Blick

One of the premiere artist supply companies on the Web, Dick Blick .com, has its roots in a brick-and-mortar establishment that began doing business almost a century earlier, mainly by catalog.  Blick’s first ever catalog went into circulation in 1911; it was a small pamphlet that was issued by founding partners (and spouses) Mr. and Mrs. Dick Blick.  Blick’s warehouse was situated in the couple’s kitchen and their small local post office was their first shipping department.  The first product that Blick introduced, a lettering pen, became a best seller right away.  Fast-forward thirty-seven years and business was still booming for Mr. and Mrs. Blick, but they decided to sell their business to Robert Metzenberg, who was not an artist by trade by had a keen eye for art and even keener eye for quality merchandise.   Within a few years, the company had tripled in size. 

Today, what began in the kitchen of Mr. and Mrs. Dick Blick has spiraled into a huge business that retains a family-operated feel.  And while the little pamphlet that first introduced the world to Dick Blick in 1911 was modest, the company now boasts two annual catalogs of over five-hundred pages each, one for artists, the other for educators.  Dick Blick now offers printable lesson plans and innovative video workshops for art teachers, and product videos for artists, that assist them in not only their product purchase decisions, but also with their techniques.  In addition to their massive catalog operations, Dick Blick Art Materials also operates thirty-three retail stores throughout the United States.  And while the original Dick Blick was operated by husband and wife, the company now employs hundreds of people. 

Dick Blick does not measure their success by the size of their company, but instead by its adherence to its founding principles of:

• Providing the best of everything for their customers, including service, selection, price and quality. 
• Capitalizing on emerging technologies and recognizing opportunities for growth.
• Supporting arts and art education.
• Stocks a complete line of art supplies; over 30,000 products.

From artist canvas to paint, Dick Blick Art Materials stocks the best products for artists of all skill levels, providing a big-store inventory in a hometown atmosphere.