Blick Art Materials

Blick Art Materials is an American retailer and mail-order supplier specializing in fine-art, craft, classroom, and design materials. The business began in 1911 when Dick Blick and his wife, Grace, sold the Payzant pen by mail order from their kitchen. From that early catalog operation, the company developed into one of the longest-established and largest art-materials suppliers in the United States. Its assortment spans paints, drawing media, brushes, canvases, papers, printmaking supplies, sculpting materials, framing products, classroom resources, and related tools and equipment. The company serves a broad customer base that includes professional artists, art students, teachers, schools, institutions, designers, makers, and home hobbyists. The business was purchased by Robert Metzenberg in 1947. Under Metzenberg, the company expanded beyond its original mail-order model, establishing additional mail-order offices in Las Vegas, Hartford, and Allentown and eventually developing a retail-store network. The first Blick retail store opened in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1974, followed by additional stores in locations including Las Vegas, Allentown, and Dearborn. Retail expansion gave the company a physical presence where customers could inspect materials directly, while the catalog and later online businesses supported a much wider national assortment. Blick remains associated with family ownership through Dick Blick Holdings, Inc. Robert Buchsbaum, Metzenberg's grandson, became chief executive in 1996. The company expanded its store base through acquisitions, including 11 locations acquired from The Art Store in 2004 and 45 locations acquired from Utrecht Art Supply in 2013. The Utrecht transaction also broadened Blick's branded product portfolio, including Utrecht paints, mediums, and brushes. In the same year, the company shortened its public-facing name from Dick Blick to Blick Art Materials, although Dick Blick remains a longstanding alias and the company continues to operate through the dickblick.com domain. Blick's business combines retail stores, catalog distribution, and e-commerce. Reference material describes an assortment of more than 90,000 products and a network of more than 65 stores in the United States. Its corporate home office is in Highland Park, Illinois, and its distribution infrastructure includes two facilities in Galesburg, Illinois, and one in Monroe, New Jersey. This combination of national fulfillment and local stores allows Blick to sell both everyday student supplies and specialized professional materials. The company's Utrecht line is particularly associated with artist-grade paints, mediums, and brushes, while the broader Blick assortment includes products from numerous art-material manufacturers as well as Blick-branded goods. Blick's market position is that of a broad, specialist art-supply retailer rather than a general merchandise chain. Its range and educational orientation enable it to serve multiple levels of expertise, from introductory classroom projects to professional studio practice. The company has also been recognized for support of the arts: in 2016, the Business Committee for the Arts, a division of Americans for the Arts, gave Robert Buchsbaum a Leadership Award citing his vision, leadership, commitment to supporting the arts, and encouragement of other businesses to do likewise. Blick is active as an operating business, but detailed ownership, revenue, and current executive information is not established in the supplied reference material.

Blick Art Materials traces its origins to 1911, when Dick Blick and Grace Blick began a mail-order art-supply business from their kitchen. Their first reported product was the Payzant pen, which they marketed through the mail. This initial format shaped the company's long-term identity: Blick developed as a catalog and fulfillment business capable of reaching artists beyond the local retail market. Robert Metzenberg purchased the company in 1947. The business operated under the broader corporate structure of Dick Blick Holdings, Inc., and Metzenberg expanded its distribution footprint by opening mail-order offices in Las Vegas, Nevada; Hartford, Connecticut; and Allentown, Pennsylvania. He later moved the company into physical retail. Blick's first retail store opened in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1974, and further outlets were established in Las Vegas, Allentown, and Dearborn, Michigan. The store strategy complemented the catalog business by allowing artists and students to see and compare materials in person. Family continuity remained important after Metzenberg's ownership period. His grandson, Robert Buchsbaum, became chief executive in 1996. During the following years, Blick expanded its retail presence through acquisitions. In 2004, it purchased 11 stores from The Art Store. In 2013, it acquired Utrecht Art Supply, adding 45 Utrecht locations and bringing Utrecht's established line of paints, mediums, and brushes into the Blick organization. The Utrecht acquisition was a major step in building a broader national specialist-retail network and strengthening Blick's private and proprietary product offering. The company changed its public-facing name in 2013, dropping the word “Dick” and adopting Blick Art Materials. The former name remains an important historical alias, and the company's web address continues to use dickblick.com. The rebranding emphasized the company's role as a broad art-materials retailer rather than only a traditional catalog business. Blick's operating model now combines physical stores with catalog and online sales. Reference material describes more than 65 stores across the United States and an assortment exceeding 90,000 products. The company maintains its home office in Highland Park, Illinois, while operating distribution centers in Galesburg, Illinois, and Monroe, New Jersey. Its product range includes professional and student paints, drawing materials, brushes, surfaces, papers, printmaking and sculpture supplies, framing products, classroom goods, and related studio equipment. The company has also participated in arts-sector support and recognition. In 2016, the Business Committee for the Arts, a division of Americans for the Arts, presented Robert Buchsbaum with a Leadership Award for his vision, leadership, commitment to supporting the arts, and encouragement of similar support by other businesses. A 2026 announcement on the Plaza Art website reported that Plaza Artist Materials and Picture Framing would join the Blick family of stores. The announcement said that Plaza's 11 existing locations would remain open. This transaction, if completed as described, would extend Blick's retail presence into additional Mid-Atlantic and nearby markets. Publicly available reference material supplied for this dossier does not establish detailed financial results, a complete current executive roster, or the precise ownership structure beyond the association with Dick Blick Holdings, Inc.

