Art Supplies and Custom Framing in Show Low: What to Expect at a Local Fine Art Store
If you live in Show Low or anywhere in the White Mountains, you already know that the nearest big-box craft store is a long drive away — and that drive matters when you need a specific brush size or want to hold a frame sample in your hand before committing. A locally owned fine art store solves both problems at once, stocking quality supplies for working artists and offering a guided custom framing consultation under the same roof. That combination is exactly what makes a single trip worthwhile.
What Art Supplies Are Stocked for Local Artists?
A well-stocked local fine art store carries professional-grade supplies across all major mediums, so you can find what you need without settling for student-grade alternatives sold at general craft chains.
Mediums stocked include oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, colored pencils, and sketching materials. That range reflects the kinds of work White Mountains artists actually make — plein air painters capturing ponderosa pines, wildlife artists working in detail, and hobbyists picking up a new medium for the first time. Higher-altitude light and four-season scenery naturally pull artists toward landscape and nature subjects, so supplies suited to those styles are especially relevant here.
Professional-grade paints and papers behave differently from budget options: pigments are more concentrated, papers hold up to multiple washes, and brushes keep their shape. Whether you teach, paint seriously, or explore art as a hobby, you can browse art supplies for every medium and leave with exactly what you came for — same day, no shipping wait.
How Does Custom Framing Work — What Choices Do I Make?
Custom framing involves three decisions — mat, glass, and frame — made during a guided in-person consultation where you see real samples before committing to anything.
First, the mat : this is the border between your artwork and the frame. You choose the color, the width, and whether you want a single mat or a double mat (two layers, which adds depth and visual separation). Next, the glass : standard glass is fine for low-light spaces, but UV-protective and conservation glass filter out the wavelengths that cause fading over time. Finally, the frame itself: style, material (wood or metal), finish, and color all affect how the piece reads on a wall.
You can bring in original artwork, prints, photographs, needlework, diplomas, maps, memorabilia, or a child's drawing. The consultation happens the same day you drop off your piece — you make all your selections during that visit. The actual fitting and assembly takes place over a turnaround window after that, so the piece is built correctly rather than rushed.
Seeing physical mat and frame samples together in person changes decisions that would be guesswork online. A mat color that looks neutral on a screen can read warm or cool once held next to the actual artwork.
Why Archival Framing Matters Specifically in Arizona
Show Low sits above 6,000 feet, and high-altitude sunlight is more intense than at lower elevations — UV exposure accelerates fading in photos, prints, and original artwork faster than most people expect.
UV-protective glass works by filtering out the ultraviolet wavelengths that break down pigments and dyes. Conservation or museum glass goes further, blocking a higher percentage of UV while reducing glare. For a piece you care about — a family photograph, an original painting, a piece of needlework — the glass choice determines how it looks in ten or twenty years. In a sunny Arizona home, standard glass simply puts valued artwork at unnecessary risk. Archival framing is not a luxury here; it is a practical response to local conditions.
Relaxed Browsing With Club Coffee
The store includes an in-house coffee perk — Club Coffee — that makes browsing unhurried. Taking your time with framing decisions leads to better outcomes, and there is no pressure to rush through mat and frame samples when you have a drink in hand. It is the kind of experience that online ordering and big-box stores cannot replicate.
Serving Show Low and the Surrounding White Mountains
The store draws from a wide geographic area — Show Low, Pinetop, Lakeside, Snowflake, Taylor, Heber, Overgaard, and Linden among them. Retirees, seasonal residents, working artists, students, and art educators all make the trip because a quality local option is worth it. Check the communities served across the White Mountains to see if your area is included.
High-altitude, four-season terrain generates genuine artistic inspiration, and having a local source for supplies and framing keeps that creative work moving forward without a long drive interrupting it.
One stop handles both supply needs and framing decisions, with knowledgeable guidance through every choice — so you leave with what you need and a piece ready to be picked up properly framed.
Schedule your visit and explore what is available at Kittle's Fine Art & Supply Co. — and if you have questions before you come in, the common questions page covers what most first-time visitors want to know.