On September 1st, Westport will lose Max’s Art Store, an art supplies store that has resided downtown for 59 years as haven for local artists.

Originally opened by Max Kaplan, it has been run for years by Shirley Mellor after Kaplan’s death in 1983.

When asked about why they’re closing, Mellor chuckles softly, and says, “We haven’t made a profit since 1989.”

She also cites technology as a huge reason for the stores closing. Mellor says that artists nowadays do most of their art on the computer, and if they need supplies, they order it online.

Max’s Art Store has been closely involved with Staples, allowing artists from Staples a chance to display their art in the window of the storefront each spring.

As well as the storefront, Staples students have been avid customers. One of these customers, Emma Fasciolo ’16, says that she is upset at its closing because Westport is so flooded with major brand name stores and she “likes to give business to local stores.”

Indeed, Max’s Art Store will be dearly missed by Staples students, and the community overall.

Brandon Schock ’16, a student artists at Staples, speaks of Max’s Art Store with fondness, saying “it was everything an art store should be.”