Archives of the Art Dog Blog from MacPherson's

Tyler Stuart Wilson

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.

Mike Gutjahr

With great sadness we report the passing of Mike Gutjahr, Director of School Supplies Programs at Follett’s College Stores. Mike was a dynamic force and will be missed by many at his company and in the industry. He was only 50 years old and his death came as a shock to all who knew him.

The family is requesting that donations be made on behalf of Michael P. Gutjahr (from Gurnee, IL) to www.autismspeaks.org. If donations are made on line, it asks for an email address where an acknowledgement may be sent to the family.  Use Rick’s info at bottom of this message.

The International Art Materials Trade Association (NAMTA) has premiered its new e-Newsletter. The newsletter will be published 26 times annually and much of its content will be archived on NAMTA’s new website.  “Many of the regular newsletter articles will contain the type of information that our members are going to want to use throughout the year and so we’ll be archiving it,” said Namta’s Executive Director Reggie Hall. “Both the newsletter and website will be year-around resources for our members.” For a free subscription to the new NAMTA e-newsletter just enter your email address on the association’s website homepage. Click Here!

Strathmore Artist Papers™ is excited to announce its 2012 Online Workshop Series which will begin January 1, 2012.  This program reflects Strathmore’s commitment to offer consumer promotions that help drive retail sales by creating awareness of new products that inspire artists to create.

The free workshop series will feature experienced instructors using a variety of media and materials to teach three different workshops topics: Mixed Media Art, Watercolor Sketching and Life Drawing.  Each workshop includes instructional videos, downloadable instruction sheets and inspirational tips from the instructor.

Strathmore is collaborating with art instructors Traci Bautista, Cathy Johnson and Mike Mattesi and Stevens 470 Marketing & Creative to develop the online workshops.

Last year, Strathmore’s 2011 Visual Journal Online Workshops attracted over 8,600 students and earned the NAMTA 2011 Business Innovation Award.

Strathmore is offering a versatile, tear off flyer pad for retailers to use to promote the workshops.  Retailer benefits are numerous: Inspire artists to create more art, more often; increase sales as consumers purchase from class supply lists; drive store visits each time a new workshop is released; and use educational content to create their own event or workshop.

Visit Strathmore Artist Paper’s web site to order your tear off flyer pad today! www.strathmoreartist.com

Your MacPherson’s sales representative has all the tools and information you’ll need to help start planning your own event or workshop.

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 a great future and that together we can help them get there. Please go to  Bid Now!

Thank you for your support of this great organization. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America at Boy & Girls Club.

Founded in 1906, MacPherson’s has grown into the largest wholesale distributor of Fine Art Supplies to retail dealers in the United States and is proud to be 100% owned by its nearly 200 employees. Currently, there are over 11,500 ESOPs in place in the U.S. covering more than 10 million employee owners.

Many companies opt to sell stock to an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) when the current owners are getting ready to retire. Although none of us wants Stu or Frank to leave, we realize that at some point they will want to spend more time at home, enjoying the lives they’ve worked so very hard to build. At MacPherson’s, an ESOP provided a very attractive succession plan: Frank and Stu were pleased to share the wealth with the employees who worked so hard to make the company successful. As a result, the ESOP has had an overwhelmingly positive effect on the company, creating broadbased ownership among all employees and fostering an environment in which everyone understands his or her role in helping the company achieve its bottom line. In fact, more than 88% of ESOP Association members report that ESOP implementation was a good overall decision for the company, and another nearly two-thirds of Association members report that the ESOP has helped increase productivity. Our customers, vendors, and business partners now have the security of knowing that once Frank and Stu decide to take a break from the art supply business, there are almost 200 people who will still be here, working hard to help you make your businesses successful.

MacPherson’s implemented its ESOP in 2010. The ESOP provides a retirement benefit to the employee owners that is above and beyond a 401K. MacPherson’s is one of approximately 3,000 ESOPs in the United States that is 100% employee owned. Employee owners are not required to put any money into the ESOP. All of the money in the ESOP trust comes from the company’s profit.

MacPherson’s employee owners invite you to join them in celebrating October’s National Employee Ownership Month. A number of activities will take place throughout October in all four MacPherson’s locations nationwide, culminating in a celebratory luncheon and Q&A
session.

For further information on ESOPs, please visit the ESOP Association website at: http://www.esopassociation.org or call 202/293-2971.

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.

Pepe & Anthony Piperno

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 innovation in arts and crafts merchandising and sourcing will greatly benefit A.C. Moore’s customers, vendors and employees.” Read the story here: AC Moore Agrees to Sell

Our very own Steve Robinson, VP of Sales at MacPherson’s was recently diagnosed with tonsilar cancer. We send him our prayers and best wishes as he fights the fight. His positive attitude, buoyant spirit and excellent medical care are sure to see him through with flying colors. For an inspirational account of how he is facing the new challenges, click here: Steve’s Blog

Another sad end of an era moment; Independent rep Dave Thompson reports that Marian Ledbetter passed away on September 30th.  She and her husband Al founded Seattle, WA based Western Art Supply in 1967 one of the west coast’s pioneering art supply distributors,  Top Augur of LeisureCrafts in Rancho Cucamonga, CA bought it in 1978 and changed the name to LeisureCrafts NW. She was 91 years old.

