• Industry News

    Industry News

    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…

  • Uncategorized

    Strathmore Launches an Amazing New Specialty Marker Pad

    Strathmore Artist Papers has introduced a new 500 Series Marker Paper which is sure to be a vital asset to artists and designers for creating layouts, rough comps  and renderings.  The pad features 100% cotton paper, providing a quality work surface specifically designed to handle heavy coverage from felt tip markers without bleeding. It is also suitable for use with pencil, charcoal, pastels and pen & ink. It is the perfect tool for designers and graphic artists as the smooth surface ensures fluid lines and showcases vibrant colors without fading or feathering. The pad cover features artwork by student Katherine Cantrell and demonstrates how the paper brings life to marker…

  • Uncategorized

    Hot Sales News from Sakura

    Check out the red-hot “Stop the Cherry Picking Madness” promotion on the two most popular Sakura product lines  through March 24th. Never before have we seen an extra 20% on the ever popular Micron Mega Display #SK30075 and the super hot Gelly Roll Mega Display #SK57909!  The Micron Mega display features the complete line of top selling Pigma Micron Pens and is only 15” wide!  The Gelly Roll Mega, updated in 2009, features every Gelly Roll pen from the inventor of gel ink and is now only 16” wide!  You can sell Sakura’s two best selling product lines in less than 3 linear feet of shelf space.  The display racks…

  • Industry News

    Are Trade Shows a Waste of Time?

    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…

  • Uncategorized

    Introducing Gamblin Relief Inks

    Introducing Gamblin Relief Inks… Finally, the Relief Inks printmakers have been searching for. Gamblin Artists Colors is proud to offer printmakers a balanced palette of Relief Inks with an incomparably high pigment load. Gamblin Relief Inks give printmakers and monotype artists the intense colors, working properties, and the archival quality they can count on. Gamblin Relief Inks print with unparalleled intensity, brilliant undertones, and sensitivity to printmakers’ most finely detailed marks. The NAMTA survey showed that printmaking inks are currently one of the fastest growing categories in art materials. With Gamblin’s inks, retailers can offer a compelling value to printmakers and compete with brands that emphasize direct sales. Gamblin now…

  • Uncategorized

    Chartpak News – Spring Promos 2010

    Check out Chartpak’s great deals in MacPherson’s Spring Promo for 2010. (2-16-2010 through 5-29-2010) OPEN STOCK Grumbacher Finest and Academy Watercolors at 60/5% Grumbacher Golden Edge and Academy Watercolor Brushes at 50/40/15% Grumbacher Basic & Master Color Sets at 50/15% Grumbacher Everyday Sets at 50/15% Grumbacher Watercolor Pan Sets at 50/10/5% Grumbacher Brush Sets at 50/40/15% Pelikan Watercolor Sets at 50/10/5% Koh-I-noor Watercolor Wheel at 50/10/5% Koh-I-noor Gioconda Graphite Pencils and Gioconda Art Sets at 50/10% Koh-I-noor Gioconda Pastel Pencil Sets at 60% Koh-I-noor Toison D’or Extra Soft Pastel Sets at 50/35% Schmincke Horadam 15ml Tube Watercolors at 50/10% Schmincke Horadam Watercolor Sets at 50/10% Schmincke Watercolor Mediums at 50/10%…

  • Industry News

    Industry News

    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…

  • Industry News

    News From Golden February 2010

    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…

  • Uncategorized

    Hot News From Sanford!

    • Prismacolor will launch a new 45-color Prismacolor Marker display early this summer. This display is the newest addition to Prismacolor’s ongoing Universal Display program. We will have more details next edition. • The current 45-color Prismacolor Marker display ZSA174 is discontinued effective immediately. • Those of you waiting for new merchandise kits for the Prismacolor Marker tower or Drawing and Sketching displays, Prismacolor will get those out as soon as possible. The new kits are in the Sanford DC and now scheduled to ship on Monday, February 15th. Please contact your representative or Dan Canny directly to obtain one or both kits. dan.canny@sanford.com • Prismacolor will offer two Value Packs…

  • Industry News

    Cray-Pas® Contest Winners 2010

    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!

  • Industry News

    Industry News

    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…

  • Industry News

    Krylon Clear Choice Art Scholarship Program News

    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…

  • Uncategorized

    Big News from Canson: All New Art Boards!

    ·         Canson’s new Art Boards feature a range of best-selling Canson and Arches® papers on rigid, archival backing.  The backing is composed of two-ply, 1.2 mm Canson archival white conservation board that is both acid and lignin-free.  The board is buffered, treated to resist mold, and compliant to ISO 9706—the standard for permanent paper.  The Art Boards provide artists with a stiff, strong working surface made to withstand the rigors of repeated use and a variety of techniques. ·        A significant benefit of using Canson Art Boards is that no mounting is required.  They are ready for framing without mounting, thus reducing added labor and cost.  Also, each board is…