Mixed feelings on moving for Mixed Media
Art shop is moving to Westdale after 13 years operating out of its James North location
It’s with mixed feelings that Mixed Media is moving to Westdale.
The art supply, stationery and pen store has been a fixture on James Street North since 2005.
“From day one, the community supported us here,” owner Dave Kuruc says from behind the counter as customers line up, and the phone rings with best wishes. “We came in to a place that had a Portuguese market, a hardware store and a post office; it was like a village.”
After 13 years, Kuruc and his wife, Terésa Devries, who Kuruc says does the “heavy lifting” for the business, have decided to move the store to Westdale for lifestyle reasons.
“It’s work and family life balance. We live in Westdale. My goal is that my son can walk over after school and hang out with me at the store and maybe even help out.”
Mixed Media is moving into the vacant Bryan Prince Bookseller space. One half of the store will be Mixed Media and the other half will be the new King West Books, specializing in books on art, design, architecture, kids books and periodicals. “Books you just can’t find in Hamilton,” Kuruc says.
As Kuruc talks about the move, Paul Mergler waits to pay. The criminal lawyer from Toronto buys pens and refills when he’s in town on a case.
“It’s just a very cool ambience here and Dave is a wonderful guy.”
In 2005, Mixed Media opened one block north of its current location in a building then owned by architect John Mokrycke. “John took a chance on two people who’d never opened a business. He was an acquaintance and then became a friend.”
Creating relationships with the community was a constant at Mixed Media. Opening just as the Art Crawl was getting started, Kuruc’s store and Bryce Kanbara’s You Me Gallery were the two anchors on the street, with a long stretch of lonely in between them.
But now with James North percolating with activity, Kuruc sees growth in Westdale. The planned December opening of the Westdale Theatre was a major factor in the move, along with the opportunity to expand relationships westward with the Dundas Valley School of Art, Carnegie Gallery and McMaster Museum of Art.
The goal is to open in Westdale sometime in July, and sometime later the Mixed Media building Kuruc and Devries own on James North will go up for sale.
“We worked really hard here to build a business,” Kuruc says. “I’ve always said we’re the store of obsolete items. Obsolete to some but essential to others. Our store makes people feel good, they come in and it’s the smell and the touch of things.”
And now it’s Westdale’s turn to revel in paper, pens and books.