State of Indie Art Supplies

Goodness, what a wild few months it’s been.

I’ve gone back and forth about sharing industry news with you, but this story feels too important not to tell—especially for those who care deeply about community and want to support local shops like ours.

In May, the largest art materials distributor in the U.S., MacPherson’s Art Supply, abruptly closed its doors. For decades, MacPherson’s was where we sourced the majority of our art materials. They also held exclusive agreements with several brands, making them the only way for indie stores like ours to stock certain beloved supplies.

We hoped they’d be bought out by a distributor who understood and valued small, independent retailers. But that’s not what happened.

Instead, Blick Art Materials (also known as Dick Blick) purchased MacPherson’s inventory—reportedly at pennies on the dollar—and possibly even acquired our purchasing data.

If you know Blick’s history, you know this is not good news for independent shops. Blick grew from a mail-order catalog business into the largest chain of art supply stores in the U.S., in large part by acquiring small independent art stores. Their online pricing is so aggressively low that even their own physical stores can’t match it.

Now, Blick wants to become our distributor, offering exclusive brands only through them. In other words, our biggest competitor is now asking to be our main supplier.

We’ve chosen to say no.

In solidarity with fellow indie art supply stores across the country, we refuse to hand over control to a company whose business model threatens our existence. Instead, we are working hard to set up new accounts directly with manufacturers and ethical suppliers to continue stocking the quality products you love.

If you notice a change in what’s on our shelves, this is why. We’re navigating a major shake-up behind the scenes—and doing it with our values intact.

As always, we remain committed to transparency, quality, and community. If there’s something you can’t find, let us know. We’re listening—and adapting—every step of the way.

Thank you for standing with us. 💛