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October 21, 2022 | CHICAGO, Illinois — Blick Art Materials is pleased to announce the opening of its newest retail store at 16 W. Randolph St. in downtown Chicago. Grand opening celebrations will kick off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, October 21 at 11 a.m. CDT and continue through the weekend with contests and giveaways. Situated in the heart of the city’s theater district, the new store is housed inside an historic Chicago building with a distinct architectural style.
Originally the site of the Old Heidelberg Restaurant, the building boasts an elegant façade designed by the same architecture firm responsible for the Merchandise Mart and Civic Opera Building. Wooden doors above the glockenspiel clock conceal the structure’s quirkiest feature — a colorful statue of King Gambrinus, created by Chicago artist Edgar Miller in 1934. It was the building’s historical ties to Chicago and its artists that led Blick, the nation's largest and oldest art supply retailer with roots in Illinois, to choose it as a location for its newest store.
“Blick has been a go-to for generations of Chicago artists, and artists have always been at the heart of everything we do at Blick,” said Blick CEO Robert Buchsbaum. “Our investment in this space and our recent expansion in markets like Chicago and New York are a tribute to them. We’re honored to provide Chicago’s creative community and artists everywhere with a combination of the best selection of high-quality art supplies and award-winning customer service.”
The new space features two stories and a media-spanning selection of over 18,000 products. Highlights include an enhanced selection of Utrecht Artists’ Paints, as well as trending craft items, stationery, and unique gifts. In addition to serving professional artists and hobbyists, the store will cater to students and educators from the nearby School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago, and The American Academy of Art College.
Blick has long supported arts education and community organizations throughout Chicago and nationwide and is intentional about inviting local artists to enhance its stores. Friday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony will be followed by the presentation of a check to the Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts for their 2023 Scholarship Competition. The company will host the Chicago chapter of Urban Sketchers at the new Randolph St. store on Saturday as part of its grand opening celebrations.
Blick Art Materials’ new Randolph St. store is accessible via the Lake station on the CTA Red Line and the Washington station on the CTA Blue Line.
Family-owned and serving artists since 1911, Blick Art Materials is the largest and oldest provider of art supplies in the United States. Its products cater to the full spectrum of artists. A long-time advocate of art education in the U.S., Blick also provides support for scholastic, collegiate, and professional art shows, both financially and through a variety of materials that emphasize the benefits of art education. The company’s corporate office is located in Highland Park, Illinois, and its main operations are located in Galesburg, Illinois. Blick acquired Utrecht Manufacturing in 2013 and operates over 60 retail stores nationwide. For more information, visit DickBlick.com.
Founded more than 65 years ago in the neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, Utrecht is known worldwide as a leading manufacturer of top-quality, handcrafted paints and other art supplies. Utrecht is officially recognized with Gold Certification status by the Brooklyn Made program. Sponsored by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, the Brooklyn Made program recognizes the company as a leading, locally based manufacturer and employer.