Archives of the Art Dog Blog from MacPherson's

Yee Haw! You’re Invited!
Don’t forget that NAMTA is nearly upon us! If you are coming make plans to attend the annual beer blast. This year the theme is  MacPherson’s Bluegrass Beer Blast. Everyone is invited.
Where: The Marriott Downtown Louisville, Ballroom on the 2nd Floor
When: Friday Night May 8th from 5:00 to 7:00pm
What: Free beer and wine, music and fun!

Palace Art & Office Supply has been named ‘Business of the Year’ by Capitola-Soquel Chamber of Commerce. What began as a simple stationery store has morphed into a family-friendly art store as well as an office furniture store. Today Palace, celebrating it’s 60th anniversary, is the largest art and office products supplier on the Central Coast. Congratulations to owners Frank, Roy and Gary Trowbridge as well as their amazing team. Read the whole article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel

Preston Art Center recently moved its Louisville, KY store to a great new location at 3048 Bardstown Road.  The space had an ample backroom that is being converted to two classrooms with university studio quality lighting. At NAMTA in Louisville next month, Preston’s two locations would be great destinations for art supply retailers to tour. Kathy and Don say, “Come on down!”!

Our very own Lisa Slauson, E’Brands Maven at MacPherson’s, has created a cool new blog featuring all things STABILO called “Love at First Write!”. It promises to deliver the  inside scoop and the latest news, events and products from STABILO. Check it out here:  Stabilo, Love at First Write! Comment on an entry or two if you like, and don’t forget to join as a follower! (See the Followers section on the left.) Lisa will be updating the blog regularly and there will be STABILO prize give-aways from time to time, so it pays to keep up on it! Thanks for your STABILO support!

Congratulations to Sam and Gilda Winklemeyer of Santa Barbara Art & Craft Essentials on being voted the best Art Supplier in Santa Barbara, CA by the readers of the Santa Barbara News Press in their 2009 poll. In these challenging times Sam and his team have proven that taking care of your customers really pays off!

Scott Hammer of Hammer Associates has submitted a candidate for Art Dog of the month. His name is  “Jack” Hammer. He is a 45 lb. Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier that is fully trained. With his internship at Hammer Associates drawing to completion, this 3rd generation Art Materials Manufacturers Rep is looking forward to working in his own territory. It looks like this guy might just have the makings of a Pack Leader!

Dave Thompson of the retailer group, iAMart has announced the group’s newest member, Oil & Water Art Supply, Inc owned by Richard Nelson.

We regret to announce that our esteemed Seattle based sales representative, Doug Mooney will be leaving MacPherson’s effective May 6th, 2009.  As both a professional and very effective sales rep, we will miss having him at MacPherson’s. The good news is that we will still be working with Doug in his new position. Doug has purchased John Colbert’s independent rep agency and will be representing various manufacturers including Faber Castell, Sakura and ArtBin. We look forward to working with Doug in the future. Please join us in wishing Doug the best of luck in his new venture!

We are sorry to report that Conell Carey is no longer with MacPherson’s. While at MacPherson’s, Conell made many contributions toward our success in managing key accounts. We will miss him and wish him luck in his future endeavors.

ColArt Americas to launch new Winsor & Newton Superior Artists’ Acrylic Color at NAMTA in Louisville.

Why a new Artist Acrylic?
Brand leader Winsor & Newton must be represented by the best acrylic in the world, superior to all others in every key feature!

Why it’s the BEST!

• Unrivalled brilliance and depth of color
• NO color shift from wet to dry…period
• Longer open working time
• New pigments unique to professional acrylics

Artist Acrylic Features:

• 80 colors in 60ml tubes (69 single pigment and 11 mixed colors)
• 17 new colors (Cobalts, Perylenes, earths, metallics, inorganics, & synthetic organics)
• 36 best-selling colors in 200ml tubes
• New Display Look

AND…a stunning new Artist Acrylic Brush range designed to compliment!

