After our excited post about the new Dick Blick opening in the heart of downtown Chicago, Art or Idiocy? felt it necessary to drop by and purchase a Faber-Castell black brush tip Indian ink - waterproof - maximum light - fastness PITT artist pen. The space is truly amazing, and it is like Forever 21 except with matboard. And now with the Quizno’s opening up at Adams and Wabash, I think it is safe to say that Chicago is on par with New York.
The Art or Idiocy? team ran into a bevy of Chicago art luminaries, including a trio from the Art Institute museum. Robert Hudson, Associate Director of Visitor Services, mentioned how Dick Blick has had branding issues, particularly with their online catalogue. Hudson asked a sales associate about why some stores are called "Dick Blick" and others just "Blick." The new one on State is "Blick Art Materials." "Where's the 'Dick'?" he had asked. “Their email can’t have ‘dick’ in the address because spam filters think it is porn,” he reported.
It also looks like there will be a coffee bar, so you can buy your art supplies and then hang out and be an artist in the coffee shop. Is it lame to be excited about this? What’s wrong with enjoying a store that caters to out demographic?
4 comments:
yeah man. I was sooooo excited about it. I went in the first day it opened... didnt have any cash... but as soon as I make some dough Ill know exactly in which isle to spend it :)
yaya.....I can safely rip my utrecht card in half.
~l4z3r
what a bunch of nonsense. when did the artiste e. start work as a shill for big box corp. america? dick blick and quiznos? the blandest combination taste sensations marketed as sizzling deals. c'mon back to the art.
I never cared much for the Art Store.
They always seemed to lack depth in their oils department. I recall stopping in once for some calcium carbonate/marble dust and a hefty-sized bottle of stand oil, and finding neither.
I also once applied for a job at the Evanston Maple Ave Art Store and, while waiting for someone to produce an application, found myself fielding a question that had managed to mystify the Art Store associates: namely, the difference between Series 1 and Series 2 paints.
Dick Blick is awesome. The one in Chicago is probably way better then the one I go to in Allentown PA. And saying that Chicago is on par with New York? I would definitaly agree - just on the thought it being cleaner is a plus... but New York is still f-ing awesome. If you're ever around these neck of the woods we could go gallery and musuem viewing - it would be awesome!
Linda :-)
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