The Art Dog Blog from MacPherson's

Today, we welcomed our new CEO, David J. Schofield!  We kicked off his first day in Emeryville with a Town Hall meeting and employee breakfast, and we’re all excited to have Dave on board! As we mentioned in our initial announcement earlier this month, Dave has already been working closely with our senior leadership team to ensure a smooth transition.  It’s an exciting time for MacPherson’s, and we hope you have a chance to meet or speak with Dave very soon.

Allard’s Customer Appreciation Day (left) and Picnic Day at UC Davis (right)

Allard’s in Fresno, CA hosted their annual Customer Appreciation Day . The event featured great promotional pricing, in store demos, make and takes, and a local Food Truck feeding hungry shoppers!

UC Davis hosted their annual Picnic Day. The event features over 200 booths, live music, parades, and a chemistry fair. The UC Davis bookstore hosted a table featuring activities for all ages.

Artist & Craftsman in San Diego CA, as a part of their local Art Walk, used POSCA paint pens to create a mural. They had over 1,700 participants!

Hyatts in New York is nearing their 60th anniversary! They will be moving to a new 40,000 square (wow!) feet facility in Late 2018

ArtCentral in San Luis Obispo, CA hosted a paint pouring event to capture and educate customers interested in this trending medium.

(Top) Grand Prize winner of the Plein Air Festival by John Kilduff, (bottom left) Winner of the Plein Air Festival by Monica Edwards, and (bottom right) Winner of the Plein Air Festival by Mike Ishikawa

Raw Materials in DLTA hosted their 4th annual L.A. Plein Air Festival, now the LARGEST urban plein air festival in the United States. They even got a write-up in L.A. Weekly!

Cutting tools are in every art kit. But do they live up to artists’ needs? Do they create clean, detailed cuts, time after time? Do they provide excellent control and maneuverability? Are they ergonomic for prolonged and repetitive use? Are they safe?

If your toolbox features Slice products like the Ceramic Precision Cutter, Ceramic Safety Cutter, and Ceramic Pocket Cutter, the answer to all these questions is yes.

If It’s Slice, It’s Safer

Slice safety blades last over 11 times longer than metal blades. The finger-friendly® grind, which may feel dull, makes clean cuts through a variety of materials, but the edge is safe to the touch.

The Ceramic Precision Cutter (MVSL00116)

The Ceramic Precision Cutter is held like a pen, so using it feels natural and comfortable. Its micro-blade features excellent maneuverability for detail work and is extremely safe.

Little Rebels, ©Kelly Manning, 2016 (aerosol and stencils)

This tool is excellent for cutting paper, shrink wrap, frisket film and parchment paper. Street artist Kelly Manning uses it to create stencils for her work. Scratchboard artists love the Ceramic Precision Cutter, too.

The Ceramic Safety Cutter (MVSL00100)

This little mouse-shaped powerhouse works well cutting paper, vinyl and polycarbonate, quilting appliqué paper and frisket film. It also features a micro-blade and unique ergonomic design.

This tool is meant for less intricate cuts than the Precision Cutter. It’s also handy around the studio for tasks like cutting through packing tape and tough clamshell packaging.

The Ceramic Pocket Cutter (MVSL10514)

This is your go-anywhere mini box cutter/utility knife. Small enough to fit in your hand—providing great control—this cutter features the same replaceable blade found in our larger tools. But it can cut in areas where larger tools won’t fit.

This tool gets through thin materials like paper and thicker materials like cardstock, watercolor paper, and foam core board. Need to pack your work? Use the Pocket Cutter for cardboard, bubble wrap and packing foam.

For detailed information about Slice’s safer, ergonomic cutting tools, please visit sliceproducts.com

POSH® Glass Palettes provide retailers with a versatile product compatible with all media that offers numerous uses – artist palette, mulling surface, mono printing surface and craft surface. Available in grey, white and clear, as well as multiple sizes, 9″x12,” 12″x16” and 16″x20.” This product uses 1/8″ tempered glass for maximum strength and safety, along with custom corner guards for added protection and surface traction. The edges are seamed, the underside (grey and white) is finished with a dense solvent and the water resistant formulation has excellent color fastness.