New Artists’ Acrylic Brush Features

• Finest synthetic filament mimics natural hair while providing durability and shape retention
• Spring and responsiveness is the perfect complement to the buttery consistency of the new Artists’ Acrylic colour range
• Contoured handle provides comfort

Artist Acrylic Colour and Brush are part of Winsor & Newton’s new comprehensive Acrylic Program for 2009 that also features;

• 9 new Galeria Colours in both 60ml and 200ml tubes with new display look

AND… a new value priced… Studio Acrylic Colour 75ml/200ml featuring:

• Good opacity and clean color mixing at a value price
• Peggable clear tube show color
• Value series, perfect for students and beginners
• Range includes 75ml and 200ml tubes, 500ml pots
• Range of best selling mediums & sets

MacPherson’s is proud to feature the entire Winsor & Newton Acrylic Program on its NAMTA EXTREME Promotion with incredible savings!

Click here for a PDF for the complete W&N Acrylic Program.

Stay tuned… the above is just a part of ColArt’s entire 2009 BTS Promotion!

Chroma is  excited to have a new video on its website,  Bigger and Bolder Watercolors with Atelier Interactive, found at the Chroma Media Library.

In this 2-part video, Chroma Teaching Artist Barry Sholder demonstrates his method of creating vibrant “watercolor” paintings using Interactive on full sheets of watercolor paper. Bigger and Bolder painting is an Impressionistic style of painting that incorporates very wet paper surfaces and the brilliant characteristics of Interactive’s line of artist acrylics and mediums.  Materials and their use are explained, as well as simple compositional concepts that are easy to understand and executed, to produce beautifully vibrant paintings much like a watercolor … only using acrylics. Perfect for beginners to professional artists who want to explore a new technique, Barry gives step-by-step instructions on how to achieve beautiful, transparent watercolor effects.  We encourage you to check out this video and to tell your acrylic and watercolor customers about it. If you have any questions about Barry’s techniques or wish to schedule a free “Bigger and Bolder” workshop in your store, please contact Kathryn Betz at kbetz@chromaonline.com.  If you would like a copy of this video on a DVD to play at your store, please contact Celia Weber at cweber@chromaonline.com.

Notes from Elmer’s Mike Mankowsky… “BTS planning and sales are just around the corner and I encourage you to check out MacPherson’s Fall BTS Buyer’s Guide for a great selection of featured products from Elmer’s. A sampling of what you find includes item such as:

·         Bienfang Fine Art Pads:  Our newly designed pad covers have been a great success and you will find the complete assortment of fine art pads on promotion.  Choose from such well known products as Raritan Drawing Pads, Nelson Bristol, Take Me Along Sketch Books, NoteSketch, Canvasette, and others.  All of our fine art pads are now in convenient case packs of 6 for easy ordering and handling.  Plus, all of these items are being promoted with an additional 15% discount.

·         Bienfang Commercial Papers-Sketch Rolls, #100 Parchment Tracing Paper in pads, and Cross Section Pads:  All featured with an additional 10% discount.

·         Conté: Aside from the traditional 2-pack crayons, be sure to check out our new Matchbox Display featuring 24 assorted boxes of 4 assorted crayons packaged in a unique “matchbox” reusable container.  Best of all, these 4-crayon boxes are priced the same as a two pack of carded crayons.  A great promotional opportunity designed for secondary placement and impulse sales.

·         Elmer’s Spray Adhesive:  A great consumer value, our 11 oz. Multi-Purpose Spray offers an excellent alternative to other popular brands.  With a $7.35 list, our spray adhesive allows for repositioning, and dries clear and permanent.

·         X-Acto Knives and Blades:  Choose from a great selection of knives – the #1 Knife, Gripster, x2000 – along with the popular 40 pack of #11 blades.  All products are being promoted with an additional 10% discount.

In addition to the core categories mentioned above, now is the perfect time to evaluate your current offering of our 20″ x 30″ foam boards in order to spice up your assortment.  Aside from our basic colors, check out other unique options, such as graystone, sandstone, gold, silver, tan, and sky blue.  With summer finally coming up, this is a great time to promote these items for use in summer camps, bible schools, at-home craft projects, etc.  Also, our metal foam board display rack is a phenomenal way to  merchandise the line.  It’s a silent sales person for your foam board products and only takes up a 20″ x 30″ footprint.  It’s available at no charge when you purchase as assortment of 18 different 20″ x 30″ foamboard sku’s in case quantities.

Last but not least, we have a nice range of new products that MacPherson’s is now stocking.  These include the following:

·         Krazy Glue Singles: Color Change 4 Packs and Krazy Glue Singles Gel 4 Packs; fantastic for placement on clip strips and secondary placement in high traffic areas.

