Fine Arts Weekend is Westminster, CA’s Art Supply Warehouse’s signature annual customer appreciation event held at the end of October. As the photo shows, Apple and their iPhone launches have nothing on ASW. Hundreds of deal, promo and goodie bag hungry creative folks lined up in the middle of the night to be first in line. Congratulations to Mark Ball and team for a truly amazing “show us how it’s done” event!
Tom Konieczko, the well respected purchasing manager at Artist & Craftsman in Portland Maine has moved on to pursue other opportunities.
Pacon Corporation, parent company of Strathmore recently announced that it has completed the acquisition of the assets of Roselle Paper Co. Inc. a maker of educational paper products Under the terms of the agreement, Pacon acquired Roselle’s equipment, inventory and trade names.
Duro Art Industries, Inc., makers of Lyons Artist Canvas has announced that they will cease to operate within the next few weeks. The large family owned factory property is located in the center of Chicago’s white hot and trendy real estate market.
Artist & Craftsman has been in the news recently. They opened a store in New Haven, CT, just a few steps from the legendary Yale University Art Department. On hand for the Grand Opening and ribbon cutting ceremony with the mayor of New Haven, Toni Harp. Read the news article here New Haven Artist & Craftsman. New Haven is their 23rd store. Store # 24 will be a second location in Charleston, SC. located in a soon to renovated Historic church on Charleston’s famed King St. and will open sometime early 2015. Other A&C store openings this year have been Long Island City, NY in the Historic Breyers Ice Cream factory on Queens Blvd, Downtown Los Angeles(the second LA location) located near the Arts District and, in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn, NY ( the second Brooklyn location).
Justin Wraight, who recently left ColArt has been named President of ALEX BRANDS in Europe and Darren Silverman, formerly with Crayola has been named Executive Vice President of Sales for North America. The ALEX BRANDS family of brands, includes ALEX TOYS, POOF, SLINKY, SCIENTIFIC EXPLORER, IDEAL, ZOOB, BACKYARD SAFARI, ZILLIONZ and CITIBLOCS. Additionally, toy industry veteran Neil Friedman has joined the ALEX BRANDS board of directors as an advisor to senior leadership on new ventures and growth opportunities.
NAMTA has announced that the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) will again create a CHA Exhibitor Pavilion on NAMTA’s Art Materials World show floor, April 15-17, 2015 in Denver.