Flax Art Supply Stores
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (art supplies) |
| Founded | Between 1919 and 1946 |
| Founder | Four Flax brothers |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Howard Flax (San Francisco leadership), Brian Flax (Chicago), Joan Flax (Los Angeles, formerly) |
| Products | Art supplies, framing services, specialty papers, stationery, photo albums, fine pens, decorative papers |
| Owner | Flax family (some stores); former employees (some stores) |
Flax represents a network of art supply retailers operating throughout the United States. As of January 2024, the Flax family continues to own and manage specialty stores located in San Francisco, Oakland, Orlando, and Chicago. Meanwhile, stores in Atlanta and Los Angeles are independently owned and run by former Flax employees.
The origins of the Flax enterprises date back to between 1919 and 1946, when four Flax brothers established locations in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago. While these businesses have functioned autonomously, their shared branding has created a coast-to-coast presence for Flax Art Supply.
Origins
In 1903, Meyer Flax emigrated from a small rural village in Russia to New York aboard the SS Pennsylvania. As the eldest of six siblings—four brothers and two sisters—Meyer worked diligently over two years to afford passage for his family to join him in America. The family eventually settled in Bayonne, New Jersey. Meyer ensured that his younger brothers, Louis and Sam, received schooling while Herman, the second oldest and still a teenager at the time, became involved in Meyer’s expanding painting and contracting business. By 1911, Louis joined the venture prior to his and Herman’s service in World War I. After the war, Meyer, Herman, and Louis experienced considerable success until the economic downturn of the 1930s.
Sam had already established himself with an art supply business. When the Great Depression forced Meyer, Herman, and Louis to lose their contracting company along with all real estate assets, Sam invited them to join his enterprise to learn the art supply trade. To avoid direct competition among family members, each brother eventually relocated with his family to different cities across the United States, thereby expanding the reach of Flax art supply stores nationwide.
New York City, founded 1919
At sixteen years old, Sam Flax responded to a newspaper advertisement seeking an employee for art supply dealer Sam Halpern—his first and only employer. A decade later in 1919, Sam opened his own art supply store in New York City, naming it Sam Flax. Following World War II, all three of Sam’s sons—Leonard, Sidney, and David—joined the business. Sidney launched a second location in Brooklyn in 1949 and pioneered Flax’s distinctive approach to merchandising by introducing vibrant neckties.
Over thirty years, the brothers expanded their enterprise to five Sam Flax stores throughout New York. After Sam Flax passed away in 1963, David Flax opened a new store in Atlanta in 1973 and another in Orlando, Florida by 1990. In 2003, ownership of the two remaining New York Sam Flax stores (see the 1980s) transferred outside the family. The company’s 95-year tenure in New York concluded when the Midtown location permanently closed on Christmas Eve 2014. Descendants of the original New York family continue operating the Orlando store; meanwhile, ownership of the Atlanta location was transferred in 2018 to two longtime employees.
In 1988, Leonard Flax and his wife Kate launched Kate's Paperie as a distinct entity separate from Sam Flax Inc. Over two decades, Kate's Paperie expanded to five New York stores before being sold in 2008.
Los Angeles, founded 1931
In 1931, Meyer Flax relocated his family to Los Angeles and launched M. Flax, Inc. Later, in 1950, his son Harvey inaugurated a second location in Westwood Village, which he managed for over five decades. Following his retirement in 2005, the art supply business was sold; however, the Flax presence in Los Angeles continued. In 2002, Joan Flax, Harvey's daughter, together with her husband Phil Clark, established Flax Pen to Paper, a venture they eventually transferred to an employee in 2020.
San Francisco Bay Area, founded 1938
Herman Flax moved his family to San Francisco in 1938 and created Flax's Artist Materials. Upon Herman’s passing at age 62, the downtown San Francisco store was inherited by his sons Philip and Jerry. Under Herman’s guidance, his son-in-law Don Kavrell opened a Flax art supply outlet in Oakland during the 1950s before relocating both the store and his family to Sacramento between 1959 and 1970.