·         Elmer’s Corrugated Guideline Project Display Board:  Popular one-ply board with the added feature of cross section guidelines to aid in alignment and mounting.  A great value added feature.

·         Elmer’s Mini Bi-Fold Foam Boards:  Smaller sizes allow for easier merchandising.  Great for signs, crafts, and presentations.

·         X-Acto Black Designer Series Knife:  Features a soft, comfortable grip, ergonomic handle, and rear blade release.  The next generation of X-Acto Knives.

·         X-Acto Pink Gripster:  A vibrant shade of pink provides some excitement for those looking for a knife with flair.

·         Elmer’s Precision Tip Ultimate Glue:  This is our most high performance glue and features a new innovative precision tip for better control and pin-point application.

I am looking forward to a great NAMTA show and hope to see you there.  Our booth number is 1007.”

There’s still time* to take advantage of all these ColArt essential savings!
·         All Cotman WC tubes and sets
·         All LIQUITEX 2 oz. Soft Body tube & jar acrylics
·         All LIQUITEX Super Heavy Body Acrylics
·         All DERWENT Blister Pack Pencil sets
·         Bristol Sketch & WC Easels
CAP Dealers!!!
·         All ARTIST WATER COLOURS!
·         All LIQUITEX Heavy Body 4.65 oz. & 32 oz. large size acrylic color
·         All BASICS 118ml & 250ml tube acrylics
·         Derwent Coloursoft Sets & Assts
·         Bristol Sketch & WC Easels – ++discount!
*All orders must be received by ColArt by May 15th, 2009.

The ArtBattles is a regular live art event in New York that introduces emerging artists to the market. Through competition and live art showcase events complete with DJ’s, music and an audience, ArtBattles presents the creative process as a form of entertainment. Providing a unique forum for connecting artists with buyers, they aim to establish a new model for art and commerce to come together, influence and inspire.

Check out the link below for hot pictures from the latest ArtBattles event, sponsored by MABEF and Art Alternatives!
Art Battles

Join the ArtBattles group on Facebook!
Art Battles Facebook Group

Princeton Art & Brush Co. is celebrating its 18th year in business by launching a barrage of new and updated products at NAMTA next month. To start the celebration early, they are offering an additional discount to encourage retailers to promote all Princeton products, sets and open stock, on a Buy-One-Get-One–Free basis.

Princeton President Howard Kaufman says, “Times are tough for all of our customers. That’s why we started 2009 by holding our prices. We now feel it’s our job to help our dealers get more customers into their stores and to encourage those customers to buy more.”

And it’s not just discount. Princeton is providing signage kits including 4-color signs and hardware to attach signage to racks in your brush aisle and on your front doors. Each kit will include a CD-ROM packed with sale-themed graphics to produce your own postcards, bag-stuffers, web ads, and email offers.

The promotion can be run for any 30-day period between May 1st and June 30th. Additional signage is available for stores that prefer to run a “50% OFF” version of the promo, though Princeton recommends the “BOGO” approach. Participation through your MacPherson’s sales rep couldn’t be easier; our reps have all the details. If you’re looking for every opportunity to sell more in this economy, this promotion should be right up your brush aisle.

Canson Treasure Mats

This is a beautiful collection of Canson papers bound in a 4.5″ x 6.5″ pad.   Available in a distinctive collection of archival papers including:  Expressions, Mi-Teintes Heritage, Mi-Teintes Tuxedo, and Effects. These versatile collections of paper are perfect for matting 4″ x 6″ photos, creating mini artist books, creating greeting cards and creating post cards as well as numerous other paper-craft projects. Tape Bound, 60 sheets/pad.  Acid-free.

New Rembrandt Pastels Set Display

Without doubt the world’s most popular soft pastel  sets are Rembrandt, and they are now available in a new set-focused counter assortment.  This attractive compact wooden display matches the new open stock displays and allows for easy, convenient product presentation and selection.  The display holds the best-selling selection of Rembrandt Pastel Sets and requires no assembly. Moving pastel sets to the top shelf will focus consumer attention on these higher value items and that increases your sales!  The Rembrandt Pastel Set Counter Assortment list for $1,033.25 and drop ships with free freight from MacPherson’s at a 50/15/10% discount.

