Utrecht Art Supplies

Utrecht Art Supplies is an American art-materials manufacturer, retailer, and brand based in Brooklyn, New York. The business was established in 1949 by brothers Norman and Harold Gulamerian, the sons of Armenian immigrants. Its origins were closely tied to the working needs of artists: Norman, who trained as an artist and apprenticed under painter and materials expert Frederick Taubes, had difficulty obtaining suitable unprimed linen. At Harold's suggestion, the brothers imported Belgian linen and sold it from the basement of their Brooklyn home. The venture was initially named Utrecht Linens, Inc. The company developed from a specialist supplier into a vertically integrated art-materials business. It opened an office at 119 West 57th Street in Manhattan in 1951 and rented manufacturing space at Brooklyn's Bush Terminal in 1958. In 1957, Utrecht developed an acrylic gesso intended for preparing artists' canvases. During the late 1950s and 1960s, it broadened its own range to include professional-grade oil colors, acrylic paints, and watercolor products, while promoting manufacturer-direct pricing. This combination of in-house production, technical knowledge, and retail distribution became central to the brand's identity. Utrecht entered physical retail in 1968 with a store at 32 Third Avenue in New York City. It subsequently expanded into several major American art markets, including Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Berkeley, and San Francisco. In addition to its proprietary products, Utrecht stores carried materials from other established suppliers. Its assortment covered acrylic, oil, and watercolor media; brushes; canvas; papers; pencils; inks; and related studio goods. Stores also sold selected general office and craft necessities such as adhesives, paper clips, and push pins. By the time the Gulamerians sold the business in 1997, Utrecht had grown from its original small Bush Terminal operation into a company with approximately 50,000 square feet of manufacturing or operational space and an additional 50,000 square feet of retail space, according to the cited historical account. The company remained associated with Brooklyn manufacturing and continued to mill some of its own premium artist paints and gesso there. Its Brooklyn production identity was later recognized through Gold Certification under the Brooklyn Made program of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, which identifies locally based manufacturers and employers. In 2013, Utrecht was acquired by Dick Blick, one of its largest competitors. Following the acquisition, Dick Blick adopted the broader retail identity Blick Art Materials, while Utrecht continued to be identified with its own product line and Brooklyn heritage. The acquisition connected Utrecht's manufacturing and retail legacy with Blick's national art-supply network. Utrecht is therefore best understood today as a legacy art-materials brand operating within the Blick Art Materials organization rather than as an independent publicly traded company.

Utrecht Art Supplies began in postwar Brooklyn through the practical problem-solving of brothers Norman and Harold Gulamerian. Norman was an artist who apprenticed with Frederick Taubes, preparing canvas and grinding paint. When he struggled to obtain unprimed linen, Harold proposed importing it from Belgium. The brothers sold the imported linen from their Brooklyn basement and named the enterprise Utrecht Linens, Inc. The venture's founding purpose was to provide artists with high-quality materials at accessible value. The company formalized its operations in the early 1950s, renting office space at 119 West 57th Street in New York City in 1951. Its manufacturing capability expanded in 1958 when it rented factory space at Bush Terminal in Brooklyn. A significant product-development milestone came in 1957 with the creation of Utrecht's acrylic gesso, a canvas primer designed for modern painting practices. By the end of the 1950s and into the 1960s, Utrecht had added professional oil paints, acrylic products, and watercolor supplies to its own range. Utrecht's business model combined manufacturing with retail. The company opened its first retail store at 32 Third Avenue in New York City in 1968 and later established locations in Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Berkeley, and San Francisco. Its stores sold Utrecht-branded goods alongside products from other art-materials manufacturers. The assortment included paints, brushes, canvas, papers, pencils, inks, and various accessories, with some office supplies also available. The company expanded substantially under the Gulamerians. By the 1997 sale of the business, the operation had grown from its early Bush Terminal premises to approximately 50,000 square feet of operational space and another 50,000 square feet devoted to retail, as described in the cited reference. Utrecht retained a Brooklyn manufacturing identity and continued producing or milling premium artist paints and gesso at its Brooklyn plant. Its local manufacturing credentials were later acknowledged through Gold Certification in the Brooklyn Made program administered by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. Utrecht's independent phase ended in 2013, when Dick Blick acquired the company. Blick was one of Utrecht's major competitors, and the acquisition reshaped the retail presentation of the combined businesses under the Blick Art Materials name. Utrecht nevertheless remained significant as a product brand and as a Brooklyn-based manufacturing legacy within the acquiring organization. The company is consequently associated with both traditional artist-supply retail and proprietary production of paints, primers, and related materials. The Gulamerian family remained central to Utrecht's history. Harold Gulamerian died in 2012 at age 88. Norman Gulamerian died in April 2020 at age 92 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The available reference material does not establish a complete post-acquisition management structure, current store count, or a separate corporate status for Utrecht, so those details remain unspecified.