In 1967, Jerry Flax departed from the company to lead Electrostatic Printing Corporation (related to xerography), where he secured rights to commercialize a patented technology developed by Stanford engineer Clyde Childress. This technology was eventually acquired by Monsanto Chemical. By 1974, Jerry purchased Schwabacher-Frey—once Flax’s largest competitor in San Francisco—first acquiring its retail operations and later its commercial division two years afterward.
Under Philip Flax’s leadership, a new Flax store was launched in 1966 within the Goldberg Bowen Building at 250 Sutter Street, encompassing 27,000 square feet. A subsequent location opened at 1699 Market Street in 1978, followed by the closure of the Sutter Street store in 1981. The company expanded nationally through mail order catalogs starting in 1984. Craig Flax directed significant growth and transformation of the catalog business by diversifying product lines toward gift items and specialty titles. Reflecting this broader assortment, Flax's Artist Materials rebranded as FLAX art & design in 1991. Additional brands such as Collage (1995) and The Paper Catalog (1998) were introduced, featuring photo albums, stationery, fine pens, and decorative papers marketed via catalogs and online platforms. Between 2002 and 2003, Flax acquired assets from Reliable Home Office, T. Shipley, and Sparks.com. By 2005, the company earned a spot on Internet Retailer’s Top 500 Guide but ceased all direct marketing efforts by late 2007 to refocus on physical retail operations.
In 2010, leadership transitioned formally to the third generation under Howard Flax. The FLAXart.com website relaunched as an eCommerce platform in October 2014, offering an extensive selection for art and craft enthusiasts.
During the weekend of November 7–8, 2015, Flax inaugurated a new store at the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture in San Francisco. Situated within Fort Mason—a component of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area managed by the National Park Service—this made Flax the only art supply retailer operating inside a national park.
After operating from its Market Street location for 38 years, the company had to move due to redevelopment plans converting the building into condominiums. In seeking new headquarters within San Francisco, Flax found itself competing with technology firms vying for similar creative spaces. Consequently, in March 2016, Flax closed its Market Street store and opened a new retail outlet in Downtown Oakland.
Chicago, Founded 1946
Seeking new prospects and guided by insights from industry distributors, including a recommendation from Max Grumbacher himself, The Flax Co. was established in Chicago in 1946 by Louis Flax and his sons Don and Al after their return from World War II. Don and Al gained their expertise in the trade by working alongside Sam Flax in New York, following the path of their father. By 1970, the enterprise expanded to include two operations: a main 14,000 square foot store located in the Chicago Loop managed primarily by Al, alongside a smaller retail outlet, and Regents Products Co., a wholesale division overseen by Don. Louis served as president of both entities until his passing in 1971. The retail segment began focusing more on picture framing during the 1980s, with Al’s son Brian currently leading the business under the name Flax Art & Frame.
In 1979, Al and Don acquired Meyer's Art Supply in Phoenix. Don relocated there and was soon joined by Doug, Al’s son, who assumed control of the 15,000 square foot Phoenix Flax store after Don retired in 1990. The Phoenix location closed in 2004 following Al’s death the previous year, largely due to unfavorable economic conditions. Both Al and Don mirrored their Uncle Sam’s involvement by serving as Directors for NAMTA, the art supply industry association, with Don holding the presidency from 1961 to 1963.
The 1980s
The introduction of desktop publishing and CAD technology during the 1980s significantly transformed the art supply sector. Before this technological shift, commercial clients—such as those in advertising, engineering, and architectural industries—accounted for up to 65% of sales for art supply retailers. These professionals produced layouts and designs manually using tools like drafting supplies and rub-on lettering (notably Letraset). As these processes transitioned to digital platforms, traditional revenue streams diminished rapidly, compelling art supply businesses to evolve.
In response, Flax stores adapted differently across locations: New York consolidated its presence to a single art supply branch (while Kate's Paperie emerged to serve a niche market for specialty paper products); San Francisco expanded into mail order sales with an array of new items; and Chicago redirected its focus toward picture frames and framing services.
