Strathmore Artist Papers™ 2012 Online Workshop Series continues with a new Watercolor Sketching workshop that starts on March 1, 2012. It features experienced art instructor Cathy Johnson using a variety of media and materials to teach and share techniques about how to sketch from life.  The workshop includes instructional videos, downloadable instruction sheets and inspirational tips. Strathmore 2012 Online Workshops have already attracted over 10,000 students, including many returning from last year’s program. The classroom has been very active since January 1, 2012, the start of the first workshop. Students are already sharing their art with each other, exchanging ideas, and building new friendships. Last year, Strathmore’s 2011 Visual Journal Online Workshops attracted over 8,600 students and earned the NAMTA 2011 Business Innovation Award. Considering hosting your own in-store…

We are sad to report that Stacey Brown, our Denver-based sales rep, will be leaving MacPherson’s on March 15th. Stacey has accepted a position at Grimstead Commerford representing their product lines in the mountain states and New Mexico.  Stacey started with us in the summer of 2006 and during her time at MacPherson’s she made a significant contribution. We will miss Stacey and wish her all the best. We are seeking qualified and art materials experienced candidates to fill her territory, serving independent art & craft retailers in the mountain states, Kansas and parts of Iowa. If interested please send a resume to Steve Robinson at stever@macphersonart.com . Golden Artist Colors…

Who says Urban Art doesn’t pay? Artist David Choe was asked by Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg to paint a mural at their headquarters. Mr. Choe said Facebook originally offered him $60,000 to paint murals in the company’s Palo Alto offices in 2005. Instead he was given the equivalent in company stock. Today, the stock he took could be worth more than $500 million. What paint did Choe use in creating the mural? Montana Black of course. Here is Barbara Walters, painting with Montana Gold, as she interviews Choe. httpv://youtu.be/QfV665kWoSg  

New Williamsburg Oil Colors Blog Golden Artist Colors continues to engage the citizens of the art community with the launch of its new Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors blog. Williamsburg Oil Blog Since the beginning, Williamsburg was always known as a ‘painter’s paint.’ Partly because the company founder, Carl Plansky, was first and foremost a painter. Everything he made was infused with a painter’s sense of touch and passion for color. The hours spent over a mill or mixer were in constant dialog with the hours spent in the studio. As the company grew, the dialog continued to expand far beyond Carl’s own paintings and practice to include the constant conversations and feedback painters provided when calling or visiting the factory and eventually, to…

Howard Flax of the venerable Flax Art Materials in San Francisco, CA was spring cleaning recently and unearthed a treasure of old Art Material Trade News from the 1950’s and 1960’s. Check out this link for some great ones! Ads from yesterday

The GOLDEN Retailer Workshop in Orlando, FL this past December was a great opportunity for retail staff to gain important insights into the working properties of the entire line of GOLDEN acrylic products. Staff was able to create a number of display boards that offer technique and application information as point of purchase. Now retail staff can readily pass on the knowledge they received to other staff members. Talk to your MacPherson’s Sales Representative if you are interested in having a Retailer Workshop in your area. httpv://youtu.be/lhCQ8ISKEow  

MacPherson’s is seeking candidates for our Manager of Merchandising (Purchasing, Inventory Management and Merchandising) position.  The job is located in our Emeryville, CA headquarters and requires strong leadership, technical and buying skills. Art material product knowledge is a plus. This person will lead a team of five Merchandise Analysts, each responsible for the merchandising of a group of vendors and products. If you hear of anyone who fits the bill and would like to learn more, please pass along this link MacPhersons Merchandise Manager position. Creative-Coldsnow’s second generation leadership, Greg McKean and his sister Michelle Bland, have opened their first store outside of the Kansas City area, in Des Moines, IA. It’s…

Participating in the UNCOMMON BLUES Promotion is easy! Just contact MacPherson’s Customer Service and ask them to add the GD00P75-0 case pack of 6 sets to your order. At a manufacturer suggested list price of just $9.99, these promotional sets are a great way to engage your customer with the GOLDEN brand and to get them excited about enlarging their palette with more colors. Uncommon Blues is one of four promotions we will be running throughout 2012, so stay tuned for details regarding future opportunities. Some Product Changes at GOLDEN As we move toward the 2012 price changes, there are a few color changes that you need to be aware of. Please contact GOLDEN Customer Service regarding shelf tags for the new colors…

The cover of our 2012 Art Supply Sourcebook was created by former MacPherson’s employee Rachel Thompson. Rachel started her own freelancing business after her daughter was born. You’ve seen her work on Buyer’s Guide covers, NAMTA signs, custom flyers and much, much more. If you need some design work done, Rachel can help. In addition to being a talented artist and designer, Rachel is very familiar with our industry, our products, and our quirks. http://rachelthompsondesign.com/

Paper Zone, the Seattle, WA-based 8 retail store chain located in Washington and Oregon has decided to close all stores, in their words “due to the current economic downturn”. Started over 30 years ago, Paper Zone offered  a large selection of paper and craft products. Sincere condolences to Minneapolis Penco’s Fred & Conrad Segal whose mom Helen passed away on Christmas day. Roberts Arts & Crafts, the Utah-based chain is closing its five remaining brick-and-mortar stores , but will continue its e-commerce store, www.robertscrafts.com. At one time the chain operated 11 stores in Utah and Idaho.  “The combination of a dynamic and evolving retail environment and a challenging economy and competitive environment with national…

