Who Owns Blick Art Materials?
Blick Art Materials is owned by Dick Blick Holdings, Inc., a private company controlled by the Metzenberg family in its third generation. Founded in 1911 in Galesburg, Illinois, by Dick and Grace Blick as a mail-order business, it is the largest dedicated art supply retailer in the United States with more than 60 stores and a major e-commerce operation offering more than 90,000 products.
Who Owns Blick Art Materials?
- Parent Company: Dick Blick Holdings
- Ownership Type: Wholly owned
- Company Type: Privately Held
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| Blick Art Materials | Dick Blick Holdings | Wholly owned |
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History of Blick Art Materials
- Founded: 1911
- Founders: Dick Blick, Grace Blick
Dick Blick and his wife Grace founded the company in 1911 in Galesburg, Illinois, selling the Payzant pen by mail order from their kitchen. The business built a reputation for reliable art supply mail order, symbolized by its "Running Man" logo created in 1933 to represent fast shipping.
Robert Metzenberg bought the company in 1948 and converted it from a mail-order house into a retail operation, opening the first Blick store in Galesburg in 1974 and adding locations in Las Vegas, Allentown, and Dearborn. His grandson Robert Buchsbaum became CEO in 1996 and drove the expansion that made Blick a national retailer.
Key growth came through acquisition: 11 stores from The Art Store in 2004, then the landmark 2013 purchase of Utrecht Art Supplies, which added roughly 40 retail stores and a Brooklyn paint manufacturing facility. That deal also prompted dropping "Dick" from the consumer name, becoming Blick Art Materials.
Today Blick operates more than 60 stores, three distribution centers, and a leading e-commerce business. It benefited from the craft retail consolidation of the mid-2020s, including JOANN's 2025 collapse, which sent fine art customers toward specialty retailers.
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About Dick Blick Holdings
Who owns Blick Art Materials?
Blick Art Materials is owned by Dick Blick Holdings, Inc., which is controlled by the Metzenberg family. Robert Metzenberg purchased the company in 1948, and it remains in his family's hands in the third generation. CEO Robert Buchsbaum is Metzenberg's grandson.
Is Blick Art Materials publicly traded?
No. Blick is a private, family-owned company with no stock listing. It has been continuously privately owned since its 1911 founding.
When was Blick founded?
Dick Blick and his wife Grace founded the company in 1911 in Galesburg, Illinois, initially as a mail-order business selling the Payzant pen. It has operated for more than 115 years.
Who founded Blick Art Materials?
Dick and Grace Blick founded the company in 1911. Robert Metzenberg, who bought it in 1948, is described by the company as its "second founder" for transforming it into a national retailer.
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What is Blick's market position?
Blick is the largest dedicated art supply retailer in the United States, with more than 60 stores and a leading e-commerce operation. It focuses on fine art materials rather than the broader crafts mix of Michaels or Hobby Lobby.
Does Blick make its own products?
Yes, through Utrecht Art Supplies, which it acquired in 2013. Utrecht produces paints, mediums, and brushes at a Brooklyn facility that is certified as a Brooklyn-made producer, giving Blick a private-label manufacturing arm.
- Founded: 1911
- Headquarters: Highland Park, Illinois, USA
- Company Type: Privately Held
- Revenue: Approximately $93 million (estimated)
- Employees: Nearly 2,000
Where Is Blick Art Materials Made / Based?
- Headquarters: Highland Park, Illinois, USA
- Manufacturing / Operations: Brooklyn, New York (Utrecht paints)
Blick Art Materials Categories & Tags
Blick Art Materials Sustainability & Ethics
Blick supports arts education through community programs and supply donations to schools and underserved communities, and has partnered with the Business Committee for the Arts on advocacy. Its Utrecht facility is certified as a Brooklyn-made producer.
As a private family company, it publishes limited formal ESG reporting, but its arts education advocacy and institutional sales to schools form a central part of its public mission.
