The 4 Best Art Supplies Shops in Oxford

May 20, 2026

1. Broad Canvas — Broad Street, Oxford City Centre

The 4 Best Art Supply Shops in Oxford | Discount Art Supplies

Written by Paul Worrall

Oxford is one of those cities that feels like it should have more art shops than it does. You’ve got two major universities, a huge student population, a genuinely thriving independent culture, and a city that takes creativity seriously. And yet when you actually look for dedicated art supply shops, the list is shorter than you’d expect. I’ve done the research properly — checked what’s actually still trading, verified addresses and opening times, and cut anything I couldn’t confirm — so what you’re reading is an honest, current guide rather than something cobbled together from an outdated listicle.

I’m Paul Worrall. I spent nearly a decade running digital marketing for ARTdiscount, one of the UK’s largest online art retailers, before founding Discount Art Supplies — a price comparison platform used by tens of thousands of UK artists. I know the UK art supplies market inside out, I know what makes a good shop, and I know when a guide is padding the numbers with shops that aren’t worth your time. This one doesn’t do that.

If you’re planning visits to nearby cities, also check out our guides to the best art supply shops in Bristol and the best art supply shops in Birmingham.

1. Broad Canvas — Broad Street, Oxford City Centre

Broad Canvas art supply shop Oxford city centre Broad Street

If you only have time for one shop in Oxford, make it this one — and it’s not even close. Broad Canvas has been trading from 20 Broad Street since 1981, sitting directly opposite Balliol College in the heart of the city, and it is rightly considered Oxford’s number one dedicated art and craft supplier. That’s not marketing copy — it’s a reasonable description of a shop that has served Oxford’s artists, students, and hobbyists for over forty years and earned that position on merit.

Spread accross three floors, the range is genuinely impressive. Fine art paints, drawing supplies, canvas, papers, brushes, graphic markers, model making, jewellery making, needlework, card making — it packs in more than you’d expect from the frontage. The building itself has the slightly labyrinthine quality of a proper independent — the kind of place where you go in for a sketchpad and come out twenty minutes later having discovered three things you didn’t know you needed.

What I always look for in a specialist art shop — and what too many fail to deliver — is staff who actually know what they’re talking about. Broad Canvas has that. Every member of the team is a practicing artist, illustrator, graphic designer, or art student. That means when you’re standing between two products and genuinely not sure which to go for, you get a considered answer from someone with real experience rather than a shrug and a punt at the more expensive option.

They also run The Little Gallery on the first floor — a proper exhibition space showcasing local Oxford artists, printmakers, and community art groups. It’s a nice touch that makes the whole place feel like it’s part of the creative community rather than just a retail operation. Ten percent student discount, a loyalty membership scheme, and bulk account facilities for schools and businesses round off what is, honestly, one of the better independent art shops in the south of England.

Address: 20 Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3AS
Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 11am–5pm
Visit Broad Canvas online →

2. Hobbycraft Oxford — Meadowside Retail Park

Hobbycraft Oxford Meadowside Retail Park art and craft store

The honest version of this rather than the dismissive one. People in art circles sometimes sniff at Hobbycraft, and I’ve never quite understood it. I’ve spent years watching what UK hobbyist artists actually buy, and Hobbycraft serves a very significant proportion of that market and serves it well. More to the point, I’ve got two kids at home who treat art supplies as roughly equivalent to consumables — markers go dry, paper gets used up, paint pots are emptied at speeds that would alarm a professional — and I have developed a healthy appreciation for a shop where you can restock without it being a financial event.

Hobbycraft Oxford is a large, two-floor store on Meadowside Retail Park. The art supply range is solid rather than specialist — canvases, basic acrylics, watercolours, sketchbooks, brushes, pencil sets, craft materials. You’re not going to find professional-grade pigments or anything particularly specialist here, and that’s fine — that’s not what Hobbycraft is for. What it is for is convenience, range, and price, and it delivers on all three. The activity kit and craft set range is particularly good if you’re shopping with younger artists — or for younger artists.

It’s also open until 8pm on weekdays, which is genuinly useful when most independent shops have already shut. Worth checking our paints and mediums deals page before visiting — we sometimes find better prices online on identical stock.

Address: Unit B, Meadowside Retail Park, Lamarsh Road, Oxford, OX2 0HF
Hours: Mon–Fri 9am–8pm, Sat 9am–6pm, Sun 10:30am–4:30pm
Find Hobbycraft Oxford →

3. Søstrene Grene — Westgate Centre

Sostrene Grene Westgate Centre Oxford craft supplies

Not a specialist art shop in the conventional sense, but Søstrene Grene (pronounced “soss-trenna grenna” — it means The Grene Sisters in Danish) has built a genuine following among crafters across the UK, and the Oxford store at Westgate Centre was the first in Oxfordshire, which tells you something about how the brand has been expanding.

The experience of shopping here is deliberately different from a standard retail visit. Stores are designed as a labyrinth-style walkthrough — you follow a single path through different sections, classical music playing in the background, at a pace the layout gently encourages. It sounds like a gimmick and turns out to be genuinely pleasant. The art and craft section typically stocks sketch pads, watercolour sets, acrylic paints, drawing tools, brushes, and a rotating selection of seasonal craft kits — all at prices that make experimentation genuinely affordable. The range changes regularly, which means return visits usually turn up something new.

One of the things I’ve always believed — and said repeatedly to the community of 25,000 artists I’ve built at Discount Art Supplies — is that the best thing you can do for a beginner is lower the financial barrier to getting started. Søstrene Grene does that. It’s also particularly good if you’re shopping with children who want something crafty — my two are fans, which is a recommendation in its own right.

Address: Unit L31, Westgate Centre, 144 Queen St, Oxford, OX1 1PE
Hours: Westgate Centre opening hours apply
Find Søstrene Grene Oxford →

4. The Works — Templars Retail Park

The Works Oxford Templars Retail Park art supplies

The Works divides opinion in art circles. It’s not specialist, the range isn’t deep, and nobody’s going to mistake it for a professional art materials supplier. But at the price points The Works operates at, it makes basic art materials accessible to people who might otherwise never start — and I think that matters more than its critics give it credit for.

The Oxford store stocks a rotating selection of paints, sketchbooks, pencil sets, colouring materials and craft kits, typically at prices well below what you’d pay elsewhere for equivalent beginner or student-grade products. For parents stocking up for children, teachers buying classroom supplies, or anyone who wants to try a new medium without making a significant financial commitment, The Works serves a genuine purpose. The art world is better when more people can afford to participate in it — that’s something I’ve believed since I started in this industry, and The Works contributes to that even if it’ll never be anyone’s first choice for serious materials.

As always, check our current deals and price comparisons before any shop visit — but for grab-and-go convenience at the right price, The Works earns its spot.

Address: Templars Retail Park, Oxford
Find The Works Oxford →

A note on Oxford’s art supply scene

Oxford deserves more dedicated art shops than it has. For a city with two major universities, a large and active student population, and a cultural scene that punches well above its weight, the provision of specialist art materials is genuinely thin. You’re not going to find a Cass Art here, or a Jacksons. The gap between what Broad Canvas offers and the next nearest specialist option is significant — and it’s a gap that Oxford’s creative community feels.

The practical reality for professional artists and anyone after specialist materials is that online is almost always the better option for range, price, and availability. At Discount Art Supplies we compare prices across all major UK retailers in real time — Cass Art, Jacksons, Amazon, Hobbycraft and more — so you can always find the best current deal before buying. Use the comparison tool before any physical shop visit and you’ll rarely pay more than you need to.