Ask your MacPherson’s sales representative to show you all the great promotions from Canson this Spring!

George Kenneth (Ken) Fullerton 1922-2009
With great sadness we report the passing of industry great, Ken Fullerton, who died of natural causes at his home in La Canada, CA, on April 12, 2009, surrounded by family. He was 86 years old and was best known as the sales genius behind the iconic Glendale, CA  drafting supply giant, Fullerton Sales.
In 1946, after completing his war service in the navy, Ken joined the family business where he and his two brothers Jack, and Dick shaped and reshaped this dynamic business at the heart of the booming post-war industrial America.  Ken was the consummate sales ambassador for Fullerton, where he led the company to the top rung of our nation’s drafting supply industry. Always known as a ladies’ man, bon vivant and terrific dancer, Ken was in fact the doting husband to Dorie, who sadly died a few years back. They were an amazing team!
In 1987, MacPherson’s acquired Fullerton Sales and we were lucky to have Ken represent us for 10 glorious years. There was no better friend or ally in business. Shed no tears for Ken; instead, he would have insisted that in his honor we all tell a spicy joke, lift a strong cocktail and say a toast to the joys of a life well lived.
Services will be held at La Canada Presbyterian Church, 626 Foothill Blvd. at 2 p.m.  on April 23, 2009.  The family wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to Roze Room Hospice of the Valley who made their lives a lot easier with all their help and support.

At Sanford,  Ben Goss has been named Senior Brand Manager for Prismacolor. Ben has worked in marketing positions with Sanford North America’s Everyday Writing Instruments Business Team over the past two years. Prior to that Ben worked various Brand Marketing positions for Sanford-Australia.

Henry Meininger reports that the American Artist Magazine “Weekend with the Masters” event will be held in Colorado Springs  September 9th through the 13th.  There will be a huge lineup of workshops. Meininger’s, the official art supply retailer at the event,  will be setting up a “shop” in the convention hall. Check out the event web site:  Weekend with the Masters

Kat Logan, owner of Maine Street Art in Brunswick, ME has announced the closing of her store. She will soon be opening a studio/gallery in Friendship, ME called Maine Coast Art. Her new business website will be located at www.mainecoastartist.com.

A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts Inc. announced  the resignation of vice president and chief financial officer Michael G. Zawoysky, effective April 24th. Mr. Zawoysky will pursue a career opportunity in the private equity sector, the company said in a statement. A replacement was not named. The company said it will conduct a search for a new CFO.

Encouraged by the initial success of its improved consumer web site, WhereCreativityHappens, Michaels is re-launching the site with designer Jo Pearson in seven new webisodes, each featuring step-by-step instructions for designing one-of-a-kind jewelry, updating outdoor entertaining spaces, etc. Visit www.WhereCreativityHappens.com to check it out. “Our customers are telling us that they want to spend more time on do-it-yourself projects not only to save money but as an inexpensive activity the whole family can enjoy,” said Michaels Chief Marketing Officer Stuart Aitken. “We will introduce a series of new webisodes in 2009, along with in-store events and hundreds of project ideas, to provide inspiration and value to our customers.”

Masterpiece Canvas reports that their VP of Marketing, Donna Wilson has left to pursue another career opportunity.

Just for Fun: The multi-talented Lance Blayney’s day job is MacPherson’s Assistant Warehouse Manager in our Reno DC. He pens a comic strip in our company newsletter, the MacMessenger, called Brushes. Check it out!

New Pottery Tools and New Assortment!

Available in warehouses now! 15 new Pottery Tools have been added to the existing Art Alternatives line along with a new Pottery Tool assortment (AA17399) featuring an unbeatable discount! The 108-piece assortment comes as one SKU in one box; all items are individually packaged and bar-coded and a free header card is included. All pottery tools are available as open stock for replenishment. Easy to order and easy to sell!

There is also a better discount on the essential 8-piece pottery tool kit. All new items are available at an every day discount of 65% and a whopping 70% for Art Alternatives dealers!

If you’re not an Art Alternatives dealer, it’s never been easier to become one! Talk with your MacPherson’s rep for details so you can start saving more today.

Feed the Frenzy with our new 30, 60 & 70% off Art Alternatives Canvas Stickers!

