The Sterling Art Story

In 1960 Larry decided to open an art and framing store in Santa Ana, CA to relieve the tedium of retirement. Sterling Art (named for Sterling Pharmaceuticals where he had worked) opened its doors in the heart of the downtown business district offering pictures, framing, classes and a few art supplies.

Larry and his wife, Ruth, ran the store together. One day, during a rush of customers, Ruth spotted a long-haired college art student helping customers. She offered him a job and he, having never had a real job before, accepted. However, Larry immediately fired that “hippie.” No one knows what pressure Ruth brought to bear on her husband, but Steve came to work and Larry taught him the Sterling Art Customer Service Mantra: “Just order one eraser and let me show you our service!” Steve was an apt student and took the Sterling Art concept of Customer Service to heart.

A few years and a few moves later and Steve was managing the store. Every time Larry and Ruth went on vacation they came back to find it completely rearranged, with more and more product stuffed in. After one vacation Larry came back to find his desk in the basement, parked next to the men’s room! A bit of ill health persuaded Larry it was time to really retire. Steve bought him out and became the owner of Sterling Art in 1975. Larry and Ruth left town to enjoy their retirement in the Florida sunshine. 

Today Sterling Art is a 24,000 square foot artist’s materials and gift-shopper's paradise located near the airport in Irvine, California. Exquisite pens, extraordinary papers, thousands of brushes, dozens of brands of paint, every possible type of easel and canvas, paper pads in every size, every weight, every texture, frames and framing, hundreds upon hundreds of markers and pencils and crayons (oh my!), toys, tools, objects d’art: literally anything and everything to delight the hearts of children, artists, and friends…and of those who love them.

Still, 47 years later, one thing remains the same: “Just order one eraser from us and let us show you our service!” Just the way Larry would have wanted it.