A rare opportunity to own one of New England's most distinctive creative retail businesses.

Your Next Chapter Starts Here

More Than an Art Supply Store

A destination with a loyal following.
A brand people know and care about.
A creative business with deep roots in its community.

Nestled on historic Main Street in Middlebury, Vermont, Sparrow Art Supply has grown into a destination for artists, makers, collectors, and creatively curious people.

The business brings together specialty retail, original artwork, membership, and community programming under one recognizable brand. Each part strengthens the others, creating a business with loyal customers, multiple revenue streams, and a reputation that extends well beyond its hometown.

Over the years, Sparrow has become a dependable resource in the community, creating the kind of loyalty and connection that keeps people coming back.

Built Around Connection

The majority of revenue comes from customers who return again and again—artists who rely on Sparrow for their supplies, members who participate in Sparrow Artist Collective, collectors who visit new exhibitions, and families who have made Sparrow part of their creative traditions.

Tourism provides meaningful seasonal growth, but repeat customers are what make the business dependable.

“Love love love having this cheerful creative store right downtown where I can get high grade art supplies for my studio, find interesting projects, supplies for my grandkids, and unusual gifts. It is a happy place!”

— Amy, local artist and loyal customer

“I found an incredible community of welcoming people who are here to teach me, cheer me on, and make me feel like I belong. I’ve met my best friends through Sparrow Artist Collective. It wasn’t just the best thing I’ve done for my art career, it was the best thing I’ve done for myself.”

— Courtney, longtime Collective member

A Business with Momentum

Consistent, double-digit growth since opening in 2022.

Sparrow has grown by cultivating customer loyalty, expanding thoughtfully, and creating experiences that keep people coming back. Revenue and profit have increased every year, reflecting a business built for long-term sustainability rather than a single trend or exceptional season.

Four Complementary Revenue Streams

01

Retail

A carefully curated selection of professional and approachable art supplies, stationery, crafting materials, and creative tools.

Sparrow serves beginners, working artists, lifelong makers, and people trying something new. The retail assortment combines trusted core materials with distinctive products customers may not encounter elsewhere.

02

Gallery

A rotating exhibition program featuring local and regional artists, with ongoing sales of original artwork.

The gallery gives customers another reason to visit regularly while supporting artists and strengthening Sparrow’s role within the regional creative community.

03

Artist Collective

A membership-based creative community centered on connection, accountability, and an active artistic practice.

Recurring membership revenue supports a loyal, engaged community through meetups, conversations, challenges, critiques, and opportunities for artists to stay connected to their work and one another.

04

Plein Air Festival

A signature regional event that expands the Sparrow brand, attracts visitors from across New England, and introduces hundreds of new customers to the business each year.

Strategically scheduled during a slower time of year, the festival drives traffic and sales at the start of summer.

Designed to Run

Behind Sparrow's welcoming storefront is a business intentionally built for long-term success.

The next owner will inherit not only a beautiful retail space, but also the systems that keep it running smoothly.

  • Sparrow Art Supply name and brand assets

  • Retail inventory

  • Furniture, fixtures, and equipment

  • Website, online store, customer database, email systems, and social media accounts

  • Established vendor, artist, and gallery relationships

  • Documented systems and operating procedures

  • Point-of-sale, inventory, payroll, and other business systems

  • Sparrow Artist Collective and Sparrow Plein Air Festival brand and event assets

  • Experienced retail team

  • Owner transition support

This is a turnkey business designed to support both continuity and future growth.

Historic Main Street. Extraordinary Quality of Life.

Picture opening the door each morning on the quintessential New England Main Street, greeting familiar faces, and spending your days surrounded by color, creativity, and possibility. As a small-town business owner, you are more than a storefront. You are part of the community.

Middlebury is full of four-season recreation, a lively downtown, Middlebury College, arts and cultural events, and a slower pace of life. There are very few places where you can own a thriving independent business while enjoying the rhythm of a vibrant Vermont town.

For many, it's the lifestyle they've imagined. For Sparrow Art Supply’s next owner, it can be reality.

Your Questions, Answered

  • After several years of building Sparrow, the current owner is exploring what comes next personally and professionally and is looking for the right person to continue growing the business.

  • Sparrow Art Supply has demonstrated consistent revenue growth and increasing profitability, with both revenue and profit projected to grow again in 2026.

    Additional financial details are available to qualified buyers after signing an NDA.

  • $150,000. Additional financial details are available to qualified buyers after signing an NDA.

  • The sale includes the Sparrow Art Supply brand, inventory, fixtures and equipment, website and online store, marketing assets, established systems and procedures, vendor and artist relationships, customer audience, and other operating assets.

  • A background in retail, small-business management, marketing, customer service, or art materials would be helpful, but a professional art practice is not required.

    An appreciation for creativity, strong customer service, and enthusiasm for community-building are most important.

  • The owner currently oversees business management, buying, marketing, gallery programming, and community initiatives. The current owner actively works in and on the business 5 days a week, and works an average of 20 hours a week physically in the store.

    With a solid and enthusiastic staff, the owner consistently enjoys weekends away from the store and goes on seasonal weeklong trips.

    The role could be restructured by a new owner depending on their strengths, priorities, and desired level of day-to-day involvement.

    More information about the role is available to serious buyers.

  • The current owner is prepared to provide an agreed-upon transition period to introduce the buyer to the business’s systems, vendors, staff, artists, and local community. All standard operating procedures are documented for ongoing reference.

  • The Vermont Small Business Development Center works with prospective buyers and can help guide you through the process, answer questions, and point you toward the right resources as you explore the opportunity. Their advising services are free. You can get in touch with them at https://www.vtsbdc.org/contact/

  • The owner is seeking a transition as soon as the right buyer is identified, ideally by early 2027.

    Interested buyers can schedule a meeting with the current owner to hear more about this rare opportunity. Qualified prospects will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement before receiving detailed financial and operational information.

Interested in learning more?

Schedule a brief introductory Zoom call to ask questions, share a little about your interest in Sparrow Art Supply, and learn more about the opportunity and next steps.

Schedule an Introductory Call

Prefer email? Reach out at opportunity@sparrowartsupply.com