The palettes are super easy to clean. Dried acrylic paint peels away, and dried oil paint can be removed with artist solvents or a single edge razor blade in a retractable scraper.

The 9″x12″ and 12″x16″ products are designed to fit inside the Masterson Art Products Artist Palette Seal® (blue lid) and the Sta-Wet® (yellow lid and red lid) for storage and transportation. Both lines are cross-marketed on New Wave and Masterson product packaging.

Made in Pennsylvania, USA.

Our 400 Series Recycled Sketch pads are among our most popular items and have become a classic favorite for artists. They come in a range of pad sizes, including a brand NEW 3”x9” size that’s great for taking on-the-go.

The landscape format is the ultimate planning weapon for cartoonists, urban sketchers, painters, lettering artists, and any travelling artist. It easily fits in a purse or a back pocket so it’s always ready at their side.

We asked artists on Instagram what they’d do with this fun new size, and here are a few of the responses we got:

• Sequential motions
• Short comics
• Lettering projects
• Cityscapes
• Storyboards
• Bookmarks
• Floral panoramas
• Landscapes (sketching and planning out paintings)
• Drawings of reptiles, giraffes and other long animals

The possibilities are endless for a creative mind. This 60lb (89gsm) sketch paper has a fine tooth surface that is ideal for experimentation, practicing, perfecting techniques, and preliminary drawing.

All Strathmore 400 Series Recycled Sketch pad sizes include:

• 3.5″ x 5″ — “SM457-3  —  SKTCH RCY400 3X5SB SD100(24)
• 3″x9″ — SM457-4  —  SKTCH RCY400 3X9SB 50SH(24)
• 5.5″x8.5″ — SM457-5  —  SKTCH RCY400 5X8SB SD100(12)
• 5.5″x12″ — SM457-12  —  SKTCH RCY400 5.5X12SB 50SH(12)
• 8”x24” — SM457-8  —  SKTCH RCY400 8X24.5SB 50SH(12)
• 9″x12″ — SM457-9  —  SKTCH RCY400 9X12SB SD100(12)
• 11″x14″ — SM457-11  —  SKTCH RCY400 11X14SB SD100(6)
• 14″x17″ — SM457-14  —  SKTCH RCY400 14X17SB SD100(6)
• 18″x24″ — SM457-18  —  SKTCH RCY400 18X24SB TB 30(12

Officially launched at NAMTA 2018, the NEW 3”x9” 400 Series Recycled Sketch pad started shipping March 5, 2018 from Strathmore.

Select sizes of our 400 Series Recycled Sketch pads are featured on promotion running through Back To School May 1, 2018 to September 13, 2018. Learn how this new pad can increase the productivity of your retail space by contacting your MacPherson sales representative today!

400 Series Recycled Sketch Beauty with Landscape Sketch

400 Series Recycled Sketch Beauty

Artwork by Adam Harris

Artwork by Terry Drehmel

Krink recently partnered with Draft & Draw, a monthly meet-up in NYC for illustrators, calligraphers and doodlers that features a creative professional who shares their story. This meet-up featured artist and designer Ricardo Gonzalez (@itsaliving) and Krink supplied one of his favorite markers, the K-42 Paint Marker. Attendees used a range of K-42 colors on the paper-covered tables and got to take home Krink swag in a custom glass.

When Jacquard launched Piñata Colors in 2002, alcohol inks were virtually unheard of. Since then, alcohol inks have become extremely popular, especially among artists working on hard surfaces like tile, metal, YUPO, Clayboard, glass, plastic, stone, leather, polymer clay, etc. Recently, Piñata has also become a staple among resin artists for creating “petri” artwork. The process is simple: Piñata Colors are dripped onto the surface of the mixed resin after the mold is poured, and as each drop sinks, the resin hardens. The result when the cast is removed from the mold is a magnificent, psychedelic world of blooming color—what artist Josie Lewis calls a “petrified rainbow.”

