Steve Miller has done almost every job you can imagine since he first started helping his father, George Miller, run Miller Supply as a teenager—including ordering supplies, helping customers, taking inventory, restocking the shelves, and fixing the leaks in the roof. And, at 72 years young with six decades of experience, he is still going strong, riding his bike to work and playing on a softball team (in season). His mind is as sharp as the pushpins he sells, and his stories are as captivating as his colorful acrylic paint collections.
Reliable selection and service through the years
Miller Supply is widely known for its 70-year history—and even more for the 50 years the store was housed in the old Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield (more on that later). But it’s also known for its sheer volume. “We are the largest art supply around. There’s nothing like it anywhere else in the Berkshires,” Miller states with pride, noting they carry over 25,000 art supply items while still retaining their reputation as a true specialty store. “We can afford to keep things that don’t turn over often, where other stores can’t,” he stresses.

Although being able to order supplies on the internet has changed the industry, Miller Supply is still the preferred choice of the Clock Tower Artists next door (a growing artist community in the landmark Clock Tower Business Center), as well as countless other Berkshire artists who know they can find everything they need with one brushstroke. “It’s important to us to help the customers we know and have a relationship with and the new ones who come through our door. One of the aspects of customer service that people appreciate most now is being able to touch and feel everything in the store,” Miller says.
The store’s picture-framing services draw customers from Williamstown to Connecticut. “We have a very good reputation as a frame shop—the most choices by far when it comes to picture frames,” he attests. Most people want custom frames (Miller Supply’s specialty), and here, they can choose from 3,500 to 4,000 samples. “We can put out several different choices, depending on the cost, size, and look the customer wants. It’s our job to guide customers through the matting and framing choices,” he explains. “Most of the time the customer has nothing specific in mind, so we use our experience and expertise to show them choices, which makes all the difference.”
One of the most famous customers over the years was Norman Rockwell, who stopped by the store in the 1950s after viewing a show of his artwork at the Berkshire Museum next door. “When Mr. Rockwell asked my dad what he thought of the show, he said, ‘The paintings are fantastic, but the frames are terrible,’” Miller smiles, adding, “The narrow black frames that Mr. Rockwell used for perspective did nothing to enhance the artwork in my dad’s opinion. When the artist asked what he should be using, my dad replied, ‘A three-inch wide gold frame.’”

“My dad made up the frame and drove it down to Stockbridge,” Miller continues. This became the routine with many of Norman Rockwell’s paintings. The iconic Christmas at Stockbridge painting is the last one to still be framed in its original gold Miller Supply frame. “Proper framing makes the painting nicer, so it pays to invest,” he advises.
Adapting and evolving with the times
Other areas of the business have changed dramatically with time. For example, the paint and wallpaper sections have shrunk to a much smaller proportion of the overall inventory. “We had around 700 [wallpaper] books and they filled all of the wooden cabinets we built in the 80s,” Miller notes, “and now, with everything viewable online, we have a total of 20 books.”
The introduction of personal credit cards ushered in another change. “My father used to sell to a lot of contractors, who would open accounts and tell him, ‘I’ll pay you after the next job,’” Miller recounts. This courtesy was risky, given who knew when (or if!) that next job was happening. So credit cards eliminated the need for a store charge account, making things easier for business owners.

A bit of family history…
One of Steve Miller’s most remarkable traits as a business owner/shopkeeper is that he’s a great storyteller with many stories (apparently, the apple doesn’t fall far from the ancestral tree). His ties to the store are also ties to his father and his legacy, as well as to the Pittsfield community. Every detail is filled with significance and layered with deep connections. “My dad grew up in South Dakota, and my mom grew up in the Bronx,” he shares. “When Dad went into the service, he was sent to Fort Dix (New Jersey), where he met my mom’s brother—and through him, my mom. Dad was shipped to Odessa (Texas) for more training shortly after and continued during the war with the Army Air Corps in London, working with the Bombsight Repair Program.”
Miller had little idea of the extent of his father’s service until much later, when, on a free day during an art supply trade show in Kentucky, he ventured to the outskirts of Lexington to visit the Aviation Museum. There, he learned about the history of the top secret Norden bombsight, an early device that allowed bombs to be dropped with pinpoint precision and is credited with turning the course of the war in 1944. His dad eventually bought one at an army surplus store for $25, and it has always piqued Miller’s curiosity. (It is still displayed in the store today for equally curious readers.)
“When my father came out of the service, he returned to Stevens, South Dakota, and worked in the family oil and gas business. When that dissolved, my parents took a trip to Mexico and decided they wanted to live closer to my mom’s roots,” Miller says. “They eventually moved to Pittsfield in 1948, where my dad got a job working in the paint department for Carr Hardware.”
As the story goes, Carr’s carried only one Ox-Line paint item, and Dave Leven, a sales rep of that company (who also happened to be a friend), rented a spare room in the Miller’s home. Leven shared that they were looking to find someone who would take over the entire line. “We’ll set you up,” they promised, and that’s how George Miller got his start in the early 1950s operating a paint and wallpaper store in a little building at 23 First Street.

