St. Petersburg art supply hub Artissin at risk of closure, requests mutual aid

Located on the edge of downtown St. Petersburg, Artissin supplies tools to support a key element to the city's tourism: the arts district, specifically the murals scattered throughout the city. Even more specifically, Artissin provides the spray paint that's essential for the work.

Owner Austin David is a household name to local muralists, so it's no surprise the community is banding together to pull him out of a tough spot. Thanks to a combination of depleted savings, rent increases, and loss of revenue, Artissin was at risk of becoming another covid-induced closure.

But then artist Aleisha Prather opened a GoFundMe for the storefront on Jan. 14; the effort has since amassed $12,490 of its $15,000 goal. This grand gesture of support has already kept David from his original plan of closing by Feb. 1 and avoided filing for bankruptcy.

"Without his shop, we will have no option but to commute to Tampa and support the big chain to fill our paint needs," reads the fundraiser's bio.

Artissin is located at 328 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N in St. Pete if you want to support the shop with a direct purchase. If you have the means, give Artissin a chance to keep St. Pete's eclectic artistry alive.