We are sorry to announce that MacPherson’s Purchasing manager Kathy Johnson will be leaving early next year to pursue a new career direction in sales. Kathy has been a valuable contributor to MacPherson’s for over eight years as our Purchasing Manager. Kathy has a lot of friends within the company and the industry, and we’ll miss her very much. A search is underway to find a suitable candidate. Interested parties should forward their resume to resumes@macphersonart.com. MacPherson’s southern California sales representative Jeff Reed has decided to leave the company at the end of 2011.  Replacing Jeff will be his son Justin who comes to us with over ten years retail art materials…

The Board of Directors of Pacon Corporation, owners of Strathmore Artist Papers, have announced that the company has been purchased through a partnership with Pacon management and Mason Wells, a Milwaukee, WI-based private equity firm. The company employs 450 people across six facilities in Wisconsin and one in Canada. Pacon’s CEO Jim Schmitz commented, “This is a positive move for the long-term growth of the company. The focus of our organization has been and will continue to be to provide value to our customers by delivering quality products, innovation, selection and service”. Schmitz continued, “We are excited because Mason Wells has a great track record of working with the management teams of packaging and packaged goods companies to create long term sustainable…

Stu and Louise Beattie are grandparents… again! Tyler Stuart Wilson joined the family on October 13th at 7 lbs., 11 oz. and 19.5″ long. Congrats to the proud parents, too, Anna and Todd Wilson! Germany-based Schwan-Stabilo has reported record sales in its latest full-year financial results. Kerry Kemp of Art Outfitters in Little Rock, AR is celebrating  her store’s 130th year as a retailer of art supplies.  The original store opened in 1881 under the name Jungkind. Kerry changed the store’s name to Art Outfitters when she bought it in 1997. Congratulations Kerry on this huge milestone. With great sadness we report the passing of Mike Gutjahr, Director of School Supplies Programs at Follett’s College Stores. Mike…

Did you know that millions of kids are in crisis? In America, 1 out of 4 kids drop out of high school and 20% of children are living in poverty. Aaron Brothers has partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to help impact these youth that are most at risk. You can help.  Aaron Brothers is currently holding a charity art auction via eBay Giving Works, for some amazing pieces of art that were created by world famous artists including Risk, Revok and CES that will be auctioned off to support the mission of the Boys & Girls Club. Boys & Girls Clubs of America believe that every child can achieve…

After months of speculation, A.C. Moore, the east coast arts and crafts chain of 132 stores that started in Burlington County, N.J. 25 years ago, announced Tuesday that it has signed an agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of Sbar’s, one of the largest crafts distributors in the United States. According to Phillyburbs.com the deal is worth close to $41 million. Stockholders will get $1.60 per common stock share in cash. “Sbar’s is very excited about partnering with A.C. Moore to build the most dynamic and exciting retailer in the arts and crafts space,” Sbar’s CEO “Pepe” Piperno said in a news release. “We are confident that Sbar’s expertise and history of…

One primary strategy that Golden Artist Colors will be targeting for 2011 is: Support of Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors 1. Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors Merchandising As mentioned earlier this year, in order to further support the Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors line, GOLDEN is introducing a number of new items and enhancements to the merchandising materials available, further warranting your interest in the brand. 2. Williamsburg Handmade Oil Mediums One of the recent improvements was the change in packaging for the Williamsburg Mediums. In order to better align the packaging for the Oil Mediums with the professionalism and prestige of the Williamsburg brand, these products will now be available in new square, glass containers for the 2 oz., 4 oz., 8…

In this issue: Differentiating GOLDEN Molding Pastes; There are many different effects and textures that can be achieved by using GOLDEN Molding Pastes. In the new video listed below, GOLDEN Working Artists Program Director, Patti Brady provides a brief overview to the properties of Molding Pastes and then focuses on five specific materials within the Pastes category, detailing properties and attributes of each in order to help the artist decide which product best meets their individual needs. Check out a link here to Patti’s video , Patti Brady This issue comes at a time when Golden is able to share many projects that have come to completion. They are delighted to announce the opening of the Golden Foundation Artist Residence space, which will serve as…

Aaron Brothers and Michaels each select one vendor annually who stands above the rest in providing market analysis, driving sales, providing superior product innovation and inspiration, and excelling in product selection and supply chain. At this year’s Vendor Summit held at the Hilton Anatole hotel in Dallas on August 31, 2011 we are proud to announce that  MacPherson’s was honored as Aaron Brothers Vendor Partner of the year. Our heart goes out to Nevada Fine Art’s Debbie Wolff whose mom Kathryn S. Cox, 76, of Henderson, NV passed away Sept. 12, 2011 at the Nathan Adelson Hospital. Read about her life here. Kathryn Cox Obituary Bob Glicksman, founder of Easel Art in Miami…

Leonard Green & Partners, owner of the Sports Authority and Jo-Ann Stores, has announced sweeping changes in the senior leadership at both chains. At the Sports Authority, CEO David Campisi has been replaced by Darrell Webb, formerly the head of Jo-Ann Stores.  At  the craft and fabric chain, Travis Smith, the company’s interim CEO, will formally take over the helm. Elmer’s has reorganized its sales structure. Best wishes to Alan Braun who has left the company where he served as a sales manager responsible for key accounts in the art materials industry and mass markets. Joe Mannix, who has been with Elmer’s for over 6 years and has extensive market and category knowledge, will be taking over…

Are you a member of NAMTA, our one and only International Art Materials Trade Association? If so there are some big things brewing that you’ll be hearing about over the next few months. If you aren’t a member, perhaps it’s time to take another look because NAMTA is a lot more that just an annual convention. In these times it can provide you the retailer with the tools and connections to not only survive, but to thrive. You’ll recall that, for the first time in several years, NAMTA conducted a major membership satisfaction survey in March and shared the results in April at the Phoenix Trade Show and Conference. In response…