Rileystreet Art Supply, Santa Rosa
If you’re looking for the necessary tools to tackle an upcoming art project, your first stop should probably be Rileystreet Art Supply—but wait. Despite its name, Rileystreet is not actually located on Riley Street. No, Rileystreet (the store, that is) is situated a full mile west of Riley Street (the street, that is) at 103 Maxwell Ct. off North Dutton in Santa Rosa.
Confused? I was. So I swung by the store to see if I could get to the bottom of this store’s mysterious moniker. Rileystreet art consultant Josie Bird Morro was happy to illuminate me. As it turns out, Rileystreet was indeed originally located on Riley Street, but moved locations decades ago and simply kept its original name. And Rileystreet’s clientele was more than happy to follow them across the 101 freeway.
As Morro explained, Rileystreet has built a loyal clientele of artists across both locations, for whom the art supply store has become a beloved and irreplaceable resource. One long-time customer even makes sure to order her materials exclusively from Rileystreet’s website, despite moving from Sonoma County all the way to Montana years ago.
Yes, it’s clear that when it comes to Rileystreet, geographical concerns are secondary to creative and artistic ones. — Joe Mulcaire
Rileystreet, 103 Maxwell Ct., Santa Rosa. 707.526.2416. rileystreet.com.