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Blick Art Materials Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Undisputed leadership in dedicated art supply retail
- +Utrecht manufacturing provides proprietary products
- +Stable third-generation family ownership
- +Strong e-commerce and institutional sales
- +Deep assortment exceeding 90,000 items
Considerations
- -Much smaller scale than general crafts chains
- -Fine art supply is a narrower addressable market
- -Private status limits financial transparency
- -Competition from online-only retailers
- -No public capital access
Frequently Asked Questions About Blick Art Materials
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Sources & Further Reading
Competitors to Blick Art Materials
These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.
| Brand | Parent Company | Country | Founded | Market Position | Primary Market | Gender Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobby Lobby Stores | USA | 1972 | Mass market | North america | All Genders | |
| Joann Inc | USA | 1943 | Mass market | United states | All Genders | |
| Michaels Stores | USA | 1973 | Mass market | North america | All Genders | |
| Advance Auto Parts | USA | 1932 | Mass market | United states | All Genders | |
| Autozone | USA | 1979 | Market leader | United states | All-ages | |
| Sherwin Williams | USA | 1947 | Mass market | United states | All Genders |
Learn More About Competitors
Retail EcommerceHobby Lobby
Owned by Hobby Lobby Stores
Largest arts and crafts retail chain in the US by store count, a private family-owned business founded by David Green in 1972 and known for closing on Sundays.
craftsfabricsewing
Retail EcommerceJoann
Owned by Joann Inc.
American fabric and craft supplies retailer offering sewing, quilting, and DIY materials and supplies.
fabriccraftssewing
Retail EcommerceMichaels
Owned by The Michaels Companies
Largest arts and crafts retail chain in North America, privately held by Apollo Global Management and strengthened by its 2025 acquisition of JOANN's intellectual property.
craftsfabricsewing
Retail EcommerceAdvance Auto Parts
Owned by Advance Auto Parts, Inc.
Flagship retail banner of Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (NYSE: AAP), operating roughly 4,000 automotive parts stores across North America.
auto-partsretailautomotive-aftermarket
AutomotiveAutoZone
Owned by AutoZone, Inc.
Master brand of AutoZone, Inc., America's largest aftermarket auto parts retailer with more than 7,400 stores.
auto-partsretailautomotive
Household Consumer GoodsKrylon
Owned by The Sherwin-Williams Company
Aerosol spray paint brand founded in 1947, owned by Sherwin-Williams and the market leader in consumer spray paint.
spray-paintaerosoldiy
Competitive Analysis
Market Positioning: Blick Art Materials competes with 6 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.
Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.
Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.
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Independent Alternatives to Blick Art Materials
Looking for brands with different ownership structures? These similar brands are not owned by Dick Blick Holdings, giving you alternative choices that support different corporate structures.
Retail EcommerceEtsy
Owned by Etsy, Inc.
Leading online marketplace for handmade, vintage, and craft supplies, publicly traded on Nasdaq and connecting millions of independent sellers with buyers worldwide.
marketplacehandmadecrafts
Publicly Traded
Etsy operates independently without a large parent corporation.
Retail EcommerceThe Home Depot
Owned by The Home Depot Inc.
The flagship big-box home improvement retail brand of The Home Depot Inc., founded in 1978 and operating about 2,350 orange-box warehouse stores across North America.
home-improvementretailbig-box
Publicly Traded
The Home Depot operates independently without a large parent corporation.
Retail EcommerceAlbertsons
Owned by Albertsons Companies, Inc.
The flagship grocery banner of Albertsons Companies, operating supermarkets across the Western and Southwestern United States.
grocery-bannersupermarketgrocery
Publicly Traded
Albertsons operates independently without a large parent corporation.
Retail EcommerceAmazon
Owned by Amazon.com Inc.
American e-commerce marketplace launched in 1995 by Jeff Bezos. The flagship retail brand of Amazon.com Inc. and the largest online retailer in the United States.
ecommerceonline-marketplaceretail
Publicly Traded
Amazon operates independently without a large parent corporation.
Retail EcommerceBest Buy
Owned by Best Buy Co., Inc.
American consumer electronics retail brand owned by Best Buy Co., Inc., the largest consumer electronics retailer in the United States with over 1,000 stores across North America.
electronics-retailconsumer-electronicsretail
Publicly Traded
Best Buy operates independently without a large parent corporation.
Retail EcommerceDick's Sporting Goods
Owned by Dick's Sporting Goods
Largest sporting goods retailer in the United States, operating the Dick's, Golf Galaxy, Public Lands, and House of Sport banners plus private brands including DSG, Calia, and VRST.
sporting-goodsretailathletic-apparel
Publicly Traded
Dick's Sporting Goods operates independently without a large parent corporation.
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