In June, tariffs caused one of Celino Dimitroff’s suppliers for his art shop to shut down.
Dimitroff, the owner of SoMa Art Media HUB, said he’s trying to keep his art shop running and the rising costs away from his customers. Shipping delays, tariffs and hiked costs make that mission tough, but he wants to stick to his goal of keeping art accessible.
“I don’t want to be the person between you and creating because this thing costs $50 now that used to cost $30,” Dimitroff said.
Dimitroff has run his shop for the past decade, and he’s not the only art shop owner to be impacted by tariffs pushed by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Art stores aren’t the only type of business vulnerable to the shock of rising costs. Many small businesses across the country are having to make the tough choice of whether to pass those costs on to the consumer, or to eat the costs themselves.
The cost of higher tariffs is especially hard on smaller businesses, said Amanda Phalin, an associate instructional professor at the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business.
“Tariffs end up being a tax on businesses that are using imported goods and on the consumers who are buying those imported goods,” Phalin said. “If you’re a smaller business, you probably don’t have the financial ability to absorb those price increases, and so my guess is that you’re going to see smaller companies, including these arts and craft stores, raising prices sooner than you might see larger companies.”
Phalin added that these tariffs put pressure on the entire market, meaning costs rise for both domestic and imported items across the board.
The impact of tariffs is unprecedented since much of the burdensome tariffs went into effect in August. According to a White House order from April, some goods are exempt from reciprocal tariffs, including artwork, photographs and posters.
But Dimitroff said many supplies still experience cost hikes because they come from places like France, Germany, England, China and India. Supply chain delays also make it difficult to ensure products are available in his store.
Tina Corbett, the president of Lanza Gallery and Art Supplies in High Springs, said rising costs don’t just impact her shop, but they also impact the capability people have to spend on art. She said she adjusts her prices when costs rise for her, but she aims to keep costs low and offer different price points for customers.
“You always have to think outside of the box, so you always have to adjust things to what’s happening; so certain times, things kind of disrupt the sale of art, sometimes elections, sometimes the price of eggs, you know what I mean, the stock market,” Corbett said. “All of those things affect discretionary spending and art is discretionary spending.”
Owners who struggle to manage costs may consider whether they will have to shut down their own art shops or what steps they’re willing to take to manage their stock. Katherine Osman, owner of Pinspiration Gainesville, said that the reality is worrisome.
“I know that we can’t stay open indefinitely, so I don’t know. It’s a difficult time right now, let’s put it that way.”
Yet to Osman, although some may not consider art a necessity, she does. She said the value of art is the process, and the struggle for people to go through the process due to costs is more prevalent.
Osman said she looks to reduce her options rather than increase prices for customers. Instead of selling a six-ounce candle, she sells a five-ounce candle for the same price.
“We’ve realized that we’re not a necessity — we’re not food, we’re not water,” Osman said. “So we’re trying to make things still super affordable, which we have done, and buy things when they’re super on sale.”
Tariffs are putting pressure on local art sellers, forcing them to rethink their business model, adapt to change, and get creative with their costs. They can impact the price of a small paint tube, a frame or even some brushes. Alachua County art shop owners say they are determined to not let these economic shifts impact whether their communities can create.