By SASHA JOHNS | Special to the Reporter

MONTEVALLO – Falcon Art Supply in Montevallo has been an anchor business on Main Street for 10 years now. From the beginning, store manager Becky Cox Rodgers and her sidekick Fossy the art store dog, have made sure that it serves the university as well as the community at large.

Owners Phil and Suzanne Hurst started out with the Blue Phrog Gallery further up Main and eventually saw the opportunity to provide the students of the large art department at the university with a much more convenient place to purchase the supplies they needed for their course work.

When the building became available for purchase, the Hursts decided to jump on the idea and asked their long-time friend, and fellow alum Rodgers, who happened to be an art major, if she would run such a store for them. They opened their doors on Aug. 23 of 2012. For a decade now, Rogers has run the Falcon Art Supply store, while Suzanne has run the Blue Phrog Gallery.

Rogers works closely with the university professors to create “kits” for the courses the students take and then makes them available to the students through the school bookstore so that scholarship funds can be used for the materials.

Over the years their reputation has brought them business from far beyond the university clientele and into other regions of the state as far as the University of Alabama, and even south into Prattville and Wetumpka.

In their 10 years of business, they’ve managed to survive the great recession, a major reworking of the streetscape of Main Street that forced them to bring in their business through the back entrance, and the pandemic.

Rodgers said that one of her favorite things to do for customers is custom framing because it’s so personal that they can do more than just sell framing. They can also do repairs and have more available to make the work more personal.

“I also really enjoy helping customers find just the right materials for their art,” Rogers said. “It’s not just watercolor, graphite or oil anymore. There is so much mixed media now. People are doing things that have never been done before and helping them find what will work best for them is kind of neat and keeps me reading and up to date on materials.”

Rodgers also said that they have always managed to stay priced competitively.

“Just because we are a small business doesn’t mean we are more expensive,” Rogers said. “We buy from the same wholesalers that the big stores buy from.”

Owner Suzanne credits Rodgers with the success of the store.

“She’s done a lot to build our business here, and come up with ways to make sure we are relevant when classes aren’t in session too, with the custom framing for instance,” Suzanne said. “Becky had a strong presence in the community before we even knew her and that has made all the difference. She’s amazing.”

Those interested in stopping by Falcon Art Supply and letting Rodgers and Fossy, known for security and service, help find the right thing for a special project can also visit them on their Facebook page by the same name.