March 14, 2017

Meet Chris Hauser of Carter Sexton Artist’s Materials in Valley Village

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Hauser.

The store was opened by Carter Sexton in 1944. He began his business base selling to the local studios as the Movie industry expanded. Carter sold the thriving business in 1975 to his daughter and her husband, Neil and Diane Green. When they retired in 2009, Neil and Diane sold the business to longtime employee and manager, Chris Hauser and his wife Jenia.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As most people are aware, internet purchasing with deep discount such as Amazon has made owning and running a brick and mortar store tricky to say the least, coupled with the economic downturn of the last decade.

However, the very nature of art supplies often demands viewing the actual product, such as picking the exact color of paint or paper needed, which brings customers in the store, as well as a groundswell of people who go out of their way to support local small businesses. In addition to that, 73 years later, the local studio business is still going strong and the support we receive from them helps keep us afloat as it did in Carter’s day.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Carter Sexton Artist’s Materials – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are a Fine Art store, known for our depth of supplies both beginner and professional, and our knowledgeable staff.
We emphasize specialty services not available at big box chain stores, such as custom canvas stretching, airbrush cleaning and repair, high resolution photography of fine art, our in-house gallery shows spotlighting local artists and customers, art classes for all ages, manufacturer demos and workshops, and low cost local delivery.
We take pride in our customer service, striving for excellence on a daily basis.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We are in the process of modernizing the shopping aspect of our store, rearranging and streamlining the layout for more visual appeal and ease of access for the customer.

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