Whenever a “new” medium comes around, it is always exciting to see how artists will embrace it. Piñata is one of those mediums that seems to have opened the door to a whole world of new possibilities. The applications artists use it for continue to surprise and delight!

This year GOLDEN has launched several new products and is excited to share some new videos with you! Four new videos have been added to the Video Library that your customers might find interesting and valuable. You can find them here and be sure to share. More videos coming soon, so please check back often!

Williamsburg New Colors

NEW COLORS from Williamsburg! from Golden Artist Colors on Vimeo.

Cobalt Teal

The Return of Genuine Cobalt Teal from Golden Artist Colors on Vimeo.

Benzimidazolone Yellow

NEW Benzimidazalone Yellows from Golden from Golden Artist Colors on Vimeo.

Light Value Colors

7 New Golden Heavy Body Light Color Values from Golden Artist Colors on Vimeo.

New Support Guide from GOLDEN!

GOLDEN offers a variety of items to help retailers support sales of GOLDEN Acrylics, educate customers and train staff. Our new Support Catalog lists these items with photos and descriptions, making it easy to select the items you need. The Catalog includes images and descriptions of POP Blades and Banners, Demonstration Kits, Product Guides and Literature, Merchandising Components and more.

The support catalog is available digitally as a PDF and can be downloaded from Marketplace.
Visit marketplace.goldenpaints.com/

Log in and navigate to the Documents and Media section. Click on the Information & Forms folder, then the Support Requests folder. The support catalog and order form are in the Golden folder.

If you don’t have a Marketplace user name and password, enter the New User information to set up an account.

Toned Mixed Media paper is now available in a Steel Blue color! The response to our Toned Tan and Toned Gray Mixed Media papers has been overwhelming. Now, for the first time, we introduce a new blue color to our family of Strathmore toned pads.  

Specifically created for use with light and dark media, Toned Blue Mixed Media paper combines the characteristics of a watercolor paper and the finish of a drawing sheet, creating a paper that performs for all wet and dry media. Starting artwork using mid-range colored paper allows for unique sketching and drawing possibilities by providing the middle value that would otherwise need to be rendered by the artist. A wider range of values from light to dark can be used, and the middle tone makes it easier for artists to deliberately place shadows and highlights.

Strathmore 400 Series Toned Blue Mixed Media features include:

• 184 lb / 300 gsm steel blue paper.
• 100% recycled, with 30% post-consumer fibers
• Acid free
• Toned for light and dark media
• Medium drawing surface with the wet media characteristics of a watercolor sheet
• Appropriate for finished artwork
• Excellent for graphite, colored pencils, markers, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, pen and ink, charcoal, gel pens, and more
• Linen textured surface stands up to layering, blending, and scraping techniques.
• Appropriate for finished work
• Sheets are easily removed from glue binding
• 15 sheets of paper per pad.
• Pads available in 6” x 8” (SM462-406), (9” x 12” (SM462-409), 11” x 14” (SM462-411), and 18” x 24” (SM462-418).

Officially launched at NAMTA 2018, the NEW Toned Blue Mixed Media line started shipping March 5, 2018 from Strathmore.

All of our Toned Blue Mixed Media pads are featured on promotion running through Back To School promotion May 1, 2018 to September 13, 2018. Learn how this new program can increase the productivity of your retail space by contacting your MacPherson sales representative today!

Toned Blue Mixed Media support materials for retailers including, shelf labels, samplers, headers, photography, and sell sheets which are all available on our Retailer and Distributor Tools section of the website at www.strathmoreartist.com.

