital recovering from back surgery. Marc said his brother's failing health is another reason for the shop closing.
"He's not happy about it," Marc said. "He carries some bitterness -- not against the community but against the competition. He's put all his life into it."
He added that with advances in technology, fewer people want or need the hands-on supplies that The Shop of Art offers.
"We've sold a lot of drafting and engineering supplies over the years, but so much of that went away," he said. "You just don't buy pencils anymore."
Art professor James Pile said the biggest loss is the store's proximity to campus. The shop sits just east of Mill Avenue, next door to the Salvation Army.
"It's too bad because the Valley is spreading all the time, but the students who need art supplies are right here in Tempe," said Pile, who has been at ASU since 1971.
Pile added that he shops mainly at larger retailers such as Utrecht in Tempe but that The Shop of Art's size didn't hinder its credibility.
"It was small, but that's not really that significant if they have the right quality of stuff," he said.
Drawing junior Sara Bernett said the short walk from her Tempe apartment was a plus, but that she also enjoyed the shop's non-corporate atmosphere.
"You just felt like an artist walking out of there," said Bernett, 20. "It was small but cozy and relatively cheap."
Items will sell for 40 percent to 50 percent off their original price during this weekend's final sale, which runs in conjunction with the Tempe Arts Festival. Anything left will be sold or donated to local charities or artist organizations.
Jung said he has received roughly 40 calls about the property, but he isn't sure whether his brother will sell or lease the building. His mother and father bought the building for $50,000, 34 years ago. It should be worth about $600,000 now, he said.
Jung expressed no interest in taking the shop over, but he said the loss of the store is an unfortunate part of the independent art business.
"It's really disappointing huffing it out for that many years," he said. "But the economy changes and you can't be beating your head against the wall. Everyone's been cutting back, and art is usually one of the first things to go."
Reach the reporter at ashlea.deahl@asu.edu.