Collaborative branding
In 1949, Harvey Flax, who was beginning his career at the Los Angeles Flax company alongside his father Meyer, engaged a young designer named Louis Danziger to develop a new logo. Initially, this emblem was designed to support a private label initiative for a novel pressure-sensitive rubber cement formula. Shortly afterward, the distinctive 'F' symbol was embraced and implemented across other Flax branches nationwide as a cohesive brand identity.
Louis Danziger is regarded as one of America's foremost graphic designers and received the prestigious AIGA award in 1998 recognizing "standards of excellence over a lifetime of work". He has contributed design work for notable clients such as Microsoft, General Lighting, and A & M Records, and later returned to instruct at his alma mater, the Art Center College of Design. Danziger’s design philosophy emphasized “using minimal materials and effort—nothing wasted—to achieve maximum visual impact.”
The book American Modernism: graphic design 1920–1960 highlights that “The ‘F’ is constructed with simplicity, bold in weight, and versatile across numerous applications.” The Flax 'F' is also part of the permanent design collection at the Museum of Modern Art. From the early 1960s through 1980, the various Flax divisions collaborated in producing and distributing a commercial catalog featuring Danziger’s 'F'. This art supply catalog typically contained around 150 pages showcasing thousands of products. Over seven decades later, different Flax outlets continue to utilize the original logo, albeit with some modifications.
Products
Each Flax store operates independently and offers a distinct selection of products. Together, their inventory encompasses paints, papers, drawing tools, drafting equipment, fine writing instruments, specialty paper, custom printing options, desk accessories, books, home décor pieces, photo albums, sketchbooks and journals, stationery, artist portfolios and presentation supplies, bookbinding materials, studio furnishings, picture framing services and supplies, office essentials, paper crafts, scrapbooking items, rubber stamping materials, urban art supplies, digital printing services, digital art tools, general crafting materials, and gift items.
Founding Years and Lineage
This section focuses exclusively on Flax family members directly connected with the Flax art supply enterprises, excluding the broader extended family.
Key
- 1st Generation
- 2nd Generation
- 3rd Generation
- 2nd Generation
- 1919, New York, established by Sam Flax (1894–1963)
- Sidney (1924–1976), Leonard (1928–2022), David (1933–2020)
- Peter (Sidney’s son), Lionel (Leonard’s son), Sam (David’s son)
- Sidney (1924–1976), Leonard (1928–2022), David (1933–2020)
- 1931, Los Angeles, founded by Meyer Flax (1883–1965)
- Harvey (1921–2013)
- Joan (Harvey’s daughter)
- Harvey (1921–2013)
- 1938, San Francisco, launched by Herman Flax (1892–1955)
- Jerry (1922–1998), Philip (1933–2023)
- Brandon Kavrell (Lita Flax’s son), Marta and Steve (Jerry’s children), Howard, Craig, and Leslie (Philip’s children)
- Jerry (1922–1998), Philip (1933–2023)
- 1946, Chicago, initiated by Louis Flax (1897–1971) alongside his sons
- Don (1921–2009), Al (1926–2003)
- Brian and Doug (Al’s sons)
- Don (1921–2009), Al (1926–2003)
- 1919, New York, established by Sam Flax (1894–1963)
Second Generation Expansion in Other Locations
- 1973, Atlanta, GA, founded by David Flax
- 1979, Phoenix, AZ, established by Don Flax
- 1979, Sunnyvale, CA, started by Philip Flax
- 1990, Orlando, FL, opened by David Flax
Third Generation Expansion in Additional Cities
- 2016, Oakland, CA, founded by Howard Flax
Changes in Ownership
- 2018, Atlanta, GA – Ownership of the Atlanta store transferred from the Flax family to two veteran employees in 2018; it continues to operate under the Sam Flax brand.
- 2020, Los Angeles, CA – The Los Angeles location was sold to a long-term employee in 2020 and remains open as FLAX Pen to Paper.
Currently Operating Flax Locations
Orlando, operating as Sam Flax
Atlanta, operating as Sam Flax
Los Angeles, operating as Flax Pen to Paper
Oakland, operating under FLAX art & design
San Francisco, Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, operating as FLAX art & design
Chicago, operating as Flax Art & Frame