Artwork by: Georgina Kruetzer

Marabu Creative USA wants to help you inspire customers and increase sales with quarterly email newsletters that are filled with new product information, creative ideas for artists, great tips for store merchandising and demos, as well as video tutorials and free downloadable lesson plans. Click here to subscribe.

Check out the hashtag #madewithmarabu on Facebook and Instagram to see a creative array of share-worthy project ideas from artists all around the country who are using Marabu – your customers will love it! Tag Marabu when you have a project or event that features their products and they will give you a shout-out on social media.

Krink has many creative uses outside of the street art and graffiti community. Our paint and ink markers are suitable for beginners to experts, ranging from the mixed media painter working on canvas to the lettering artist seeking bold, clean lines to the avid doodler customizing their sneakers. Check out artists using Krink below!

K-60 Paint Marker

Kami (@kami_htzk) uses the K-60 Paint Marker in this painting. With the the right amount of pressure, he can control the flow of paint with the squeeze bottle. Kami is based in Tokyo and works collaboratively with his wife, Sasu, under the name Hitotzuki. They are best known for their flowing paintings and large-scale murals.

K-55 Acrylic Paint Marker

Ricardo Gonzalez (@itsaliving) is using the K-55 Acrylic Paint Marker in Fluorescent Pink and creating a canvas showcasing all of Krink’s marker styles.  Gonzalez is a Brooklyn-based designer and artist from Durango, México. His signature script style can be easily recognized from large scale murals to commercial work for some of the biggest brands.

K-42 Paint Marker

Sam Larson (@samlarson) draws on paper using the K-42 Paint Marker in Red and Light Blue. The bullet tip allows him to create clean, smooth lines. Larson is a Salt Lake City-based artist inspired by the American West and nature.

Krink is a Brooklyn-based company offering a collection of high quality markers and inks unique to the market in their style and history. What started as products created to fit the specific needs of urban artists has grown into a range of creative tools. In addition, Krink creates limited edition, one-of-a-kind products with iconic brands, such as Nike, Casio and Coach. Handmade in the USA. For more information, please visit krink.com or contact diana@krink.com.

Introducing Liquitex Acrylic Gouache. Perfect for fine art, design and illustration, layering, solid color blocking and mixed media, in a spectrum of 50 colors.  We’ve reimagined traditional gouache, using Liquitex innovation to bring you a new paint with the extra benefits of an acrylic.

The range features the most intense colors with a flat, matte effect that doesn’t crack. It offers superb fluidity and application with no need to dilute, all with a permanent, water-resistant finish when dry. Our ergonomic new bottle and tapered nozzle have been designed in collaboration with artists, to help us create what we believe is the perfect format. It’s fully reusable and recyclable, and not a drop of paint will go to waste. Three single pigment primaries are ideal for color theory and ideal for educational use.

The range consists of 50 colors in 2oz vessels and four sets that are ideal for exploration or gift giving. Liquitex Acrylic Gouache will be available at the end of October 2018.

In 1988, Richard Frumess, founder of R&F, started the business in the basement studio he rented in Brooklyn, NY. His interest in encaustic painting as an artist, and the lack of a significant source for quality encaustic supplies, led him on a path that eventually developed into what is now R&F Handmade Paints.

For R&F’s first 2 years, Richard focused on being an encaustic paint manufacturer. In 1990 artist and Williamsburg Paint manufacturer Carl Plansky, a close friend of Richard’s, suggested R&F start making an oil stick. Carl felt that the natural synergy between wax/resin materials used in encaustic and the wax/oil materials needed for the oil sticks seemed like the natural step to take.

In 1990, R&F Pigment Sticks® were born.

R&F Handmade Paints takes pride in manufacturing these 2 distinctive yet similarly milled products. Artists’ interest in both Encaustic Paint and Pigment Sticks® has grown steadily over the years….30 to be exact. Under the leadership of Darin Seim, R&F’s President and a truly dedicated staff, R&F is confident that the trend will continue for many years to come.

