Strathmore® Artist Papers invited professional, hobby and student artists to create their own unique vision of a green environment as part of a “How Do You See Green” Illustration Contest. The company is proud to announce the four grand prize winners whose original artwork will be featured on special edition Strathmore Premium Recycled sketch and drawing pads this back-to-school season. Art scholarships have been awarded to the Columbus College of Art and Design and the Savannah College of Art and Design in the students’ names. Thank you to all the retailers who supported this contest and to the artists who submitted entries.

Here is the text from Macon, Georgia newspaper columnist Dick Yarborough that touchingly honors the memory of Binder’s Jay Shapiro. YARBROUGH: Jay Shapiro never forgot that the customer comes first By DICK YARBROUGH Sometime ago I mentioned the worst customer service and the best customer service I ever received — all in the same week. I reprise the saga because the hero of the story recently and tragically died. To refresh your memory, for a number of years I had done business with a local investment firm. The locals sold the company to a national concern and moved on. I assumed nothing would change with the new folks in charge.…

Below is a link to a recent New York Times online article featuring Elmer’s Glue-All. Mary Beth Cowardin / Marketing Manager @ Elmer’s Products did a great job representing Elmer’s with back up from both of its agencies, SBC & Fahlgren-Mortine.  This feature was a result of the Glue-All and brand outreach Elmer’s did through Fahlgren. New York Times feature on Elmer’s Alan J. Braun – Regional Business Manager / New England

Big news at Golden: Mark Golden has entered into an agreement to buy the boutique manufacturer Williamsburg Oil Paints from Beverly Plansky. The deal should be completed by June 1st. Williamsburg was founded in 1986 by Bev’s brother painter Carl Plansky. Carl passed away in October of last year at the age of 58. The memorial on the Williamsburg’s web site explains the essence of what Carl created, “What sets Williamsburg oil paints apart from many other paints on the market was Carl himself. No corporate decision dictated the economics of his paint or which colors to introduce.” In Golden’s careful hands, look for the legacy to continue! Tombow Pencil…

Round 1 Winners Chosen for Chroma’s Student Art Competition Chroma is proud to announce the semi-finalists and popular choice winner from Round 1 of our International Student Art Competition. Students from the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom were chosen as winners. These students used Archival Oils, A.>2 Art Students’ Acrylics and Atelier Interactive Professional Artists’ Acrylics to create stunning artworks, such as semi-finalist and popular choice winner Katherine Cantrell’s The Still Life, shown here. The deadline to enter Round 2 is March 31, so encourage a student you know to enter today! To view the winning paintings or to enter the contest, visit Chroma Competition Winners.

GOLDEN Titanium White Free – 4 oz. – All Fluid Spring Promotion As spring is often a season associated with watermedia, the Fluid Acrylics are perfect for watercolor techniques such as washes, glazing, wet-in-wet and dry brush. Consumer Offer: Buy six 1 oz. bottles of Fluid Acrylics, or three 4 oz. bottles of Fluid Acrylics, and get a 4 oz. Fluid Titanium White FREE! How to Participate: For every multiple of six 1 oz. Fluids or every multiple of three 4 oz. Fluids, you may order a free 4 oz. promotional bottle of Fluid Titanium White at no cost (order item GD00P2380-4.) A FREE magnetic rack header POP sign can…

There is a changing of the guard at Swain’s in Glendale, CA. Owners Bill and Maxine Lambuth have sold this Southern California single location powerhouse of art, gift and toy products to long term managers Karl Wiest and Rich Noble. The transaction was completed on Friday, February 26th and the Lambuths in structuring the deal have made it possible for the business to continue and thrive. Congratulations to all! Canson and the Louvre Museum in Paris, France have inked a new 4-year agreement to actively support art created on paper. Canson sees it as a great opportunity to better promote the rich history of the world’s oldest paper maker while…

A recent article in the New York Times written by entrepreneur and picture framer Jay Goltz explores this timely question. Most of us in the industry, and in particular our retailers, are wondering if it is worth it to take ourselves away from the business for 3 days, and incur travel costs to attend NAMTA in Indianapolis this year in April. After all, according to statistics released by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), trade shows are suffering an average 15-20% loss in 2010. Jay Goltz makes a compelling case for attending and the core of his argument is that there appear…

With great sadness we must report the passing of John Ward, owner of National Art in New Orleans, LA. He was killed in a traffic accident during a Mardi Gras celebration early in the morning on Sunday, February 14th, 2010. Times Picayune Story details Our hearts goes out to his wife Nathalie, and daughters Charlotte and Isabelle.  Relatives and friends are invited to attend visitation from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon with a Funeral Mass at 12:00 noon on Friday February 19th at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor at 2701 State Street in New Orleans. Interment will follow at Hope Mausoleum on Canal Street. In memory…

