Heather Chilson is adding a splash of color to downtown Fayetteville with the launch of her art supply store, The IRiS Art Haus & Supply Co. – literally. Although the store’s exterior is mostly painted glossy black, its doors are marked with an eye-popping, multi-colored mural, welcoming artists of all skill levels into its creativity-supporting environment. Once inside, artists are immersed in a collective of paints, brushes and papers. On its purple walls hangs a black-and-white portrait of an immortalized young woman holding a neon paintbrush.
Chilson, owner of the art supply store, has always been immersed in the world of creativity. As a child, Chilson’s mother served as a constant source of artistic inspiration. Whether it was attending painting workshops or working as a hairdresser or handmaking her clothing, her mother’s resourceful skills provided Chilson with a creative point of view.
After leaving behind a decades-long career within the corporate world, Chilson decided it was time to return to her creative roots. For her, the perfect segue back into these roots was to create a space for other artists. This space would also serve as a tribute to her mother, Iris, whose portrait hangs at the forefront of the store.
In February, Chilson opened the doors of The IRiS Art Haus to the public.
“I saw a gap in the market, and it just felt like the time was right and I thought, ‘Instead of going back to some sort of office work, now is the time to take a leap and see if I could make this work,’” Chilson said.
Chilson said she felt that Fayetteville was the best place to plant The IRiS Art Haus because of its thriving art community, as the University of Arkansas’ School of Art and the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design are homes to a large number of art students that could benefit from the store’s foundational mission of providing convenient, immediate access to a wide variety of art supplies.
The store is stocked with art supplies such as paints, acrylic oils, pencils, pens, architecture papers, printmaking papers and film photography tools. Additionally, Chilson personally designed the store to be a place of inspiration and comfort for its patrons. In the back of the store is a mid-century modern-inspired miniature lounge, curated with Chilson-crafted furniture and a collection of art and photography books.
“I want this store to be about learning and connecting just as much as it is about buying supplies. I’ve already seen this space help foster connections between people who might not have had the chance to meet and talk about their art,” Chilson said.
The inclusion of film photography supplies was a “selfish” choice for Chilson.
“Photography is really important to me. Several years ago, I had taken a step back from digital photography and turned to film and really fell in love with photography all over again. There’s not a lot of places around here where you can find film photography supplies, so I just wanted to carry some items to see how they did,” Chilson said.
The IRiS Art Haus has only been serving the community for a few months, but Chilson is already seeing positive results in her mission to support local artists.
“On just the first day, I had people just excited to stand there and feel a paintbrush and say, ‘I don’t have to order this online, I can just stand here and feel it.’” It’s these tiny little ways that we’re hoping to impact somebody’s projects that they’re working on – that they can come in and actually see a color or feel a texture in-person instead of waiting a few days to receive the order online,” Chilson said.
Now that the store has a sense of establishment within the Fayetteville community, The IRiS Art Haus is also adding a schedule of community art workshops led by local artists, such as junk journaling, watercolor painting, and drawing classes. It also hopes to provide support for iconic events within the community’s art scene, such as the NWA Pride Festival and local film festivals.
When it’s time to begin your next project, you can find The IRiS Art Haus at 95 S Church Avenue – if you come in early enough, you may be lucky enough to meet Chilson’s beloved dog, Rosie. Additionally, The IRiS Art Haus can be found on Instagram and Facebook.
I want this store to be about learning and connecting just as much as it is about buying supplies.