Introducing a brand new way to apply face paint. One that’s already making some of the biggest smiles we’ve ever seen. It’s called the Snazaroo Brush Pen and it’s a clever combination of paint and brush designed to bring ideas to life, wherever your imagination takes you.

The precision brush nib is designed to make it easy to get the biggest ideas or the smallest details just right, allowing full control over the amount of paint used. No water or separate brushes required. Simply pop the top, twist the base and let the fun flow…whenever, wherever.

Just a few turns and paint is delivered straight to the brush tip to help face painters create anything from robot tigers to frozen fairies, with no mixing or mess.

Packed with inspiration

Snazaroo Brush Pens are available in five different packs, each containing the three 2ml colours used in the most popular face painting designs.

The Monochrome Pack comes complete with two black brush pens and a white one, the two most popular and versatile Snazaroo face paints.

Boldly grab the Adventure Pack with red, gold and blue and brush up on everything from pirates to superheroes.

When Halloween ghouls and ghosts are called for, it’s frighteningly easy using the black, white and orange paints in the Halloween Pack.

Conjure up fairies, princesses and butterflies with purple, pink and silver in the Fantasy Pack that makes it easy to give every face the magic touch.

Or go wild with yellow, green and brown in the Jungle Pack and make fun furry faces fast with lions, tigers and cheetahs – but never any spills or splashes.

Safe for every occasion

Available in 12 colours, the water-based paint is safe for virtually any application. Suitable for sensitive skin, it’s both fragrance and paraben free. And when the fun’s over, removing it is quick and easy with soap and warm water.

Snazaroo Brush Pens are set to change face painting with a clever new twist. No more separate water brushes and less chance of mess…just face painting with no limits anywhere from the supermarket to sleepovers, playgrounds to parties and more. Now there’s nothing to stop the fun!

GOLDEN Conducting Training for Artist Educator Program

September 30-October 5, 2018

Golden Artist Colors is seeking painting and mixed media teachers for its GOLDEN Artist Educator Program (GAEP). The Program grants certification after the week of training and successful completion of a test. The training is being held in the beautiful Hotel Mazarin in the French Quarters of New Orleans. Interested candidates need to complete an application by June 1 for consideration. Please visit goldenpaints.slideroom.com to complete the application and for more details.

NAMTA Art Materials World 2018 is Just a Couple Weeks Away!

At NAMTA Art Materials world 2018 in Dallas, TX, we hope many of you took the time to stop by our Booth (#307) to say hello and see some exciting new items!

While at the show you would have had a first-hand look at the NEW! QoR mini and QoR Masking Fluid. There was also a chance to see several new Heavy Body Acrylic colors and sets while learning about new tube merchandising, better utilizing retail space and a gravity fed system to improve efficiency in stores by 20%! Williamsburg Oils introduced seven new colors at NAMTA. We also shared two consumer promotions with you for GOLDEN Acrylics and Williamsburg Oils, aimed at increasing foot traffic in your stores!

As always, thank you for your continued support!

NEW STRATHMORE^® 400 SERIES OIL PAINTING PRODUCTS

Available starting in March of 2018, we are pleased to introduce 400 Series Oil Painting products. Modern convenience meets traditional technique in these products made specifically for artists creating finished work with oil paints and oil pastels.

Our new 400 Series Oil Painting pads and sheets are a convenient alternative to canvases or boards. They’re easy for artists to take on-the-go and there is no gesso required to prevent oil saturation. As part of the paper-making process this sheet has been pre-primed with vegan materials, so artists can simply tear out a sheet and starting painting! You won’t get any oil halos or seepage through the sheet. The fabric-like linen surface mimics canvas while providing texture to help blend and hold layers of paint in place. Officially launched at NAMTA 2018, the NEW 400 Series Oil Painting line started shipping March 5, 2018 from Strathmore.

