Any longtime resident of central Vermont could be forgiven for stepping into the Drawing Board and experiencing a bit of deja vu. Suzanne Rexford Winston still works behind the counter of the shop she and her then husband Jon started in 1975. These days, she’s chatting it up with customers as an employee rather than owner. She loved working in the shop when she owned the business, and 50 years later, her dedication for helping area artists hasn’t waned.
“I like the public,” she said.
The Drawing Board has experienced changes in ownership, location, and business practices over the years. It expanded its framing workshop into the basement and added a classroom upstairs, and rebuilt after each flood. Through it all, one thing remains the same: “We really care about customers,” said Jody Brown, who with her late husband Ray took over the shop from the Winstons in 1983.
“I loved what I was doing,” said current owner Liz Walsh, who took full ownership of the Drawing Board in 2017 after working there for about a decade.
The dual purpose of the shop — framing and art supplies — was a natural fit, Winston said. It provided for the varying needs of the community. Jon was a builder and provided the shop’s framing services.
“We knew there were a lot of artists in the area,” Winston said. “Framing was a big draw for a certain population, and the art supply was a draw for another population.”
The Barre Street location was charming, but it didn’t offer the walk-by business that Main Street did. In 1982, the couple purchased 22 Main Street — their current location — and moved the shop into one half of the building. Jon’s brother Rick took over the other half and started what is now The Savoy movie theater. By then, the Winstons had started looking for a new owner for the shop.
The Browns had recently bought land nearby and had been juggling gigs when they learned the Drawing Board was for sale. Artists themselves, they had been customers of the shop.
“We were a couple of hippies working by ourselves,” Brown said. With assistance from the small business association, the Browns learned about accounting and other business practices. They split the work along their interests, Ray in front with the retail customers, and Jody in back with the framing orders.
Despite the rise of online superstores, the retail aspect remains robust, Walsh said.
“Art is a tactile experience, and artists still want that tactile quality so they want to touch the paper before they buy it,” she said. Additionally there are hobbyists who want to try their hand at the latest online trend. The shop offers kits and staff members who can guide folks towards the right solutions. “If you need a sketchbook, you don’t get to touch all the papers when you buy it online.” The framing service likewise competes against online services in the quality and customization they can provide.
Not all artists are suited for business, but Walsh seems to have known it was her calling from early on.
“When I was starting out in the world I knew I wanted to do something with art and with business,” said Walsh, current owner of the shop. She went to school and earned degrees in both art and business. In 2006, she heard that the Browns were looking for a store manager and one morning on her way to work, she taped her resume to the door. She’s been a fixture at the shop ever since.
She’s serious about building the business into the future. After the 2023 flood, she added another vital service for the community: a local print shop. Capitol Copy, located nearby at 32 Main Street, did not reopen after the flood, and so she took on offering print services to the community, and retained the longtime staff. The Print Shop operates today at the former Capitol Copy location.
“I always liked working here,” Winston said of why she’s decided to come back to work the counter. “I still like working here.” She continues to teach classes, work on her own art, and helps curate art exhibits at both the Drawing Board and the Print Shop. Brown, now retired in Florida, travelled up for a 50th anniversary celebration in June.
