Spotlight on Canadian Art Prints - news - Brief Article - Company Profile

VANCOUVER, B.C. -- The story of Canadian Art Prints, one of the largest publishers and distributors of art prints and art cards by Canadian artists, is one of metamorphosis and cooperation. The company got its start in 1964 by Bill Ellis, who originally founded the company to publish limited-edition prints. In 1972, Hal Krieger gained ownership of the company and saw to its evolution into the wall decor market. Today, Krieger, c.e.o., keeps the business in the family. His daughter, Lisa, is company president, and his other daughter, Niki, is the art director.

Canadian Art Prints started publishing fine art prints 20 years ago, but it was 10 years ago when the company decided to focus on posters and go after the American market. Having carved a niche in the Canadian market, Lisa stated," [the company] was looking to be more aggressive and make our line sellable around the world."

Finally, in 1994 the company discontinued selling limited editions and focused solely on posters. "We felt that's where we saw our sales growth and potential," said Lisa. "When we were still publishing limited editions, we had to try to keep our pulse on two different marketplaces and their needs can be quite different."

Enter Devon Publishing in 1997, the start of a symbiotic relationship between Canadian Art Prints and various sister companies such as Portal Publications and Winn Devon. Lisa said the company has grown because it has "been able to capitalize on synergies between various companies."

For example, Canadian Art Prints exhibits with Winn Devon of Seattle at various trade shows. Another benefit of the relationship is the use of Winn Devon's sales representatives throughout the United States. Portal of San Francisco, mats for Canadian Art Prints and sells to distribution chains more focused on the mass market, such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Garden Ridge and Cost Plus. Yet another sister company in England distributes prints throughout Europe. And Canadian Art Prints sells directly to South America, Asia, South Africa and Australia.

The relationship has proved beneficial to all companies involved. For instance, Canadian Art Prints distributes for its sister companies in Canada. Lisa said, "We warehouse Winn Devon and Portal prints in Vancouver for smaller Canadian customers who are not prepared to order from Seattle or San Francisco."

When it comes to art offerings, Canadian Art Prints has a wide selection and unique selling codes. The company does not sell directly to the end consumer but provides retailers with many options. The catalog offers 13 different categories, including landscape, floral, cuisine, nautical and multi-cultural. The poster line runs from 8 by 10 inches up to 32 by 40 inches. All prints are created from the original piece and are printed on site with great attention given to matching colors to the original.

Canadian Art Prints also has sub-licensing rights to many of the images it publishes, so images may be offered to other industries. "We've done some work with wallpaper, puzzles, placemats, coasters, etc. Basically, other industries look at our catalogue and may see an image they would like to license to put on their products. Most of our artists are quite open to that prospect," Lisa said.

As a native Canadian company, Canadian Art Prints does its patriotic part by also offering a range of cards and small matted prints primarily marketed to the tourist trade. More than 600 images of native Canadian imagery, wildlife, city scenes and museum pieces can be found in gift shops, museum shops, and at various tourist attractions all over Canada.

Providing Inspiration

"Artists are the lifeblood of our business. We don't want to have any of our art look manufactured, so it's really important to find a nice medium between the artists creative flow and what the consumer wants," said Lisa.

The company watches trends to help artists, including top sellers Philip Craig, Linda Thompson and Will Rafuse, get a feel for the current decorating and collecting market. "We'll look through magazines and flyers and take imagery out that relates to other areas of home decor. We do this to help the creative process and inspire the artist, but we don't specifically direct their pieces," said Lisa.

When it comes to the future, said Lisa, "We want to be known for bringing high-quality and trend-sensitive images to the market and imagery that has a long lasting life."

FACTS & FIGURES

* Canadian Art Prints is family run by Hal Kreiger, c.e.o., and his two daughters, Lisa and Niki.

* The Canadian company does its patriotic part by publishing imagery native to Canada for retail at various tourist attractions throughout the country.

* For more information, visit www.canadianartprints.com.

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