The Art Dog has been publishing industry news and announcements since 2008 and here we are, ten years later, with a new vision and a renewed mission: Connect the world through creativity by engaging our audience of art materials retailers and vendors to foster an interconnected community by publishing timely, shareable resources and industry news. Whether you’ve been following Art Dog for a while or joined us more recently, we hope you’ll enjoy our new blog design as well as the new approach we’re taking to the stories and news we share. We encourage you to interact and participate with…
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Art & Soul Grand Opening
Art & Soul, an art supply store in Sebastopol, CA recently moved to a spacious new location complete with ample parking and plenty of floor space. Co-owners Margaret Conner and Sabina Fried closed up shop for a break during relocation and re-opened a few weeks ago for a ribbon-cutting ceremony complete with interactive activities and a sale. The new space is airy and light, with plenty of room for the wide range of supplies they carry. With the smoke from the disastrous Camp Fire about 150 miles northeast impacting the town, one would expect a spotty turnout; however families and…
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Honoring Mark Kline, Vice President of Chroma
It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Mark Kline, Vice President of Chroma. He was 57. With over 34 years at Chroma, Mark was a generous and vibrant industry personality who loved life and inspired all those who knew him. He will be sorely missed by his wife of 31 years, Donna, his daughter Melissa, his brother, his mother, countless friends and employees in the USA, AU and EU. Donations are welcome in his honor to the Wounded Warriors Project or the Humane Society of Berks County. Chroma business will be carried on, as we…
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iAMart Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Last month the buying group iAMart celebrated their 20th anniversary with a gathering in Chicago, IL. iAMart prides itself on being a diverse group, containing stores of varying sizes that represent all corners of the market and the map, including Alaska and Hawaii. In their annual meetings they share ideas, support and have a little fun. The initial concept of the iAmArt organization came from Larry O’Connell. In 1998 Larry brought together Steve Aufhauser of Continental Art Supplies and Claudia Myers of Spokane Art Supply. Over months of meetings, input from Jeff Morrow, Beth Bergman of Wet Paint and George…
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Ben Lapin Announced President of Speedball Art Products
Speedball is pleased to announce that Ben Lapin has been promoted to President of Speedball Art Products Company. Ben started with Speedball in 1997 as Chief Financial Officer and handled all financial matters during the start-up years. He later took on responsibility for Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service and proved that he was much more than a bean counter. In October 2006, Ben became Chief Operating Officer responsible for all day-to-day activities of Speedball. In the past 12 years Ben has led the integration of several acquisitions while strengthening Speedball’s core business. “Good is never good enough” with Ben; he…
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Celebrations At The Atlanta Distribution Center
Our Distribution Center in Atlanta had a lot to celebrate this month. The AM shift and PM shift overlapped for a special Thanksgiving dinner: The team also threw a baby shower for Selam Mamo, a Shift Order Selector. She is due on December 27th!
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Riley Street San Rafael Celebrates 11 Years
Riley Street Art Supply has locations in San Rafael and Santa Rosa, CA; this month they celebrated 50 years of being in business, with the San Rafael store turning 11 this past June. Both stores celebrated with a two day sale where everything was at least 30% off, and the San Rafael store partnered with vendors to set up outdoor booths with various Make-and-Take activities and demonstrations. Vendor partners included Daniel Smith, Golden, Strathmore, Jacquard, Savoir-Faire, Liquitex and Marabu. The event was a great opportunity to engage with repeat customers as well as passersby who had never even been in the…
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Artisan Expo: The Positive Impact of Workshops
In September, Account Manager Mia Fesmire and Brand Marketing Manager Ariana Faustini represented MacPherson’s exclusive brands at a three-day art supply extravaganza in Santa Fe known as Artisan Expo. The bi-yearly consumer show is sponsored by Artisan Santa Fe, a retailer with locations in both Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Artisan Santa Fe founded Artisan Expo in 2000, and the event has grown over the years to become the largest art materials and instructional event in the world! They host over 100 half-day and full-day workshops led by expert instructors, as well as a vendor trade show where over 80 vendors…