Advertising your merchandise has never been more important.  In addition to our 40% and 50% off stickers, we’ve added 30%, 60%, and 70% Art Alternatives canvas stickers to round out the line and help you sell even more canvas.  These small stickers make a big impact on your sales, and they are the perfect accessories for canvas, especially during a large Canvas Truckload sale!

Consumers love bright red sale signs and feel they are getting more of a deal when sales are well advertised within your store. Remember to stack your canvas neatly with the labels in the same location, and add stickers in the same spot on each canvas for the best results.

Try the 30% (or existing 40%) on your Art Alternatives Premium Canvas and the 60% and 70% (or existing 50%) on your Art Alternatives Studio and Gallery for best results.

At $3 a roll, expect a big return on these small-priced stickers. Feed the frenzy and reap the results!

Order # AASTICKER30, AASTICKER60, AASTICKER70 (250 stickers per roll)

Amazing Price Drop on Brush Caddy

In our constant quest to make the Art Alternatives line more affordable, the Brush Caddy (AA18202) is now sporting an extremely attractive price drop from $29.49 to $9.99! This drastic decrease was in part due to decreased freight rates, but mainly because we were able to reduce cost through re-sourcing the item. We are happy to be able to pass on the savings to you. Buy the Brush Caddy as an every day MacPherson’s customer for only $3.99 (60% off). Art Alternatives dealers can purchase the item at $2.99 (70% off.)

Gamblin Artists Colors Co is pleased to announce the expansion of its line of Dry Pigments.  Based on feedback from retail partners and painters, Gamblin has added four colors to their line of Dry Pigments.  These additional colors expand the possibilities for artists wishing to work with earth colors.  Dry Pigments were one of their fastest growing product lines last year, as encaustics, wood finishing using oil painting materials, and decorative painting all continued to grow.

Gamblin’s line of Dry Pigments gives the artist access to color in its purest form and greatest versatility.  These completely lightfast pigments can be used to make all types of painting mediums including oil colors and egg tempera.

The new colors (available through MacPherson’s May 1st)  include:

GB8215  Chromium Oxide Green – $15.45 MSRP
GB8432 Mars Orange – $8.75 MSRP
GB8682  Transparent Earth Red – $15.45 MSRP
GB8683  Transparent Earth Yellow – $15.45 MSRP

Please see Gamblin’s complete Price List at Gamblin retails or page 153 of MacPherson’s Spring Pocket Pricer for the 18 other colors available for purchase.

Gamblin also offers a full assortment of all 22 4 oz. colors and 5 16 oz. colors in Dry Pigments.  Ask your MacPherson’s Sales Rep for more information or contact Cathy at Gamblin at cathy@gamblincolors.com.

Dedicated to Oil Painters.

GOLDEN Launches New Web Videos
Artists now have the ability to access online videos about various GOLDEN products.  These short, informative videos give customers valuable technical product information.  Each video, which focuses on a specific product, can be found on the www.goldenpaints.com Web site as well as the GOLDEN Company page of www.youtube.com.  Artists can download the videos or link to them using a simple cut-and-paste method from the YouTube video page.

Videos currently available include:
•    GOLDEN Silverpoint  / Drawing Ground
•    GOLDEN Clear Tar Gel
•    Printing on Specialty Papers with GOLDEN Digital Grounds
•    Creating and Printing on Acrylic Skins with GOLDEN Acrylics and Digital Grounds
•    GOLDEN MSA Varnish – Thinning
•    GOLDEN MSA Varnish – Solvent Compatibility Test
•    GOLDEN MSA Varnish – Correcting Incompatible Mixtures

Below are direct links to the videos for your convenience, and be on the lookout for new videos to be added to the current listing on an average of two per month.  Also coming soon will be a video icon that will denote which Product Information Sheets on GOLDEN‘s Web site contain videos.

Technical Data Sheets Video

Technical Data Sheets Video(Youtube)

Are You Looking for Spring Promotional Ideas in Your Store?
Now that warmer weather is finally awakening in most areas, OPEN Acrylics may be a new option for some of your customers.  Introducing painters to this truly unique fine art material may be a way for you to not only offer something new to your existing customers, but reach out to new customers who want to use acrylic outdoors and in other applications that weren’t possible in the past.  Here are a few links to technical information about the new OPEN Acrylics that you may want to include in mailings to these artists.  Don’t forget that you can also order wet samples of OPEN Acrylics, OPEN Mediums and Thinner through your Support Program.

