Blick Buys Artmart in Brentwood, Ending 70-year Legacy

A longstanding local art supplies institution will reopen under new ownership in the new year.

Blick Art Materials has bought Artmart in Brentwood and will close the store for a remodel on February 1. Artmart will reopen as Blick in the spring, with Blick’s current location in University City set to shutter permanently.

The acquisition marks the end of Artmart’s 70-year history in St. Louis. Artist Jim Harmon founded the store in 1952. The store’s current owner, Keith Baizer, took over 40 years ago.

“It’s been a wonderful run,” Baizer tells the RFT. “I think we’ve been able to make a big difference in the community.”

Baizer, a self-described “old-fashioned merchant,” says he’ll miss the St. Louis art community that he’s come to know and love. But after four decades, he says, “it’s time to move on to other things.” He presently operates multiple small businesses on the side, makes art through wood turning and builds furniture.

Though the end of Artmart is bittersweet, Baizer says he’s confident Blick will keep Artmart’s spirit alive. The chain is one of the largest art supplies providers in the U.S. with over 60 stores. According to its website, the same family has owned Blick for three generations.

“They behave like a family business,” Baizer says. “Everyone who has come into town and deals with my people have been really pleasant.”

Artmart’s current employees will keep their jobs. According to Baizer, once Blick’s acquisition becomes effective on January 31, Artmart employees will work at Blick’s store in the Delmar Loop. They’ll then move to the new Blick in Artmart’s former space once the remodel is complete in the spring.
“We are very excited about this opportunity and are excited to invest in the new Artmart location,” Blick CEO Bob Buchsbaum said in a statement to the RFT. “We take pride in investing in the art community and fully expect the ‘new’ location to be the best art supply store in selection, service, and price that St. Louis has ever seen.”

On Wednesday, several of Artmart’s shelves were already empty, with customers holding arms full of products while standing in line.

Through the years, Artmart became the go-to store for many St. Louis-area artists because of its wide selection of art supplies, quirky gift items and its custom frame center (which Blick will continue to operate). But mostly, according to Baizer, people went to Artmart because they wanted to shop local.

It’s difficult for a national chain to form relationships the way Baizer and his staff have over the last four decades, he says. So he understands why some people are upset — but he urges them not to worry.

“Blick is gonna be great, but they’re not going to have an owner in the building or the community, that’s the main difference,” Baizer says. “Their store will be unbelievable, though — they’ll have more art supplies than you can imagine. They’re very good at what they do.”

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