100 Delightful Things in Worcester No. 39 – CC Lowell

Hello and welcome back to the 2018 Rabbit Heart Poetry Film Festival’s 100 Delightful Things in Worcester Project! This year, our wonderful interns Fay, Julie, and Lori are #TeamEatYerVeggies – exploring Worcester to bring back the best of  the best for you to enjoy.

After meeting up for coffee at the Living Earth, Lori and I decided to take a trip to a local art supply store up the street and around the corner called CC Lowell. As we later found out, not only is this store the coolest art supply store ever, but it is also the oldest in the country! We had no idea that the store does so much more than just sell paint brushes and canvases. Browsing through the shop we found fantastic gift ideas lined up against beautiful big windows, piled high with mugs, pins, notebooks, pens, posters, and more. The inventory manager named Amanda greeted us at the front desk which practically doubled as an information desk because this woman knows her stuff! Not only is she super passionate about her job and the store’s purpose, but she knows a whole lot about the products that can be found in each aisle. and was super helpful in answering customers’ questions. She talked a great deal about the vital role CC Lowell plays in our city’s artistic community and beyond, and how the business does especially important work with education. The store even has a downstairs classroom designated for art classes and special events.

Amanda also gave us a quick tour of CC Lowell’s mini museum shelf, which showcases rare historical artifacts of some of CC Lowell’s oldest products that have been rediscovered throughout the years and donated to the store. Amanda let Lori and I test out some pens and paint and taught us the essential differences between oil and acrylic paints. Lori and I had a hard time leaving by the end of our visit – we could have stayed there all day! CC Lowell isn’t just simply a place to go and buy stuff, it’s an experience that is as equally playful as it is enlightening. If you’re thinking of channeling your inner artist, don’t hesitate in heading down to CC Lowell where Amanda and other wonderful employees will be waiting eager to help you get started or continue on your creative journey!