Golden Open Support Program

Golden Open Mediums

Golden Open Thinners

Golden Open \”Just Paint\”

If you have any questions about any of the above information, please contact your MacPherson’s Sales Representative.

The moment is coming upon us and there have never been more reasons to attend the Art Material Industry’s premier event of the year: incredibly cheap air fares, bargain hotel rates, excellent networking opportunities, the very cool city of Louisville, KY, MacPherson’s signature and very fun events, and last but not least, the deals! Check it out Dawg!

NAMTA 2009 Exclusive Show Specials
Booth 741
American Artist Books
1/2 off book special!
Get 50% off your order of 10 or more books.
Standing order special!
Save 60% off the cover price of American Artist, Drawing, Watercolor, or Workshop when you sign up for a standing order of 5 or more copies.

Booth 241
Ampersand Art Supply
Super show only deals!
50/25/15 on All Museum Series Panels!
Unbelievable Deals on full range of Artist Panels
Super Deals on the New Scratchbord Displays & Big Sizes!
Stack ’em out for Fall!
Buy any BTS Artist Panel Bulk Stack at 50/45 + get FREE freight!

Booth 927
Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
50% + Freight
50% plus FREE FREIGHT on 25 assorted books (good at show only)

Booth 621
Borden & Riley Paper Co., Inc.
15% off all Drawing & Sketch papers under 90 lb, given as free goods. Orders must be placed at the NAMTA show.

Booth 229
Chronicle Books
Chronicle Books Special
50% off Chronicle Books titles when you order 24+ units
Moleskine Special
Free freight on Moleskine titles when you order 50+ units;
Additional 2% with purchase of full spinner assortment

Booth 611
Color Wheel Company, The
Color Is Everything by Dan Bartges
Dan Bartges, author of Color Is Everything, presenter at the ’09 Show is participating with The Color Wheel Co. in offering an additional 10% on cases of 12 or more books placed at NAMTA.

Booth 825
Creative Catalog Concepts LLC
NAMTA Special
Place your order for the NEW 96-page Studio Essentials Catalog during the show and receive the next pricing tier discount.

Booth 901
C-Thru Ruler Co., The
Extra Discount
Extra 10% discount on all dealer orders placed at the show
Extra Discount
Extra 5% discount on all distributor orders placed at the show

Booth 1009
Chroma, Inc.
Please see Chroma Sales Representatives at Booth #1009 for incredible discounts and dating options on assortment offerings.

Booth 134
da Vinci Artist Brushes
71.5% off New Displays – 67.5% off open stock – Free shipping

Booth 840
Flipside Products, Inc.
Free Freight
Show orders shipped Freight Free within the continental US

Booth 427
Gamblin Artists Colors Co.
Retailer Show Special!
5% off net on all orders of at least $1500 net placed at the show and receive free freight (PO # must include NAMTA).
ASO Show Special
All Gamblin ASO colors 10% off net on orders placed at the show, including the new ASO Introductory Set, ASO line extensions, and ASO open stock

Booth 710
Grafix
Discount at $500
5% off of orders $500 or more net (offer excludes distributors)
Discount at $1000
10% off of orders $1000 or more net and FREE freight within the USA only (offer excludes distributors)

Booth 721
Letraset Limited
Letraset ProMarkers & Aqua ProMarkers
ProMarker twin-tip art markers offer high quality at affordable prices. Aqua ProMarker offers the same high quality marker at the same affordable price, but is water-based and features a brush nib. Sets and assortments of open stock are available at a 50

Booth 905
Logan Graphic Products
FoamWerks Shipper Display – Half Freight!
Order the fully loaded FoamWerks shipper display and you pay only half freight. Plus, you’ll get free sell-at the shelf promotional tear sheets and creative project sheets.

Booth 721
M.A.B.E.F. S.r.l.
MABEF – Customizable Wooden Box
New from MABEF is the customizable wooden box, which is made to easily allow a custom cover to be attached to the outside. Priced affordably, you can fill it with the products of your choice to make the perfect gift set!