Miller (the son) started working in the store when he was 13 and a South Junior High School student. “I had signed up for a shop class at Pittsfield High School that summer and had three classes to choose from. I chose woodworking but got sheet metal and left after one day,” he recalls. That’s when he decided to work in the family business. In 1969, after his mom died, his dad promoted him to vice president, relying on him for most of the day-to-day operations.
After graduating from the University of Massachusetts in 1974 (with a degree in business administration), he knew he’d remain at the store. He married his wife Amy in 1975 and moved back to Pittsfield in 1976. “It was wonderful working side by side with my dad. I worked the floor, interacting with customers, doing marketing training, and taking care of the business while my dad took a step back,” he reminisces. When his dad died in 1992, Miller became the owner and operator of the business.
A historic place…
The Colonial Theatre, designed by famed theater architect J.B. McElfatrick along with Pittsfield native Joseph McArthur Vance, opened in 1903 and was considered by many “the most splendid gathering place from Worcester to Albany.” During its prime, it hosted countless stars of the American and European stage, including George M. Cohan, Sara Bernhardt, John Philip Sousa, and the Ziegfeld Follies. When the Colonial closed in 1934 (due to economic strain and the need for renovations), two new theaters—the Palace Theatre and Capitol Theatre—opened and got priority for first-run movies. When the Colonial reopened in 1937, with a new marquee and projection room, it could only get second-run movies, one of several factors that led to its closing in 1951. The building went up for auction in 1952.

“My father was the lowest of four bidders at the auction, but he was the only one who promised he wouldn’t tear it down,” Miller explains. His dad purchased the building and established his paint and wallpaper business within the theater’s architectural framework, relocating from the little building on First Street in 1952. When people started asking for sign painter’s paint, he added that, and later added art supplies and picture framing in the space that previously housed dressing rooms behind the stage.

“My dad only had a high school education, but he could really think on his feet,” his son confides. To illustrate, Miller shares this story: “When the contractors told him how much it would cost to raise the floor (a typical theater floor, with a curved slope for seating), he asked his stock employee, ‘Can you get some of your friends to help out?’ Instead of an expensive overhaul, he sawed the floor loose and used hydraulic jacks and 12-by-12 supports to make it level.” That ‘Henny Penny’ ingenuity and determination came in handy over the years. “He even built a heliport for civil defense, at one point, where a total of six helicopters landed over the years,” he adds.
And a historic moment…
The late 1990s brought a positive turn of fate for Pittsfield—and an unforeseen change of location for Miller Supply. “A remarkable grass-roots effort to restore The Colonial Theatre to its original glory eventually attracted the attention of the Save America’s Treasures initiative led by then First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton,” the website states.
Hillary Clinton visited the theater in July 1998—July 12, to be exact, the night of the Boston Pops Concert at Tanglewood—after her advance team picked 13 historic sites from a total of 400. “They hoped to put her up at Canyon Ranch but needed seven connected hotel rooms, one in the middle for Mrs. Clinton with three on each side for her security detail,” Miller describes. They ended up staying at the Desmond in Colonie, northwest of Albany instead—the closest hotel they could find.
Miller also recalls the great effort he put into repainting the old theater marquee and sign to say “Welcome Hillary Clinton.” As fate would have it, the sign was completely blocked by the back of the platform they brought in for her to speak from at the event.

“Her presence got the city moving again, excited to do something,” Miller acknowledges, adding, “TD Bank committed to funding the theater’s rebirth (which took until 2002), and more businesses reinvested in Pittsfield after that.” They looked at different possible sites for their store, including the former Frosty Refrigeration on the corner of West Housatonic and Route 20, and the Masonic Temple (which had the exact footprint as the Colonial Theatre). Neither ended up being the right fit.
“In the end, we came here (the old Adams Supermarket location on West Street) with 10,000 square feet of retail space,” Miller states. He looked at the property in the spring of 2002 and closed the deal that April. On July 5th they received a notice from the new owners saying, “We would be pleased to have you vacate on September 21.” After nearly 50 years, that was very little notice, Miller points out, noting that in addition to moving all the inventory, they were dealing with Amy’s health issues.

In September 2002, they moved into the new building. “My wife had had a kidney transplant three months before [with a kidney from Miller] and went to the hospital with a blood infection that day, which left her in a coma for weeks. Getting the store set up was a challenge for the staff—Marylou, Scott, Donna, and several other people helped.” The building inspector wouldn’t issue the Certificate of Occupancy without knowing where all the aisles would be placed. The previous supermarket had all the aisles on a diagonal. Miller decided to locate the cash register in the center with the aisles coming out like spokes of a wheel so he could see everything.
Carrying on
Miller is acutely aware of the responsibility to carry on his father’s legacy. His team at one point numbered 13 full- and part-time staff. These days, he gets by with Scott, his full-time picture framer of 38 years, a part-time framer, and a general clean-up person. He’s been looking for someone to work on the floor for several months, but like so many other Berkshire business owners, he’s having a hard time.

During COVID, many experienced people nearing retirement age decided to get out of the job market. Someone lower down filled those positions, but what we’re missing now are entry-level workers, Miller maintains. “This is a retail business. I take work home many nights and work a few hours on Sundays to catch up on the week,” he says. “My father bought the building in 1952, two months after I was born. I like doing the things I do, but not for the number of hours I need to do them.” This sentiment is echoed by countless business owners. These days, it’s not about success so much as sustainability.
“We believe in doing things well and being well stocked. We do things the old-fashioned way, with patience and courtesy,” he sums up. “We take the time to help you find the right brush, paper, or easel—and we still count the change from the cash register back to the customer (the only way you’ll catch your mistake).”
Miller Supply—good old-fashioned priorities that never go out of style.