More than an arts store: How Rock Hill’s Blue Goose is helping creativity thrive
Rock Hill’s vibrant art supplies store Blue Goose got its name from the blue car its owners, Andrew and Mary Lazenby, used to drive to go on dates together in high school.
Freshly established in October in Rock Hill, the Blue Goose Arts Supply Store at 361 Oakland Ave. is a pop of color in a sea of white, less colorful buildings that’s hoping to drive the city’s arts scene forward. The Lazenbys used the “Blue Goose” name for their ventures for about 18 years before choosing to change the direction of their business and create a space for the artist community to gather and thrive.
After the city terminated the arts council’s lease for the Tom S. Getty Center in February, artists needed to find a new home and some answers. Blue Goose is helping with that. It welcomes all walks of life with bright blue walls and the most vibrant building entrance on Oakland Avenue.
“This gave us a chance to expand and to hopefully, encourage younger artists and younger folks and folks that don’t quite feel like they fit in with the arts community, because Rock Hill has a vibrant one, but it’s also like any group of people, you have to figure out how to get in and be a part of it,” Andrew Lazenby said. “We’re hoping to kind of be a stepping stone between new artists and established artists, as well as just kind of be a safe place for folks to come and work and have fun and hang out sometimes.”
Creativity and inclusivity are the two values Blue Goose prides itself on. Besides being a a supplies shop, Blue Goose aims to be a space for people to learn and encourage one another. If all goes as planned, Blue Goose hopes to open the doors of its expansion in the fall — an Art Lab. Just next door to their supplies store, the Art Lab will serve as a space for people to take classes and showcase their artwork.
As the arts continue to struggle, the prices of materials rise and it becomes harder for people to get quality products on a regular basis. The Lazenbys say they want to tackle that strain by providing a demo sample gallery in their new space next fall.
The goal of the demo sample gallery is for people who are interested in buying a product to try it out first, see if it works for them and their medium. Then, the customer can either buy it or not.
Arts versatility
As former and current college students in the area, both Riley Funke and Emily Burnham have been with Blue Goose Arts Supply Store since its inception on October 31.
“I love that we have this kind of resource and place for community together. I had no idea that there were so many artists in Rock Hill, to the degree of professionals and traveling and people who have their own shows and really make a living off of what they do and do exhibits before,” Burnham said.
The group’s versatility and different backgrounds in art come in handy in keeping the store afloat. While Andrew specializes in glassblowing, Mary focuses on drawing and painting as do other staff members at Blue Goose.
It is clear that Blue Goose has already had a positive impact on the community in just its nine months of running. Kids come to the store and have a place to draw and let their creative juices flow while their parents shop. Local artists have receive commission opportunities for work showcased in the store. Those who thought they may not be good enough for art have been left inspired.
Whether it’s highlighting their work in their store or having flyers up on the counter for customers to see, the Lazenbys say they aim to make a larger impact for artists.
“It seems like a lot of us have isolated ourselves and we’re not in touch with doing or putting things away, thinking ourselves. Art is so tangible and in you like it, and it hopefully, with the classes and stuff, we hopefully bring people in together and let them, kind of like work through things together and see that we’re all enjoying that creativity,” said Mary Lazenby.
This story was originally published July 14, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