Strathmore 400 Series Oil Painting features include:

• 215 lb / 350 gsm heavyweight paper.
• Acid free, vegan friendly, natural white color paper.
• Linen textured surface stands up to layering, blending, and scraping techniques.
• Appropriate for finished work.
• Sheets are easily removed from glue binding.
• 10 sheets of paper per pad.
• Available in 9” x 12” (SM430-309), 12” x 12” (SM430-312), and 18” x 24” (SM430-318) pads. Also available in 18” x 24” sheet stock (SM431-3)

All of our Oil Painting products are featured on an introduction promotion which runs through Back To School promotion May 1, 2018 to September 13, 2018. Learn how this new program can increase the productivity of your retail space by contacting your MacPherson sales representative today!

400 Series Oil Painting support materials for retailers including, shelf labels, samplers, headers, photography, and sell sheets which are all available on our Retailer and Distributor Tools section of the website at www.strathmoreartist.com. Also, watch for an upcoming product video featuring this exciting new line!

INCREASE STORE SALES WITH STRATHMORE^® ONLINE WORKSHOPS

Strathmore® is excited to once again offer their free Online Workshop Series, which started March 5, 2018! Take advantage of this consumer workshop series and increase your store’s traffic and sales. Promote the start of the workshops in your store, on your website, on social media, and drive sales as students purchase from the class supply list (there were over 51,000 video views on the workshop site in 2017).

Original artwork by workshop instructors: Kelly Eddington, Sarah Becktel, and Robert Burridge

The Strathmore 2018 Online Workshop Series will again feature 3 different workshop series, with each series including 4 videos and downloadable instructions created by incredibly talented artists. Students follow along as instructors guide them through various topics

An end cap at University Arts.

and demonstrate useful tips, techniques, ideas and inspirations to get students creating and learning about art. Visit Strathmore Artist Papers at http://www.strathmoreartist.com/artist-studio/ for more information about the 2018 Workshop Series.

Just as a reminder, participants are no longer required to create a student account to view the videos. Once the videos are released on the site, they are available for anyone to view at any time, for free, without creating an account. However, if students want to interact with the instructors in discussion forums, or upload images to the gallery, they still need to create an account to access those special features. Students can also still create an account to interact with their friends on the site, and to create their own profile. No changes have impacted any existing student accounts. By removing the previous account set-up to view the video content, more artists are encouraged to engage in the wonderful free content that is available in the workshop series.

Here are three ideas for retailers to take advantage of the program:

1. Create Workshop Supply End Cap – Download this poster/handout pdf and create an end cap featuring the workshop supply list. Use the poster on the end cap to promote the workshops as well as in the window and at check out.

2. Follow Strathmore Artist Papers social media platforms and share our posts like below with your fans. This is a really easy thing to do! We share on-going information and reminders about the Workshops on Facebook and other social media channels.  Ask your fans to stock up on class supplies at your store! You can also check out #StrathmoreWorkshops on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter.

You can follow Strathmore on our social media sites including: Facebook. Pinterest , Twitter , YouTube , and Instagram.

3. Create your own in-store workshop from content delivered in Strathmore’s Online Workshops! Each workshop provides you with a supply list, educational video and supporting information. Makes hosting your own event easier!

As a reminder, at the end of each year Strathmore will post that year’s Online Workshop Series videos to their YouTube channel. Look for the 2017 Online Workshop Series videos that are now available, which include workshops on Brush Lettering and Watercolor, Techniques in Pastel Art, and Ethereal Mixed Media on Toned Paper. Also offered on Strathmore’s YouTube channel, you will find an expanding library of videos around product information, quick tips and tricks for using Strathmore products, and helpful information on frequently asked questions.

Interested in learning more? Contact your MacPherson sales representative for ideas of how you can drive more traffic and sales with Strathmore’s 2018 Online Workshop Series.

