All great nations deserve great artists.  All great artists deserve great art supply stores.  San Luis Art Supply provides whatever your creative spirit desires.  Owner Neal Breton specializes in brands that are professional-grade, affordable, and locally produced whenever possible.   With several decades worth of painting experience, Neal has an incredible in-depth knowledge of the materials he sells and is always willing to give advice on how to use each item.  Prices are extremely reasonable and employees will let you know how to get the most mileage out of whatever you purchase.

The store carries complete product lists for several art and architecture classes offered by Cal Poly and Cuesta College and is a favorite one-stop-shop for many of the colleges’ students.  However, if you are looking for a craft store akin to Michael’s or Aaron Brothers, you will be disappointed.  San Luis Art supply caters more towards the student, serious artist, or those working with the traditional mediums.  If you are in search of painting, sketching, screen printing, calligraphy, potting or stenciling equipment, you can’t beat San Luis Art Supply.  (Scrap-booking, beading, and flower arranging are best left to Beverly’s.)

Not only is SLAS a wonderful resource for materials and knowledge, but it is a venue for gallery shows and the collaborative center for several cultural events around San Luis Obispo.  Local work is displayed monthly on the walls above the paints and pens, and Thursday afternoons are host to “Hang Out and Draw” sessions which are often sponsored by sketching or painting companies featured in SLAS’ product line.  Breton is the creator and organizer for “Last Fridays”, a city-wide night of receptions held in downtown stores, galleries, and cafes in order t0 present the works of younger artists.  On any given day, you will see friends and customers sitting inside the front door working on pieces, doodling, and asking the owner for color consultations.

Check out San Luis Art Supply and support a fantastic local business!  SLAS is located on 116 Morro St, (between Higuera and Marsh) and is open 7 days a week.

Let’s face it, the world is a difficult place to live in, and we all could use a little kindness now and again.  Whether it comes in the form of a hug from a loved one, a driver letting you into his lane during rush hour traffic, or a smile from a stranger on the sidewalk, everyone can appreciate life’s small pleasures and acts of selflessness.

Next time you are in the mood to show the world that you care for its inhabitants, grab a couple of frosty brews for your friends or co-workers and offer to pop the caps with your Beers Not Bombs bottle opener.  The key chain opener is made from Peace Bronze, an alloy fabricated with scrap metal taken from dismantled nuclear weapons systems.   Take a stand for peace by showing some goodwill and love for your fellow man by spreading some joy with an oat soda and the intriguing back story detailing the fascinating history of your BNB opener.

From the 1940′s through the 1980′s, huge quantities of copper were mined in Montana for the expressed purpose of being used in the massive network of cabling connecting nuclear missile silos across the upper Midwest.  During the Clinton Administration, many miles of these cables were decommissioned through the process of disarmament.  The San Luis Obispo company that fabricates Peace Bronze into bottle openers and jewelry, From War to Peace, excavated huge sections of the gigantic wires and used the copper to create necklaces, earrings, and bottle openers.   The metal is not, and never has been radioactive.  The 95% copper mix has been certified safe by the U.S. Government, Iowa metal recyclers, and the From War to Peace lab.

As if sharing a beer with friends was not enough of an excuse to come by Bambu Batu and pick up a BNB opener or stylish t-shirt, perhaps the knowledge that 20% of the profits from your purchase will be donated to social justice organizations might spur you into action!  Choose from three trendy models designed by SLO jeweler, Jason Main.  Make your Happy Hour a peaceful one and proliferate some merriment with beers, not bombs.

For most of us, our familiarity with chalk does not extend much further than writing math problems on a blackboard or sketching hopscotch courses on playground pavement.  To the artists of the San Luis Obispo I Madonnari Festival, chalk is the medium of choice and instrument by which the sidewalks surrounding Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa are transformed each September.  Held as a benefit for the Children’s Creative Project and the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Festival seeks to raise funds and support arts education programs in the San Luis Obispo area.

The tradition of chalk painting has its roots in Italy beginning in the 16th century.  Pieces started as images devoted to the Madonna.  Painters, who were originally brought to work on the cathedrals,  would travel from town to town participating in folk and religious festivals, living on the coins donated from devotees who admired their paintings.  Current work ranges from the impressionistic to highly realistic, each utilizing an enormous amount of skill to compose large works from compressed pigment.  In the early 1970′s, the art form was officially promoted by the formation of a celebration in Grazia di Curtatone, Itally, and has since become popular around the world.

The SLO I Madonnari will take place this September 10-11 from 10am to 6pm daily.  Call the AIA at (805) 541-6294  or visit the official site for more details and map.