A.J. AND LAUREN O’Reilly moved from Bloomington to be near family, closing their “scrappy” art supply business—and resurrecting it in a sunny nook at the Stutz Building. Griffy’s Art Supply brims with brushes, paints, canvases, sketch pads, and more high-quality accoutrements of committed creators. But dabblers find inspiration on the shelves too. Manager Miranda Perez, whose background is in painting and drawing, guides with a smile. Need an opaque paint that resists water? “Right over here.” Wish water-based paint was easier to control? “Check out these paint pens.” A.J. is trained in fine and graphic arts. “All the graphic artists I know dream of opening their own store,” he says. He leaned on “blind faith” to pursue that dream, adding that the couple is filling a void in Indy. “We’re the only independent store for working professionals and serious hobbyists in Indianapolis.” And the name? “We lived near Griffy Lake,” explains A.J. “It sounded like a store that’s been around for decades.” He intends to live up to that: “We want to grow from here.”
