By CHRISTINE BOATWRIGHT / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – Instead of leaving the city, artists of Montevallo and surrounding communities can now purchase fine art supplies from Falcon Art Supply, which is located in the heart of the city.

Blue Phrog Gallery owners Phil and Suzanne Hurst opened the art supply store in response to local artists’ need for supplies.

Phil Hurst said he began seriously thinking about opening an art supply store when his daughter, Phoebe, a University of Montevallo student, needed a specific type of acrylic paint for a class art project. Phil Hurst drove to two different stores on U.S. 280 and in Hoover for the paint.

“Now, they can ride their Vallocycle bicycle to the art supply store,” Phil Hurst said.

Suzanne Hurst said the store has been needed for a while.

“When we opened the (Blue Phrog) gallery, everyone asked if we were going to sell art supplies, but we didn’t have the space,” Suzanne Hurst said.

Stores like Michael’s and Hobby Lobby carry a wider inventory to attract a wider variety of customers, Suzanne Hurst said. With the classes taught at the university and the needs of professional artists, larger retail stores won’t carry the same “level of quality” as Falcon Art Supply, she said.

Local artist Becky Cox-Rodgers, who was an art major and worked at Michael’s for the past few years, manages the store with the Hursts.

The store, which opened Aug. 27, features a full line of fine art supplies, including paint, canvases, ceramic tools, kids’ art supplies and more.

“Montevallo is starting to get a real art community,” Cox-Rodgers said. “Artists need to rub shoulders with other artists to keep the creative juices flowing.”

Cox-Rodgers said she can order specific art supplies for students and artists. Students and teachers receive 10 percent off purchases with identification.

Cox-Rodgers said the University of Montevallo has more than 300 art majors, which is significantly more than other liberal arts universities.

“There are a lot of artists tucked away in the woods around here,” she said.

Falcon Art Supply is located at 640 Main Street in downtown Montevallo. For more information, call 665-2237 or visit Falconartsupply.com.