Your Source for Materials on Campus

SAIC’s Material Source is your partner in obtaining supplies for the making possibilities available at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Our inventory serves curricular and facility needs throughout the School’s many departments and our locations are embedded in or near these areas. We also provide convenience and introductory items to help you explore the variety of art-making processes our facilities support.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago has provided on-campus sales of materials in various forms for many years. In 2004, materials sales across campus were consolidated under one department with two locations. Since then our department has grown into an operation supporting 3 independent storefronts with an additional 3 storefronts that operate in tandem with the SAIC instructional shops. We are excited to continue to grow and assist the community in new and more comprehensive ways.

Each location primarily serves the departments and facilities in which they are located offering items catering to their specific needs. We also carry many items at multiple locations that are useful to the whole community. Most of our items have been chosen by faculty and staff to support your educational needs.

NEW MATERIAL SOURCE CATALOG 

You may still access the old catalog here.

Questions? Restock requests? The best way to contact us is through saicmaterials@saic.edu
Check back here for more updates!

Hours

FALL SEMESTER Aug 30th – Dec 18th

ALL LOCATIONS CLOSED: September 4th (Labor Day), November 22nd-26th (Thanksgiving Break)

280 Material Source (Room B1-31):
9 am to 8 pm, Monday through Thursday

9 am to 5:30 pm, Friday and Saturday

CLOSED 11:45AM – 12:15PM EVERYDAY

Maclean Material Source (Room 806):
9 am to 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday

CLOSED 11:45AM – 12:15PM EVERYDAY

Sharp Material Source (Room 333):
9 am to 5:30 pm, Monday through Saturday

CLOSED 11:45AM – 12:15PM EVERYDAY

 

OTHER SALES LOCATIONS

Materials can also be found for sale in the Sharp Instructional Shop, Sullivan Fabrication Studio, and the 280 Woodshop and Metal Shop. These sales locations follow the same hours as the shop they are located in. Please review each shop’s website to see the most up to date hours of operation.

Locations

280 S. Material Source
280 S Columbus Drive, Room B1-31  312.857.7173
This location carries select materials to support the Columbus Wood and Metal Shops, Print Media, Sculpture, Painting and Drawing, and Laser Cutter Facilities.
Payments for purchases of items from SAIC’s Ceramics Department are made in this location.
Lumber and metal items are sold inside the wood and metal shops.

Sharp Material Source
37 S Wabash Ave, Room 333 and 316  312.759.1655
This location carries select materials to support the Sharp Instructional Shops, Fashion Design, Fiber & Material Studies, and Contemporary Practices.
Lumber items are sold at tool checkout.

Sullivan Material Source
36 S Wabash Ave, Suite 1243  312.629.6699
This location carries select materials to support the Sullivan Fabrication Studio, AIADO, and Laser Cutter Facilities.
This location is inside the Sullivan Fabrication Studio.

Maclean Material Source
112 S. Michigan Ave, Room 806 312.345.3515
This location carries select materials to support Neon, Film, Video, New Media & Animation, Sound, Art & Technology.
The entrance to this location is to the right of the Media Center.