Push/Pull, the art supply store, gallery and screen-printing hub at 2000 NW Market St., needs $35,000 from the Ballard community or its staff will start losing hours within two weeks.

Founder and director Maxx Follis-Goodkine told My Ballard the business has been operating at a loss for two years.

Revenue has dropped while costs for rent, labor, supplies and shipping have climbed.

The shop has exhausted its options for loans and other financial assistance, according to its GoFundMe page.

"If we are going to stick around, then we need some community help," Follis-Goodkine said, according to My Ballard.

The $35,000 goal covers overdue sales and payroll taxes, according to the GoFundMe.

As of Tuesday, Nov. 3, the campaign had raised $13,303 from 90 donations.

A stack of setbacks

The trouble didn't arrive all at once. Follis-Goodkine pointed to a years-long decline in foot traffic along NW Market Street after neighboring businesses closed or were displaced, My Ballard reported.

An August 2025 fire at the nearby Ballard Collective at 1766 NW Market St. displaced that arts-and-retail space, which had brought customers to Push/Pull.

The 34-year-old Golden City Chinese restaurant also closed in 2022.

Follis-Goodkine described Push/Pull's location as sustainable long-term but said those closures drained visitor volume, according to My Ballard.

Then a major art supply distributor, MacPherson's Art Supplies, closed abruptly. My Ballard reported the closure happened in May, and the GoFundMe described it as occurring "last year."

That collapse forced local shops to scramble for new sources of product. As a small retailer, Push/Pull said it gets low priority when supplies are limited.

What Push/Pull is

Push/Pull opened in Fremont in 2013 and moved to its current Ballard location in 2021, taking over the former Dakota Art Store space, according to My Ballard. The shop operates as an art gallery, supply store, indie comic shop, workspace and printer. Its name is a reference to screen printing, the motion of the squeegee across the screen.

How to help

Follis-Goodkine is asking Ballard residents to donate through the GoFundMe or to buy supplies and sign up for classes at the store. Tax-deductible contributions can be made through Allied Arts Foundation, according to the campaign page.

The GoFundMe campaign launched Oct. 29. Push/Pull is open at 2000 NW Market St. in Ballard.