2018 Workshops kick-off on Instagram (left) and Facebook. (right)

In 1988, Richard Frumess, founder of R&F, started the business in the basement studio he rented in Brooklyn, NY.  His interest in encaustic painting as an artist, and the lack of a significant source for quality encaustic supplies, led him on a path that eventually developed into what is now R&F Handmade Paints.

For R&F’s first 2 years, Richard focused on being an encaustic paint manufacturer.  In 1990 artist and Williamsburg Paint manufacturer Carl Plansky, a close friend of Richard’s, suggested R&F start making an oil stick.  Carl felt that the natural synergy between wax/resin materials used in encaustic and the wax/oil materials needed for the oil sticks seemed like the natural step to take.

In 1990, R&F Pigment Sticks® were born.

R&F Handmade Paints takes pride in manufacturing these 2 distinctive yet similarly milled products.  Artists’ interest in both Encaustic Paint and Pigment Sticks® has grown steadily over the years….30 to be exact. Under the leadership of Darin Seim, R&F’s President and a truly dedicated staff, R&F is confident that the trend will continue for many years to come.

Jacquard is proud to announce that the YouCAN Refillable Air Powered Spray Can won 2nd Place in the Creative Impulse “International Innovation Award for Creative Tool of the Year” at the 2018 Creativeworld tradeshow!

From the Creativeworld Press Release:

“The Creative Impulse Award is a trend barometer that reflects the great innovative power of the DIY sector. This year, a new record was set for the number of entries with 74 products. A jury of top experts from the trade, industry and media met to assess, test, discuss and evaluate in detail all entries for the four categories.”

Jacquard was also featured prominently in the “Trends” exhibition at Creativeworld with:

• Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments
• Basic Dye
• Indigo Tie Dye Kit
• YouCAN Refillable Air Powered Spray Can
• Piñata Alcohol Ink

We can attest to the association’s keen eye for trending products: all the items featured have skyrocketed in popularity in markets all over the world over the last 6-12 months. All these items are available from MAcPhereson’s.

Product link –  YouCAN

YouCAN Refillable Air Powered Spray Can from Jacquard Products on Vimeo.

Star Products will be supporting the “Wounded Warriors Project” during BTS. We will give a donation for every portfolio sold during this time.

MacPherson’s will be offering our “50 Pack” WWP – POP displays which included our #1 selling portfolios during BTS on a drop ship deal for 66% off.
220H (20 x 26 x 2 red rope)
V420H-BLK (20 x 26 x 2 Black)

Star Products is proud to support the “Wounded Warriors Project” during our “Back to School” season. Sales of portfolios will help benefit wounded service members, their families & caregivers. Warrior families and caregivers are provided comfort, care & education to help support the recovery of their injured service member.

Help support our Warriors!

This is a hard note to write. Besides my family, there’s nothing I love more than MacPherson’s and the community we serve. For 45 years (yikes), my chief passion has been building MacPherson’s from its humble beginnings, helping it flourish and finding creative ways to navigate and conquer the many challenges that come our way. I’m so proud of what we’ve built and of the heart, soul, and hard work of so many people over the years.

As our talented leadership team finds its way, it’s time for me to exit stage right and give them space to make their own successes, stumble occasionally, and learn from their experiences. I have every belief that this is exactly what will happen

It has been a wonderful 45-year ride! Thank you to my many friends in the industry, and thanks for your support in making our amazing company such a successful supplier to our industry’s retailers.

I have been asked to continue on as a member of MacPherson’s board of directors and to play a role in the transition of strategic responsibilities. These include acting as a mentor on the sales and vendor side, and being the editor of the Art Dog Blog.

MacPherson’s will now engage in a search for a great Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who I know will do us all proud. In the meantime, the top leadership of the company will be supported fully by our very capable and committed outside board of directors: Alison Norton Nelson and Renee Thomas Jacobs.

I encourage all to reach me at my personal email address for any reason; fmstapleton@mindspring.com

All the best,

Frank Stapleton