Where to Buy Unique, Colorful, Affordable Art
Finding unique, colorful, affordable art is no small feat! Hanging up the right artwork for a space has a massive impact (especially for renters). The right piece can also cost a pretty penny. I love finding great art on vacation, and have amassed a list of my favorite galleries, gift shops, and museums. If you don’t want your home to look like an IKEA showroom (no shade to IKEA), check out these great sources for unique, colorful, affordable art.
FYI - none of the links in this post are affiliate! I just really love these artists, shops, and museums.
What Constitutes Affordable Art?
All the shops on this list have art for under $500. Before you barf, however, most of the shops on this list have prints for sale for under $100, and there are many options under $50. Buying art should be a reflection of your personal, unique style, which means I recommend investing in pieces you really love. Plus, artists deserve payment as much as the rest of us!
If you only have $50 to spend on a frame and a poster - that’s okay! Michaels coupons are your friend. I’ve also had a lot of success with finding art at thrift stores and estate sales. The most important piece of sourcing art is to take your time, and don’t buy anything you don’t love just because it’s trendy. You have to stare at it all day, so you better like it.
Where Can I Find Unique, Colorful, Affordable Art?
In the post below, I’ve linked directly to the shops of all my favorite places to get art. You’ll notice that none of them are Etsy or Society6! While I won’t disparage creators on those platforms, I’d prefer you go right to the source, as it were. While they’re great resources for finding new artists, they can take a significant chunk of an artist’s profit margins. Plus, their algorithms mean you’ll spend a lot more time searching for unique art, as the most popular options will rise to the top.
Art Shops with Unique, Colorful, Affordable Art
Jam Art Factory (Dublin)
Fun, diverse, high-quality art meets typical Irish cheek at this fun art shop. My husband and I have vowed to stop there every time we go back to Dublin. The shop specializes in featuring Irish artists, and in addition to prints, they have some of the best greeting cards I’ve ever seen.
MATTER (Denver/Brooklyn)
The mercantile love child of two artists (a woman and a black man) MATTER is as much an upscale art and stationary supply store and center for activism as it is a shop. Renowned print artist Rick Griffith is one of the owners, and his creative and powerful prints are just one of the types of art to choose from.
La Belle Nouvelle Orleans Antiques (New Orleans)
If your taste trends towards the gothic, macabre, or just plain odd, this shop in New Orleans will be right up your alley. Serving up a heavy dose of the Victorian and Voodoo that makes NOLA so great, this shop is meticulously curated. Priced a bit higher than most others on the list, the quality and rarity of the items makes them worth it indeed.
Shout and About (Los Angeles)
Found in the adorable and trendy neighborhood of Echo Park in LA, Shout and About is like a really well-curated gift shop. In addition to prints, tapestries, and cards, they have tons of aesthetically-pleasing candles and a great kids section. They’ll be your new go-to for buying gifts for people you don’t know very well.
Flat Vernacular (NYC)
A great way to source high-quality art on a budget? Framed wallpaper samples! Renters especially can benefit from this trick. Bespoke wallpaper is often on high-quality paper, and can be easily sized to fit any frame. Get a high-quality frame from the thrift store, cut your wallpaper down to size, and voila! Plus, Flat Vernacular has great prints from their wallpaper designers as well.
Museums with Unique, Colorful, Affordable Art
Musée des Arts décoratifs (Paris)
One of my favorite museums in Paris, of course the musée des Arts décoratifs has a fabulous gift shop. The interior design museum has exhibits spanning hundreds of years, and a robust modern art collection as well. In addition to featuring prints and objets d’art from French artists, they offer truly magnificent art books as well.
Savannah College of Art and Design (Savannah)
Despite being a relatively new institution (founded in the late 70s), the Savannah College of Art and Design (or SCAD) has established itself as a world leader in nurturing young artistic voices. The campus gift shop is just as vibrant and unique as the university itself - blending the beauty of old Savannah with the brightness and creativity of its progeny. Luckily for you, shopping is not limited to in-person.
American Visionary Art Museum
If you like your art more on the fun, kooky, and accessible side of the spectrum, then the AVAM is perfect for you! Consistently ranked one of the best art museums in the country, their shop (called “Sideshow”) fits perfectly with their zany, creativity-first mindset.
Eye Filmmuseum (Amsterdam)
Calling all cinephiles! If movies are your bag, you’ll want to check out the EYE Filmmuseum in Amsterdam. Not just limited to art, they sell elevated merch for movie buffs the world over. Impress your friends with visual cinematic deep cuts, like this tray patterned like the carpet from The Shining.
Artists With Unique, Colorful, Affordable Art
Abigail Burch
Featuring anthropomorphic animals in a trademark block style, Abigail Burch’s art calls to mind a modern Richard Scarry. The pieces would be great in a kid’s playroom or nursery, but they’re high quality enough to appeal to adults with taste, too.
April Seelbach
April Seelbach is a perfect exemplar of the endlessly creative ways we can think about digital art. After taking photos of nature on a film camera, she superimposes digital designs (or paints on them!) on them to produce a colorful augmented reality. They’re just plain fun - and a great gift for nature lovers.
Diane Hill
If I ever won the lottery and bought a big fancy house, there is a 100% chance I’d fly Chinoiserie artist Diane Hill over from the UK to paint me a mural. Focusing on typical Chinoiserie themes like birds and blossoms, her pieces are delicately ornate (and her prices aren’t exorbitant!)
Madalina Andronic
Romanian artist Madalina Andronic remains one of my favorite Instagram finds. Dreamy scenes of ordinary life characterize Madalina’s work, and much of it has distinct folk influences. Plus, her art is on tons of unique items, like scarves, puzzles, and totes.
Mike Willcox
Heavily inspired by Art Deco themes, Mike Wilcox’s art is deceptively intricate. I personally love his animal works, but his style also strays to the bombastic (women in wine glasses) and classic (clear Greek influences). Whichever route (and whatever size) you go for, Mike’s art is a showstopper wherever it lands.
Yuck Planet
If you’re a fan of the silly irreverent, and just plain whacky, Tuck Rayl (Better known as @YuckPlanet) is an Austin-based textile artist. Highly tongue-in-cheek, his rugs could go on the floor…but I’d recommend using them as wall hangings. He also has prints available should the rug dilemma get the better of you.
Good art can take any space from “meh” to “wow.” You shouldn’t have to spend $140 million (or steal a priceless painting) to have art worthy of your abode. These sources are a great start, but make sure to support your local art scene, too! Attend art fairs, student exhibitions, and small gallery openings. Inspiration is everywhere.
