Our new raffle item for the next few weeks is a set of three small Utrecht oil tubes: Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Red Hue, and Cadmium Yellow Hue.  These are the 37ml tubes.

No purchase necessary, but you do need your ArtSmart card number.  We’ll draw a winner in a few weeks, so make sure you put a phone number down as well.  It’s a $20 value, with a guaranteed winner!!

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Utrecht.  And as such, we’d like to share with you some history about this wonderful company with the strange name.

Utrecht as we know it began in 1949.  A painter in Brooklyn, named Norman Gulamarian, wanted to find quality linen at a decent price.  Unable to find a source in the U.S., he began importing linen directly from Europe.  With his brother, Harold, they founded Utrecht Linens.  I believe the name of the company was inspired by the 17th century school of Baroque painters who resided in the Dutch city of Utrecht. 

Please visit our website, at http://www.utrechtart.com/about/, for more details.  Utrecht paint is still manufactured in our Brooklyn-based mill; as the retailer and manufacturer of our own paint, we pass the savings directly to you!

For those of you who draw, live in Columbus, and are free tomorrow afternoon, there is a sketch group meeting on February 7 in the upper level of the North Market.  Bring your sketch books and favorite drawing utensils!

Do you Twitter? If so, than feel free to join us this Saturday during the February Gallery Hop for a free scavenger hunt sponsored by Shop Short North. The winner receives a great prize package of store gift certificates from participating area businesses, including a $20 ArtSmart card from us. Hints will be sent from 7 to 10 pm to mobile devices via the shopshortnorth Twitter feed, so if you tweet, start following them. If not, it is free to join Twitter, and you can start following us too, we’re at utrechtcolumbus. Check us out for daily updates and specials.