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After four decades in business, the team at a local art supply shop is putting the final touches on one last project — a painting of a closing sign.

Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, known for offering fine art and craft supplies at discount prices, is closing its Charlotte, Boone and Asheville locations for good after “40 years of creativity, connection and growth.”

“While it’s never easy to deliver this kind of news, this decision was made due to economic strain within the industry, which makes it difficult for all of us at Cheap Joe’s to continue providing the services our customers have come to expect,” the team announced on Facebook.

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The family-owned art supply company started out in a drugstore by founder Joe Miller, who was originally working in the pharmacy field.

The small corner he jokingly named “Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff” came to be while he was in practice at Boone Drug, according to the company’s website. But it wasn’t long before he left his career to build the brand “into a force in the art materials world” with locations in Asheville and Charlotte.

But now, about two years after moving out of South End to its new location, the Charlotte shop is closing for good, along with the other North Carolina locations.

This news was tough to hear in the local arts community, as it came on the heels of another big blow: The nationwide closure of all 800 JOANN fabric stores, which included Mooresville and Morganton locations in the Charlotte area, as well as other North Carolina locations in Asheville, Hendersonville, Goldsboro and Rocky Mount. The company was auctioned off to a new ownership group after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

On Friday morning, Cheap Joe’s customer Brooklynn Thompson wandered the store with an armful of supplies, including a filled canvas tote sporting the store’s logo. “I think that it’s sad,” she said, telling us she only recently found out about the store. “I think that it is an awesome place for new artists to see artwork around here and to be inspired. I think they have great pricing and great opportunities to network.”

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On Friday morning after the announcement by Cheap Joe’s, just three customers could be found walking through the aisles of paints, brushes, canvas, easels, drawing supplies, watercolors, oils, acrylics and more at the Charlotte location.

“I’m really going to miss it, but we persevere. We move on. It’s just going to be a little hard and a little sad not having this place for the community and being able to serve them for all of their artistic needs,” Noelle Kelly, a store employee, told CharlotteFive as she sat on the floor painting a crying Garfield comic on the door.

“Even people just come to hang out here, which is nice, and they always ask to see what we’re working on. It’s almost like a little artist commune. You just don’t get that at big-box places like Michael’s or Hobby Lobby or things like that. It just makes me sad.”

For now, all three locations are open but will close sometime in the next two or three months, Kelly told us.

In a statement shared in the Facebook announcement, CEO Joseph Miller said: “We want to express our heartfelt thanks to our loyal customers, employees, and partners who have been a part of our journey. While this chapter closes, the journey was a great one, and we will be forever grateful.”

Alex Cason and Melissa Oyler contributed.

Location: 2336 Freedom Dr, Charlotte, NC 28208

Location: 829 Riverside Dr, Asheville, NC 28801

Location: 374 Industrial Park Dr, Boone, NC 28607

Instagram: @cheapjoesartstuff

This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 1:30 PM.

Samaritan’s Purse is working with hurricane survivors across western North Carolina and parts of Tennessee where flooding damaged or destroyed more than 100,000 residences across myriad mountain communities.

Flooding and landslides in the wake of Hurricane Helene left many mountain communities reeling with loss of life and property in September 2024. Samaritan’s Purse initially provided disaster relief across a broad expanse of rugged mountains in western North Carolina and far eastern Tennessee, as well as in Georgia and Florida.

So many of our neighbors are hurting. We're thankful that we can respond and help in Jesus' Name.

Franklin Graham

Learn about volunteer opportunities with our rebuild efforts and other disaster relief opportunities, and please continue to pray for all those affected by the storm and for our teams as they serve as the hands and feet of Jesus.

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Samaritan's Purse is providing a number of mobile home units, built by Fleetwood Homes, to families who lost houses during Hurricane Helene.

Franklin Graham meets homeowners and first responders in Swannanoa, North Carolina. Donald Trump joined Franklin Graham in North Carolina to meet homeowners. A plumber and his wife received a new work van from Samaritan's Purse. Vice President JD Vance met Samaritan's Purse staff, volunteers, and North Carolina homeowners. Orange-shirted volunteers continue to encourage the devastated Asheville, North Carolina, area. As they wrap up every job, volunteers pause to sign a Bible for the homeowner they served. Volunteers remove damaged drywall and insulation at a home in the Tampa area. Samaritan's Purse President Franklin Graham visits a local Boone runway where U.S. Army Chinook Helicopters are picking up our relief supplies—including generators—for transport to remote mountain locations. Areas around Asheville are in great need right now; more volunteers are needed. Samaritan's Purse volunteer doing specialized tree work in Valdosta, Georgia. We're using our Samaritan's Purse helicopter to deliver relief to communities isolated by the storm. Samaritan's Purse is helping in Jesus' Name throughout Buncombe County, North Carolina, among the areas hit hardest by Hurricane Helene. Volunteers pray with homeowners and share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Historic Destruction Across Western North Carolina

Helene tore a deadly path through the mountains of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, dumping extreme rainfall and causing catastrophic flash flooding. Numerous locations received from 12 to 31 inches of rain between Sept. 25–27.

Some towns were left in ruins. Toppled trees covered the landscape. Roads and bridges were washed out. Homes and businesses were destroyed by flooding and landslides. Many homes remained without power or running water for weeks.

Samaritan's Purse responded quickly, transporting supplies aboard trucks and also on hundreds of relief flights using our own helicopter and the fixed-wing assets of partnering organizations to assist cut-off communities. We airlifted many tons of food, water, generators, fuel, Starlink systems, heaters, solar lights, and blankets.

We also used ground transportation to deliver critically needed items, including generators, cold weather clothing, and other items.

For weeks after the storm, we deployed tens of thousands of volunteers across the region to clean out flooded homes, tarp roofs, and cut up fallen trees. Through this work, we shared the Good News of Jesus Christ, and more than 350 individuals received Him as Lord and Savior.

Our relief efforts included areas throughout Watauga County—home to Samaritan’s Purse international headquarters in the town of Boone—and in neighboring counties (Avery/Ashe) around North Carolina’s high country and into Tennessee (Johnson County).

We also had a Burnsville base for Mitchell and Yancey Counties and an Asheville base for Buncombe County and beyond.

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In addition to cutting up downed trees, mudding out homes, removing debris, and tarping roofs, our teams operated heavy equipment to clear private driveways and private roads.

Volunteers also stayed hard at work for weeks after the storm in Florida and in Valdosta, Georgia. We continue to serve areas of Georgia impacted by the Category 4 storm.