Vancouver Arts District now has a spot for supplies

“We’re adding things all the time,” Dengerink said, adding that she has been surprised at the turnout already from tourists or business people walking over from the nearby Hilton.

Dengerink, daughter of the late Hal Dengerink, the founding chancellor of Washington State University Vancouver, got the idea to open a store in 2013 as she was finishing up her master’s degree at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland.

Originally, she wanted to operate a kind of art-supply version of a food truck, and she’s still open to taking her business on the road for events. But when space opened up in the gallery, she jumped at the chance to ground the business in a permanent to ground the business in a permanent space.

“There’s definitely a strong and growing arts community in Vancouver that I felt a lot of love and support from in getting this going,” said Dengerink, a former gallery director at WSUV.

Maureen Andrade, executive director at North Bank Artists Gallery, said Dengerink Art Supply is a perfect fit for the area.

“It’s an incredibly important thing to have an art supply store when you have an arts district,” said Andrade, who had helped connect Dengerink with the Main Street space. “It’s a good fit into what everybody else is doing downtown with the art.”

A grand opening event with music, a raffle, snacks and more is planned from 2 to 5 p.m. July 18.

Dengerink said she plans to start a line of coloring books by local artist and is always taking ideas for how to stock her shelves. She seeks out high-quality materials for a reasonable price. Her inventory includes watercolors from Daniel Smith, a Seattle company.

The Salmon Creek resident, who is this year’s Curator in Residence for City Hall under an Arts of Clark County program, said she wanted to open the store to support local artists and be a part of the growing arts scene in Vancouver.

“A lot of people have their eye on Vancouver as a place to really expand and bloom,” Dengerink said.

She also wanted to give artists a place to touch and see the materials they are buying.

“I think artists are really tactile,” she said.

Leah Jackson, owner of Angst Gallery on Main Street, said artists previously had to travel to get their supplies.

“You can order online but you can’t touch things, and I like to touch things,” she said. Dengerink is a practicing artist who is willing to take suggestions on the needs of artists in the community, she added.

Andrade said the arts community, not just in the arts district but in Clark County as a whole, is growing.

“More connections are being made,” she said. “People are meeting other people.”

This story was changed to correct the name of the Angst Gallery owner to Leah Jackson.

A place to bloom

The Salmon Creek resident, who is this year’s Curator in Residence for City Hall under an Arts of Clark County program, said she wanted to open the store to support local artists and be a part of the growing arts scene in Vancouver.

“A lot of people have their eye on Vancouver as a place to really expand and bloom,” Dengerink said.

She also wanted to give artists a place to touch and see the materials they are buying.

“I think artists are really tactile,” she said.

Leah Angst, owner of Angst Gallery on Main Street, said artists previously had to travel to get their supplies.

“You can order online but you can’t touch things, and I like to touch things,” she said. Dengerink is a practicing artist who is willing to take suggestions on the needs of artists in the community, she added.

Andrade said the arts community, not just in the arts district but in Clark County as a whole, is growing.

“More connections are being made,” she said. “People are meeting other people.”