Plaid Enterprises, Inc. of Atlanta, GA and Delta Creative, Inc. of Los Angeles, CA  announce on October 7th, 2011 that Plaid has acquired the international licensing rights to market, sell and distribute all Delta Creative, Inc. brands effective November 1, 2011.

Word on the street is this season’s Bravo channel reality TV show Work of Art is a must see! The season begins October 12th at 9pm/8 central time. More details here: Work of Art Season 2

Although Summer is over and Fall has arrived, the outdoor retail spray painting events are still rolling!  Blaine’s Art of Anchorage, AK hosted a spray painting event that allowed artists to sign up for a “class” where the canvas was an actual truck.  Five women and two men spent the day working their magic with Montana Gold on Don Kolstad’s (a local art teacher) Nissan Truck.  The 50 spectators were so impressed with Don’s newly pimped out ride that many volunteered their cars, trucks, and even boats for the next event!

Jerry’s Artarama of West Hartford, CT recently hosted a massive mural painting event that featured 3 local artists and 200 cans of Montana Black and Gold painting a 48’ x 17’ mural on the side of the store.  They invited the entire community to join in the action with a spectator spray paint throw down, raffle & prizes, trivia, and live DJ.  A write-up in the local paper which ran ahead of the event helped draw in a great crowd who were thrilled at not only the free entertainment, but inspired as well as they tried their own can skills with the paint and canvases that were provided for use that day.  And the mural the artists painted on the side of the store certainly let’s the city know that this is THE place to get your art supplies – check out the amazing time-lapse video!
Jerrys Time-Lapse Video

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 oz., and 16 oz., sizes. These have begun shipping, so you should see them soon!

For more information, contact your MacPherson’s Sales Representative, GOLDEN Sales Representative, or Williamsburg Technical Support at Golden Artist Colors by calling 1-800-959-6543.

The folks at Global Arts have done it again! They have uncovered a hidden gem from the small town of Porto in Northern Portugal and are proud to introduce the ArtGraf product line to the U.S. These unique and proprietary blends of graphite, carbon and binders produced by the Viarco family are some of the highest quality sketching materials available to artists today.

Features

• Available in three forms: tins (20g and 60g), sticks (3.5” x 0.5” x 0.5″), and 250g XL sticks (7″x 2″x 1″)
• Can be used wet like a watercolor or dry for drawing and sketching
• Added element of erasability when dry
• Attractive packaging
• Graphite sticks are available in a small, disposable POP countertop display of 10

Benefits

• Superior quality to competing products
• Great impulse buys to position near the register
• Great gift items in time for the holidays
• Pre-pack assortment on promotion for low initial investment of under $300

Now through Dec. 31st ArtGraf products are available with free freight and a promotional discount of 50/10/10 (59.5%) for drop ship orders and 50/10 (55%) on warehouse orders. The standard everyday discount on the ArtGraf line is 50% out of the warehouse and 50/5 (52.5%) on drop ship orders.

Now is the time to upgrade your Prismacolor colored pencil offering by ordering a Conversion Kit from MacPherson’s, (order # SA1810934). This Conversion Kit incorporates Prismacolor’s newest 18 colors into your current full-line Pencil/Art Stix display.

The kit includes a dozen each of the new 18 colors and the product labels for your display.  It was determined that the quickest and easiest way for the retailers to accomplish this conversion would entail removing 12 facings of the Art Stix and the graphic panel located on the lower left hand corner of the display to provide an additional 18 product slots in which to merchandise the new pencil colors. Detailed instructions concerning art stix and graphic panel removal are included in your Conversion Kit. Sanford is working on a solution for merchandising the art stix removed from the display to accommodate the new pencil colors. Strategically, our retailers always want to be the first in the area to offer a new product. It makes sense from the sales and profit perspective and enhances the retailer’s credibility as a “first-choice” source of supply to the local artist community. Please consult your MacPherson’s representative about the Hot Deal Promotion currently in place for the Conversion Kit.  The kit will drop ship directly to your store allowing you to have your display converted and ready for Holiday and 2nd semester BTS shopping traffic.

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 a tremendous resource and will continue the conversations with artists, which has been the hallmark of Golden Artist Colors for over 30 years.

• Simultaneously was the opening in the Sam & Adele Golden Gallery (SAGG) of ‘VELOCITY’, a thrilling show of works by Larry Poons, both a longtime friend and supporter of the company.

• The featured technical article is by Sarah Sands and focuses on how oil paints dry, continuing our commitment to further the resources and knowledge associated with the Williamsburg brand.

• You’ll also get an up-close look at Technical Support Services artist and staff member, Ulysses Jackson.

• Lastly, included in this issue is an update from Ben Gavett regarding the health and safety labeling of products as a result of Europe’s REACH initiative and the development of the Global Harmonized System (GHS).

To read these articles and much more, go to Just Paint Online. Sign up to receive Just Paint electronically: Just Paint Free Subscription.

For specific questions regarding these articles, please feel free to contact Golden’s Technical Support Services Department at 1-800-959-6543.

If additional printed copies of Just Paint are required for in-store presentation or staff distribution, contact your MacPherson’s Representative or GOLDEN Customer Service for ordering instructions.

For more information, contact your MacPherson’s Sales Representative, GOLDEN Sales Representative, or Technical Support at Golden Artist Colors by calling 1-800-959-6543.