Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicholas Webb.
Hi Nicholas, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in Atascadero – my family moved here when I was two. As a kid I always loved drawing, and my mother worked as a graphic designer so there were always lots of art books and supplies about the house. My parents both encouraged lots of reading.
As I was getting ready to graduate highschool, my art teacher mentioned Art Central was hiring, so I joined on for the summer. I stayed on, and as I went off to college for illustration, I would come back between semesters to visit family and pick up extra hours. I started learning more about the business, and getting more plugged into the local art scene.
About three years ago, I was living up in Chico, and trying to figure out what to do next. The owner of Art Central, Etty, reached out to me asking if I’d be interested in taking over. I said no initially, thinking about the level of responsibility was daunting. But, the idea stuck, and I circled back. I moved back to SLO, and started working on getting myself up to speed on all the in’s and out’s.
July marks month seven of me bing at the helm, it’s been a very exciting blur.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The initial challenge was the paperwork – just absolutely Sisyphean piles of forms and permits and account transfers. Yuck. I’ve been very fortunate to have supportive people around me who were able to help. There have been been other lessons learned, and still being learned, especially about how to balance a workload, and keep things from piling up. But that feels like it’s improving.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Art Central?
Art Central has been in SLO for 15 years! We strive to be the premier spot for art supplies in the county. We partner extensively with local colleges and schools to source supplies for students, host art classes, hold gallery shows, and curate a selection of tools and goods for people to get creative with.
I think the thing that really sets us apart is that everyone here is so knowledgeable. You can come in and talk shop about your project, diagnose issues, figure out technical suggestions, just spitball ideas. We like maintaining a space for creative dialogue to flourish.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
We special order things all the time! What you see in the store is just the tip of the iceberg, and it’s usually not a long wait.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://artcentralslo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artcentralslo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artcentralslo/
