Artist & Craftsman Supply’s first independently owned store opened in Portland, Maine in 1985. In the fall of 2006, Artist & Craftsman Supply San Francisco opened just down the hill from the San Francisco Art Institute in response to the school's and neighborhood's need for an affordable, local artist supply. In their efforts to continue to be a bigger and better artist resource, they moved into a new home at 555 Pacific in the historic Hippodrome building in 2011. What used to be a Barbary Coast brothel, dance hall, and theater is now filled with bright colors and art supplies. Their new location offers twice as many supplies as before including a new crafts section, full lines of acrylic, oil, and specialty paints like One Shot and environmentally friendly Milk Paint. They also supply a variety of drawing, printmaking, bookbinding, model making, gilding, design, and architecture materials. For schools and families, they have a kids section and stock fun, educational toys.

Even as an employee-owned company, they enjoy the same buying power as the so-called “big” suppliers. Their regular retail prices are 15-20% off the manufacturer’s suggested list price, and their monthly sales are up to 50% off.