Art supply/hobby shop plants new roots in Old Town

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Another business is expanding from the REO Town Marketplace to a new, standalone location in Lansing’s Old Town neighborhood. This time around, it’s Odd Nodd Art Supply — a locally owned hobby shop that sells fine art supplies.

“We had an opportunity for an amazing space and we decided to take it. It’s quite the step up from our previous space,” Owner Casey Sorrow said. “It’s a beautiful spot.”

Odd Nodd, which derives its quirky name from the nicknames of the Otto C. Eckert Power Station smokestacks, Wynken, Blynken and Nod, first opened in REO Town in 2019. Sorrow opened the shop as a much needed refuge for local artists to get trade goods and fill the void left behind by the shuttering of Lansing’s lone art supply store in 2014. Sorrow, who has worked in the art supply business for several decades, said Odd Nodd got off to a good start before the pandemic and attracted many regular customers who simply didn’t have anywhere else in town to purchase niche, high-end art supplies.

“We put Odd Nodd together with the idea that we would offer Lansing something you can’t find in the area — professional and unique imported art supplies and brands that are hard to find,” he said.

Sorrow is feeling very lucky to be able to expand his business during a time that has thrown many into financial turmoil. He said Odd Nodd was able to persevere in spite of the coronavirus pandemic thanks to support from its dedicated clientele and a strong pivot to digital sales and curbside pickup. Odd Nodd also received a grant from the Small Business Association of Michigan.

“We made it through being shu down for almost five months. We’re extremely lucky to have a dedicated base of customers and supporters,” Sorrow said. “Having our entire inventory available for online ordering and curbside pickup opened up a lot of opportunities. We actually saw a lot of orders from across the entire country by people who were supporting small businesses.”

Sorrow said he is very excited to join the Old Town community. His shop will be yet another colorful spot in a shopping district that is already highly saturated with art and culture. The expansion to the shop will see Odd Nodd carry more gifts and supplies catered toward children. After the Halloween soft opening, the shop is expected to be fully up and running by mid-November.

“Our space will be much more open and readily accessible. Being part of a historic arts district is huge for us,” Sorrow said.

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