GOLDEN OPEN Acrylics DVD Still Available In early November, in appreciation for your support of the OPEN Acrylics line, GOLDEN provided you with complimentary OPEN promotional kits. The kits contained three sample-sized OPEN Mediums and an OPEN Acrylics DVD. Artists that bought 6 tubes of OPEN qualified for a free OPEN Now Kit. While the OPEN Now Kits are no longer available, the OPEN Acrylics Introductory DVD remains an item that is available through your GOLDEN support dollars. Contact your MacPherson’s sales representative for ordering instructions. Just Paint #22 is Now Available Online and in Print This issue focuses on the innovative Digital Mixed Media products from GOLDEN. The feature…

Congratulations to the Cray-Pas® Contest Winners! Sakura of America would like to congratulate the winners, honorable mentions, and finalists in the 2010 Cray-Pas® Wonderful, Colorful World Contest! Thousands of K-8 students submitted artwork utilizing Cray-Pas® oil pastels, and 150 students were chosen as finalists. To view the artwork, go to Contest Winners, or visit MOCHA, the Museum of Children’s Art in Oakland, CA through March 15, 2010. The Winners!

Check it out, Art Dawg! MacPherson’s creative team has done it again. If you are signed up you will receive a once a month email announcing the latest in new items and promos to to help power your store’s engine of success. Click on the image below to see what we’re talking about!

MacPherson’s is proud to announce the promotion of two amazing individuals on our team. Natasha Nicholson-Bjerre, our head of Human Resources, has become a Vice President in the company. In addition to her current people related role, she will take on new management and customer-facing responsibilities over the coming months. Natasha joined the company in 2005 and has eleven years of people operations experience. Natasha has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. Also, moving up is Jim Semitekol as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at MacPherson’s. Jim’s new title recognizes his total involvement in all aspects of the Company’s business including the significant impact he is having…

The deadline for the Second Annual Krylon Clear Choice Art Scholarship competition is fast approaching. Scholarship applications are due by March 1, 2010.  The program will award $12,300 in money, grants and art supplies to future artists and their schools, including five $1,000 scholarships and five $500 grants for winners’ high schools. The scholarship program is open to high school seniors and college freshman and sophomores in the United States and Canada. Students are required to submit a portfolio, artist’s statement, letter of recommendation and transcripts. In addition to the $1,000 scholarships, the five recipients will receive a package of Krylon artist sprays and adhesives for use in their work…

Sad news for Pearl and its employees:  Pearl Paint will be closing eight stores. They are Atlanta; Rockville, MD; Chicago; Philadelphia; Tampa; Selden, NY;  Falls Church, VA; and San Francisco. These stores will remain open at least until the end of January. In related news Pearl’s Executive Vice President, Keith Serra has left the company. Long time and respected buyer Linda Canterberry with University Supply Store in Tuscaloosa AL has retired. It is with great sadness we report the recent passing of John Jonker, president of Demco, Mfg. in Montreal, Canada. He was an industry pioneer and was internationally respected. Demco is the largest student, and artist, art materials manufacturer…

NAMTA has announced the creation of a new annual award within the art materials industry, called the “Business Innovation Awards”  cosponsored by NAMTA, American Artist magazine and Hart Business Research, the same sponsors of the recently completed Artists & Art Materials USA 2009 market study. The objective of the award is to recognize individuals and businesses that innovate in the art materials industry, encourage use of the new industry study, and generate thought-provoking and useful case studies for the entire industry. The award winners and runners-up will be recognized at a keynote presentation at the 2010 NAMTA show. There are two award categories, suppliers and retailers. Each category will have…

We’ve heard that you think our Website is already the best in the business, but that hasn’t stopped us from working for nearly a year to make it even better. Take a look, run it through its paces, and tell us what you think!

Congratulations to Iris Williams & Kirk Lowry whose Ojai Creates has set a standard for creative supplies in the Santa Barbara/Ventura area have taken the plunge and opened a new/second store called Ventura Creates! Serving a lot larger general population, the store occupies a much bigger floor plan as well as a new expanded merchandise selection. Pelikan debuts retail concept. The German company recently opened its first own-branded retail store in Malaysia. The primary purpose of the PeliStation is to showchase the full range of Pelikan products and services. The retail outlet will also carry the PeliFill machine, which provides express ink refill service for the cartridge. With great sadness…

Come visit the Elmer’s Products Booth # 2523 at CHA / Anaheim for a fun, new Game Show, When Creativity Knocks Crazy Crafters Countdown Here are the dates & times: •  WCK Crazy Crafter Countdown Game Show Premiere! Special time – 4:00 p.m. •  WCK Crazy Crafter Countdown Game Show 3 times  –  11:00 a.m. , 1:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. •  WCK Crazy Crafter Countdown Game Show 2 times  –  11:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. The six (6) WCK Crazy Crafter Countdown Game Shows will air on the When Creativity Knocks Website with links to Elmer’s This Game show will have 3 doors.  Behind each door would be a…