Booth 721
MacPherson’s
MacPherson’s goes green in the Bluegrass State!!
MacPherson’s Ponies Up & Passes the Buck!!
It’s your chance to make money at the show!! Place an order with one of our participating vendors and get MacBucks that you can exchange for cold, hard cash at our booth. Cash prizes will also be awarded for orders placed in our booth!
Lefranc & Bourgeois
Sleek new racks and signage are now available for both the Louvre Acrylic 200ml and Louvre Oil 150ml assortments. Rack ships FREE with the purchase of assortment at 70/10% off!
Okido
Okido continues to bring a fun, fresh offering of art & stationery goodies that give your store a vibrant splash of color! The Okido POP assortment features the best selling Okido products in a new eye-catching floor display. 60/5% off for NAMTA!
Montana Gold Cans
Come check out the slick new Montana Gold rack, which merchandises perfectly with the trendy new stencil line, Stencil 1 as well the new Montana sketchbooks. Also, come get great ideas for an in-store Montana demo first hand from Montana demo artist, Mel Waters.
SOS
SOS Aluminum Clamshell Binders bring sophistication and style to your presentation, at surprisingly reasonable prices. The SOS Aluminum ATC cases are the hottest new accessory for ATC fans!
STABILO
Get all the best sellers and make a statement with this new Best of STABILO assortment and attractive floor display. STABILO introduces its new GREEN range, an assortment of environmentally responsible products. Also, STABILO Mini World continues with several new mini sets & displays.
Art Alternatives
Tool Boxes – Durable, new, translucent artist tool boxes in 3 sizes offered at a special introductory 65% off promo! Pottery Tools – Expanded pottery tool selection and new 108 piece assortment. Offered at an amazing 75% off! Drafting Tools – New line featuring 66 best-selling drafting essentials including t-squares, templates, triangles and flexible curves. Buy in now at 70% off! Black Gesso – Create a stunning background with our quality black gesso at an amazing value! Introductory 70% off promo!

Booth 400
Martin/F. Weber Company
Visit our Booth – #400 for Show Special
Visit Booth #400 for show specials on display assortments and new product placements
Booth 536

Booth 1004
Mercur USA, LLC
Lower Minimum and BTS
Our minimum order amount drops from $ 200 to $ 100 only for orders placed at Namta Show. Shipments must go in May but will benefit from BTS promo discounts.
BTS Special
Orders paid at sight with credit card get an extra 5% off discount from everyday cost, plus benefiting from BTS promo discounts.

Booth 303
MindWare
2009 MindWare NAMTA Show Special
Booth 303: Orders of $500 or more will recieve FREE FREIGHT!

Booth 926
Pacific Arc Inc.
Mechanical Pencils – New Items
50-40% (=70%) discount for new attractive style – for drafting, including New all Metal Lead Holders.
Stainless Steel Ruler & Cutting Mat
Up to 70% Big Discount – Find out at our booth 926.

Booth 721
R.G.M. di Rosa Gastaldo Edoardo
RGM– New Age Painting Knives Series 2
A smash-hit at last year’s NAMTA, the New Age painting knives are back with 12 new innovative styles! Get the assortment for the special show price of 60% off, plus a FREE rack!

Booth 321
Savoir-Faire
Savoir Faire’s Economic Survival Guide
Savoir-Faire has put together a special handbook called the “2009 Economic Survival Guide”. Please stop by to pick up your copy filled with incredible deals.

Booth 213
Speedball Art Products
Free Freight! (Within Continental USA.)
20% off First Order for New Customers!
40% off Printmasters Planogram!
15% off New Products and ALL Media!
10% off All Mona Lisa Products!
5% off current products!
Offer good for orders placed during show.

Booth 513
Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
NAMTA ’09 PROMO
$250 earns net 90
$500 earns net 120
$750 earns +5% & net 120

The above title is the most frequent question requested by the NAMTA office in Huntersville, NC .  And the answer is simple – because the statistics don’t exist! How can any of us run our business without this crucial information?

NAMTA has the solution, but it needs your help to make it happen! The State of the Art Materials USA 2009 is a landmark report on industry size and trends, business best practices, and the needs and preferences of artists. The more participation NAMTA receives in filling out the survey, the more accurate the data will be.

You’ll get a free copy of the full report as part of your NAMTA membership. Non-members who participate will receive a free Executive Summary. Your responses are anonymous and confidential to Hart Business Research, and will only be reported as part of combined totals or averages.

Please fill out the survey today using either the printed copy mailed to you March 13 or the online editions linked below.