• 2013

  Acquisition by Dick Blick

  [1]Utrecht Art Suppliesen.wikipedia.org

  Dick Blick acquires Utrecht Art Supplies, and the combined retail business becomes associated with the Blick Art Materials name.

• 1997

  The Gulamerians sell the business

  [1]Utrecht Art Suppliesen.wikipedia.org

  By the time the brothers sell the company, Utrecht has grown into a substantial manufacturing and retail operation.

• 1968

  First retail store opens

  [1]Utrecht Art Suppliesen.wikipedia.org

  The company opens its first retail location at 32 Third Avenue in New York City.

• 1958

  Brooklyn factory operations expand

  [1]Utrecht Art Suppliesen.wikipedia.org

  Utrecht rents factory space at Bush Terminal in Brooklyn.

• 1957

  Acrylic gesso is developed

  [1]Utrecht Art Suppliesen.wikipedia.org

  Utrecht develops an acrylic gesso for priming artists' canvases, an early product-development milestone for the company.

• 1951

  Manhattan office opens

  [1]Utrecht Art Suppliesen.wikipedia.org

  The company rents office space at 119 West 57th Street in New York City.

• 1949

  Utrecht Linens is founded in Brooklyn

  [1]Utrecht Art Suppliesen.wikipedia.org

  Norman and Harold Gulamerian establish the business by importing Belgian linen for artists and selling it from their Brooklyn basement.

A Brooklyn-rooted, artist-oriented supplier emphasizing in-house production, professional-grade materials, and value-oriented direct distribution.

• Acrylics

  Utrecht acrylic paints and mediums

  Utrecht's acrylic range forms part of its professional artist-materials portfolio. The company developed its acrylic-related expertise during the expansion of its proprietary product line in the 1950s and 1960s. The range is associated with studio painting and includes paint and related acrylic materials, although the available reference does not provide a complete current catalogue.

• Oil colors

  Utrecht oil paints

  Utrecht developed professional-grade artist oil paints as part of its move from linen importing into broader materials manufacturing. These paints became one of the principal categories in the company's own line and were sold through Utrecht stores alongside products from other brands.

• Watercolors

  Utrecht watercolor supplies

  Watercolor materials were among the major media categories added to Utrecht's professional artist-supply assortment. They were distributed through the company's retail network and formed part of the broader Utrecht portfolio of painting materials.

• Canvas preparation · 1957

  Utrecht acrylic gesso

  Utrecht developed an acrylic gesso in 1957 for priming artists' canvases. The product reflects the company's emphasis on manufacturing materials used in the preparation as well as the execution of artwork, and it remains closely associated with Utrecht's technical and Brooklyn production heritage.

• Brushes

  Utrecht brushes

  Brushes are a core category in Utrecht's artist-materials assortment. Utrecht stores carried brushes for painting and studio use alongside paints, canvas, paper, and other tools. Specific models, materials, and current catalogue details are not identified in the available reference.

• Canvas and supports · 1949

  Utrecht canvas and linen

  The business originated as an importer and supplier of Belgian linen, making canvas and linen foundational to the brand. Utrecht later continued offering canvas and related preparation products, linking its earliest supply activity with its later paint and gesso manufacturing.

• Drawing and graphic materials

  Utrecht papers, pencils, and inks

  Utrecht retail stores sold papers, pencils, and inks as part of a broad assortment serving drawing, illustration, writing, and mixed-media studio work. The available source does not specify individual product families or launch dates.

• 2013

  Join the Dick Blick organizationM&A

  Background

  Utrecht and Dick Blick were competing art-materials manufacturers and retail chains. The acquisition occurred after Utrecht had developed a substantial proprietary product line and multi-city retail presence.

  Action taken

  Dick Blick acquired Utrecht Art Supplies. The combined retail presence became associated with the Blick Art Materials name, while Utrecht continued as a recognizable product and manufacturing brand.

  Aftermath

  The transaction ended Utrecht's independent ownership and connected its Brooklyn manufacturing heritage and products to Blick's broader art-supply network.

  Source

1. 1Utrecht Art Suppliesen.wikipedia.org