Interesting and Gently Used Art Supplies

Synchroncity worked at her very best this morning when I was checking in with Facebook. One of the ads that popped up was for Texas Art Asylum, the first art store in Houston that features recycles, gently used, and reclaimed materials. Since I’ve been working my way through The Artist’s Way (you can see the details on my personal blog), and I needed an Artist date that would beat the heat, I decided to stop by and check it out.

Owner Ramona Brady founded Texas Art Asylum after leaving a security monitoring company. Ramona hadn’t decided what she wanted to do after leaving the security company and decided to do some creative projects of her own. While searching for supplies for her projects, Ramon found a online site for a similar shop in another city. She liked the idea and when she found Houston didn’t have such a shop, she decided to research what it would take to open one (you can read about her journey here). An idea was born and in May a dream came true. Ramona’s former co-worker, Jennifer McCormick, joined her and now works with her.

The description on the web site that Texas Art Asylum is part craft store, part thrift store, part antique store, and part salvage store is right on the mark. Inventory in the store is from individuals and businesses across the Houston Metroplex. I saw dolls, appliances, law books, sewing supplies, embroidery supplies, dice, jewelry, and lots of other items available for sale. Some things are 5 cents, many things are $1-$5, and there are some more expensive items as well. Check out the pictures below to see just a few of the items they have.