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111-Year-Old East Village Art Supply Shop To Shutter Sept. 2

By Allegra Hobbs | August 26, 2016 1:37pm | Updated on August 28, 2016 6:24pm
 New York Central Art Supply, which has sold art supplies at 62 Third Ave. since 1905, is closing its doors on Sept. 2.
New York Central Art Supply, which has sold art supplies at 62 Third Ave. since 1905, is closing its doors on Sept. 2.
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New York Central Art Supply

EAST VILLAGE — New York Central Art Supply, a beloved 111-year-old shop that counted artists Andy Warhol and Willem de Kooning among its customers, will officially close in the beginning of September.

The art supply store at 62 Third Ave. first announced the closure in July, stating it would vacate by the end of September but had yet to peg an official last day.

Owner Doug Steinberg, whose family has owned the shop since its launch in 1905, now says he will sell his last paintbrush on Sept. 2 — until then, customers can continue to grab supplies at steep discounts.

“Inventory has definitely dwindled,” said Steinberg, who kicked off the closing sale after the July announcement. “We’re hoping to get people in here to buy what’s left.”

The shop is now offering up remaining paints, brushes, pens, and pencils at discounts of at least 50 percent — after Sept. 2, Steinberg and his colleagues will pack up whatever remains and clear out of the storefront for good.

But Steinberg says he is clinging to the hope that his family’s brand will live on elsewhere — several other businesses have expressed interest in buying up the shop’s remaining inventory, and even in launching a new enterprise under the same name.

“There’s nothing set in stone yet, but that’s something we’ve been trying to do,” said Steinberg, adding that he might keep the leftover inventory in storage after the closure in hopes of eventually hammering out a deal. 

“We’ve got a couple of things brewing, but nothing as far along as we’d like…hopefully there is somebody out there interested in continuing the flame, so to speak.”

A notice of the last day was posted in the shop window, as first reported by EV Grieve.