Page 16 - The Decorative Painter Winter 2017

The Business of Decorative Painting
SDP Welcomes and Introduces Viking’s Curtis Smith
Vby Prudy Vannier cda
iking Woodcrafts has been part of the SDP business family for as long as any decorative artist can re- member. Viking is located in Waseca and Albert Lea,
Minnesota and specializes in painting supplies and surfaces for our industry. They service us through their extensive website (see vikingwoodcrafts.com) and at convention trade floors. A large part of Viking’s business is the publishing of books, bringing designs of our favorite artists/designers into our painting studios around the world.
Recently, Viking Woodcrafts was purchased by Curtis Smith, a seasoned business man who owns several other enterprises in and around Waseca and Albert Lea, Minnesota. His mission is to expand the decorative painting industry on all levels and mediums by seeking new artists and
publishing books in a variety of mediums and skill
levels. He currently has several well-known artists
including Maxine Thomas, Dorothy Dent, and
Linda Lover in his Viking decorative painting family.
The number will grow. Curtis knows that publishing
and distributing more books will generate a new au-
dience and a new passion for what we do, and that’s
his mission. He has already begun working with new
faces in the decorative painting industry. Day-to-day operation runs smoothly with his seasoned staff.
Viking’s biggest challenge is the cost of shipping, a challenge facing all current catalog stores.
Today, Viking is, as always, a great source of surfaces and supplies for decorative artists, and
that will never change. The most popular right
now are wood ornaments, the wrought iron tray with the paintable bottom, wood plates, and Bentwood boxes. You can see them on the Viking website.
A Viking presence will be at four shows per year. In fact, look for their booth in this year’s SDP Conference in Daytona. Plan time to browse through new books and surfaces, and say hello to a new business owner.
Curtis Smith
Email: viking@vikingwoodcrafts.com Website: www.vikingwoodcrafts.com 205 South State St.
Waseca, MN 56093
Customer Service Schedule: Monday - Thursday, 8:30am to 5:00pm CST Closed Fridays
ph: 800-328-0116 fax: 507-835-8043
Support your SDP Business members!
14 The Decorative Painter • WINTER 2017 DECORATIVEPAINTERS.ORG