• 2026

  Plaza Artist Materials joins the Blick family

  [3]Plaza Art announcementplazaart.com

  Plaza Art announced that its 11 existing locations would join Blick Art Materials while remaining open to customers.

• 2016

  Leadership Award for Robert Buchsbaum

  [1]Blick Art Materialsen.wikipedia.org

  The Business Committee for the Arts recognized Robert Buchsbaum with a Leadership Award for supporting the arts and encouraging business involvement in the arts.

• 2013

  Utrecht acquisition and rebranding

  [1]Blick Art Materialsen.wikipedia.org

  Blick acquired Utrecht Art Supply, including 45 stores, and dropped “Dick” from its public name to become Blick Art Materials.

• 2004

  Acquisition of The Art Store locations

  [1]Blick Art Materialsen.wikipedia.org

  Blick acquired 11 retail locations from The Art Store.

• 1996

  Robert Buchsbaum becomes chief executive

  [1]Blick Art Materialsen.wikipedia.org

  Robert Buchsbaum, Robert Metzenberg's grandson, became the company's chief executive.

• 1974

  First Blick retail store opens

  [1]Blick Art Materialsen.wikipedia.org

  The first Blick retail store opened in Galesburg, Illinois, marking a significant expansion beyond catalog sales.

• 1947

  Robert Metzenberg purchases the company

  [1]Blick Art Materialsen.wikipedia.org

  Robert Metzenberg acquired the business and subsequently expanded its mail-order offices and retail operations.

• 1911

  Mail-order business established

  [1]Blick Art Materialsen.wikipedia.org

  Dick and Grace Blick began selling art-related products by mail order, starting with the Payzant pen.

A specialist, full-range art-materials retailer combining professional-grade products, educational supplies, private-label merchandise, national catalog and online fulfillment, and a network of physical stores.

• Private-label fine-art and educational supplies

  Blick-branded art materials

  Blick sells a broad range of products under its own name, covering core studio, classroom, and hobby categories. The assortment includes materials for painting, drawing, surfaces, paper, craft, and education. These products support the company's role as a one-stop specialist retailer and complement third-party professional brands carried in its stores, catalogs, and online operation.

• Fine-art painting supplies

  Utrecht paints, mediums, and brushes

  The Utrecht line became part of Blick through the 2013 Utrecht Art Supply acquisition. It is associated with handcrafted paints, painting mediums, and brushes, giving Blick a proprietary and historically established range for painters. The line serves artists seeking dedicated painting materials across studio and educational applications.

• Fine-art supplies

  Painting materials

  Blick's painting assortment includes paints, mediums, brushes, canvases, panels, and related tools. The category covers professional and student practices across media such as acrylic, oil, watercolor, and other painting techniques, although the supplied reference material does not provide a complete brand-by-brand or medium-by-medium catalog.

• Drawing materials

  Drawing and illustration supplies

  The company offers drawing and illustration tools intended for artists, students, designers, and hobbyists. This broad category includes drawing media, papers, sketchbooks, and related accessories. It continues the company's original mail-order orientation toward supplying portable and studio-based creative work.

• Educational and craft materials

  Classroom and craft supplies

  Blick serves schools, teachers, and recreational users with classroom and craft products alongside professional fine-art supplies. The category broadens the company's customer base beyond studio artists and supports school projects, group instruction, introductory art activities, and general creative making.

• 2026

  Add Plaza Artist Materials locationsM&A

  Background

  Plaza Artist Materials and Picture Framing had operated for more than 60 years before announcing that it would join the Blick family of stores.

  Action taken

  According to a message on the Plaza Art website, Blick acquired or incorporated Plaza's 11 existing locations.

  Aftermath

  The announcement said the locations in DC, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia would remain open and continue serving artists.

  Source

• 2013

  Acquire Utrecht Art SupplyM&A

  Background

  Blick pursued Utrecht Art Supply as part of its expansion of the national art-supply retail network and branded product range.

  Action taken

  Blick acquired Utrecht, including 45 retail locations and the Utrecht range of paints, mediums, and brushes.

  Aftermath

  The transaction substantially expanded Blick's store footprint and was accompanied by the company changing its public name from Dick Blick to Blick Art Materials.

  Source

1. 1Blick Art Materialsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Dick Blick online storedickblick.com
3. 3Plaza Art announcementplazaart.com