Art Material Industry Supplier Survey

Art Material Industry Retailer Survey

We just received this timely article from Jay Rice at Creative Catalog Concepts showcasing a wonderful grass roots idea to promote  independent, locally owned and operated “brick & mortar” retail businesses. Have a read. You might find it to be something of interest that may help your  business engage customers in this challenging economic environment. Participation costs nothing but a positive attitude!

The 3/50 Project: Saving the Brick and Mortars Our Nation Was Built On

By Cinda Baxter, Founder of The 3/50 Project
4/7/2009

No one needs to tell storefront retailers times are tough; truth be told, you were the first ones to see the mysterious tea leaves, being the closest connection to consumers. As early as last June, stores began seeing serious drops in revenue. Last fall’s “fall” was just the next chapter.

As if that wasn’t enough, you now find yourself stretched across two battlefields—the economy…and the mainstream media, who seems to be hell bent on painting as bleak a picture as possible. Not only does it depress you each time the news comes on, but it depresses your customers, and we all know depressed customers don’t spend.

In the words of Erin Burnett, business news anchor for MSNBC (and my new favorite media voice), “I do think a lot of this is psychology,” referring to how determined the media seems to be to make things sound as hopeless as possible. “I’ve been collecting words the media has been using to describe the crisis: carnage, apocalypse, bleeding, hemorrhaging, crash. There is something to be said for a loss of perspective and a sense of hyperbole that’s taken over.”

Hear, hear.

Folks, it’s time the message changed, and if the media’s not going to do it…well…. Tell me again—who is it that’s closest to the consumer? Who’s going to lift them up and empower them? Yup. You.

Enter The 3/50 Project.

In a nutshell, The 3/50 Project is built on a simple concept—consumer loyalty to independent storefront businesses equals stronger local economies.

Yes, that’s the same message you’ve heard from Buy Local organizations for years. But this has a twist—it’s easy, it’s free, it’s something you can put into motion in under five minutes…and customers love it.

Here’s how it works: You visit the350project.net, download a free flyer, print some out on your color desktop printer, then hand them to customers with their purchases while thanking them for shopping with you. That’s right. No sales pitch. No annual dues. No complexity of any kind. It’s simple…which is probably why it’s taken off like a rocket.

The flyer does all the talking, staring with it’s tag line: Pick 3. Spend 50. Save your local economy:

Pick three locally owned stores you’d miss if they disappeared, then return to them. Say hello. Pick up a little something that will make someone smile. Those purchases are what keeps those businesses around.
If just half the employed US population committed to spending $50 in locally owned stores each month, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue. Imagine what would happen if 3/4 of them did that.
For every $100 spent in locally owned stores, $68 returns to the local economy through payroll taxes, property taxes, sales tax, payroll, and other business related expenditures. When purchasing from a chain or franchise, that amount drops to $43; if it’s spent online, nothing comes home.
The key to making this pop is to hand the flyer directly to the customer, not just stash it in the bottom of the bag. Consumers are desperate for someone to tell them they’re appreciated; when you look them in the eye, smile, and thank them personally, things begin to happen. They become more loyal. They tell their friends what a great store you have. They go home and read the flyer, “get” how much control they have over saving a business and saving a community, then start spreading the word.

This is empowerment and evangelistic marketing at its best. And you reap the benefits.

Since the idea first popped up in a blog post mid-March, The 3/50 Project has taken off like a rocket. Not only do retailers “get it,” but so do their community counterparts. Store owners are forwarding them to other types of locally owned businesses. Property management companies are printing them out for all their tenants. Community groups and business organizations are doing the same. There’s even a movie theater in North Carolina showing this on their screens before films begin. Magazines and blogs—both in and outside the gift industry—have recognized the positive impact, and have sung its praises while also praising small business everywhere.

Participants and other supporters of The 3/50 Project will be listed on a special page (as soon as the full site is built out, currently in production), as well as given a member icon for use on their websites and Facebook pages. Window banners are planned…a copy of the flyer suitable for web use on blogs or sites is already available…and that lovely movie screen version is, of course, yours if you need it.

The more visibility, the more consumers who understand the importance of remaining loyal to locally owned stores, then purchasing there.

After all…isn’t that really the goal to begin with?

To learn more about The 3/50 Project or download the free flyer, visit www.the350project.net.