Beloved downtown Tacoma craft store files for bankruptcy. What will that mean?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Artist & Craftsman Supply filed for bankruptcy Dec. 21 and will keep stores open for now.
- Tacoma location remains operational, honors gift cards and rewards for customers.
- Company lists 100–199 creditors and seeks reorganization; hearing set Jan 6, 2026.
A large arts-and-crafts store that has been a downtown Tacoma staple for nearly a decade has filed for bankruptcy, The News Tribune confirmed this week.
Artist & Craftsman Supply (616 St. Helens Ave., Suite 102), which has 18 other stores in the United States, including one in Seattle, voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Dec. 21 due to “ongoing financial pressures in 2025 amid a challenging retail environment, including higher real estate leasing costs and softness in consumer spending,” according to an email sent to customers on Friday.
The two-story, 5,000-square-foot-plus Tacoma retail space sells a wide variety of gifts, frames and craft supplies, from paint to stationary, pastels, watercolors, beads and more. Elaborate murals decorate the walls and ceiling, local artists’ work is always for sale, and the windows are usually adorned with themed designs. The 1928 Wagner Motors building is on Tacoma’s register of historic places and was designed by architect Silas Nelsen, with decorative twisted-cord columns and scrolled dentil molding, as reported by Craig Sailor in 2016.
CEO and board chair Bob Landry told The News Tribune in an email Tuesday that the company is still “very early on” in the bankruptcy process and recommended the public follow @ArtistCraftsman_Tacoma on Instagram and @ArtistCraftsmanSupply.Tacoma on Facebook for more updates on the Tacoma location.
The company said it will continue to operate as usual, and honor gift cards and its rewards program.
“To be very clear, we are not closing,” the company said in an email to customers on Friday. “We understand this news is concerning, but it is very important to us that you know the facts and understand what this means and what you can expect going forward.”
Chapter 11 bankruptcy means the business is seeking to reorganize its finances and debts while continuing to operate, with the goal of returning the company to profitability, according to the U.S. Courts website. Usually the debtor remains “in possession” of the business and a plan or reorganization is proposed, with creditors’ approval and court confirmation.
There are between 100-199 creditors with the company, which is worth between $10 million and $50 million dollars, according to the bankruptcy filings. There is a hearing scheduled for Jan. 6 in Portland, Maine (where the company is headquartered).
Artist & Craftsman Supply celebrated 40 years in 2025 and opened its Tacoma location in 2016, Landry said.
“Our creative community is our greatest strength,” he said in an email. “We are truly grateful for the abundance of kind words and messages of support we’ve received since making the announcement. Word of mouth is not just helpful — it’s how our community and business grow.”
The news comes after Joann Fabrics and Crafts filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this year, closing about 500 stores nationwide — including one near the Tacoma mall and another at 13410 Meridian E. in Puyallup, as previously reported by The News Tribune. Tacoma’s Hobby Lobby store closed in June 2024.
This story was originally published December 30, 2025 at 11:23 AM.
