A farewell message from Stu Beattie, MacPherson’s Chairman of the Board:
I’ll be retiring from MacPherson’s at the end of October with only great memories of our company and industry – 26 years that have rushed by, seemingly in an instant. What I shall miss most is those with whom I have worked both at MacPherson’s and in the customer and vendor art materials community. I’m pleased to include in that group our competitors who always have competed with MacPherson’s fiercely but fairly.
I will continue to serve on the MacPherson’s Board of Directors and am excited to play an ongoing role in the Company’s success. Louise and I are looking forward to seeing more of the world and to enjoying more time with our children and grandchildren. I have recently worked with my family to build a small business that has been a lot of fun, and I’m hoping that my greater involvement won’t dramatically diminish its success.
Changing the habits of 26 years will be an adjustment for me, and I would be delighted if any of you wanted to stay in touch.
After October 31st please direct your MacPherson’s questions that normally might have gone through me to Jim Semitekol, EVP and COO, jims@macphersonart.com, Natasha Nicholson-Bjerre, Vice President, natashan@macphersonart.com and of course Frank, franks@macphersonart.com
Stu Beattie
Justin Wraight, International Sales Director will be leaving ColArt at the end of October after 23 years.
Reuel Ware, founder of Reuel’s Photo Blue retailer and distributor in Salt Lake City passed away on September 22, after a long battle with cancer. He was 82 years old. Reuel was a past NAMTA President in the 1980’s and a Hall of Fame member. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Dorothy; their three children, Mike, Terri Jarrett, Julie Wynhof; and eight grandchildren. Read an article on Reuel’s life from the Salt Lake City Tribune.
Vice President of Royal Brush, Bill Dovellos of Valparaiso, IN, passed away on September 6, 2014 after an extended battle with cancer. Only 56 years old, he was well known as a great guy throughout the NAMTA community, Bill will be missed and remembered as a kind and generous man who was committed to his church, family, friends and business, and as an avid hunter and fisherman. Obituary
Check out this fascinating New York Times article on the Art Students League in NYC and how they sold the air rights(twice!!) to make room for the new Nordstrom Tower next to, over and above their West 57th street iconic Manhattan location. Nytimes Art Students League
Welcome to the world, Nolan Scott Pappas who was born on September 16th. He weighed in at 9 lbs. 6 oz., 21.5 inches long and his proud mom Alyssa is an HR manager in MacPherson’s Emeryville office.
Congratulations to Sabina Fried and Margaret Conner proprietors of Art and Soul of Sebastopol, CA who are getting married on October 25th!
Mary Kuniski, Michaels Vice President – Vendor Collaboration has left the company after 19 years.
ARCH has found a new retail location in San Francisco, but it won’t be available for 6 months so in the meantime they will move from their current location to a nearby “POP-UP” spot on nearby Illinois Street.
Daniel Smith has announced that they will be scaling back their mail-order and online business to concentrate on the manufacturing of their paint line. Consumers visiting their web site are being encouraged to buy their favorite Daniel Smith paints from their network of independently owned retail stores throughout the USA and around the world.
Here is a fun store marketing video created for Art Outfitters in Little Rock, AR
httpv://youtu.be/GEbqtDH8g5c