Flax is the surname behind a group of art supply stores spread across the United States. As of October 2016, Flax family owned and operated specialty retail stores are located in San Francisco, Oakland, Atlanta, Orlando, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The Flax businesses were founded between 1919 and 1946 by four Flax brothers, with locations in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. The business entities have always been independent of each other, yet through common branding they have represented a coast-to-coast Flax Art Supply presence.