UNSPSC 31211524: Gesso

A substance used to prime surface of canvas for acrylic paint. Used in sculpture or as a base for gilding or painting on wood.

UNSPSC 31211524 Gesso, a Commodity code, covers art supply procurement by state and local government—though recent opportunities show gesso appearing alongside broader art material categories rather than as a discrete line item. State and local buyers under this code purchase gesso as part of wider art supply contracts that also include paints, papers, brushes, markers, clay, and related classroom materials. School districts are the primary issuing bodies, with some activity from municipal parks and recreation departments and special state procurement vehicles. The work being solicited is districtwide or warehouse-supplied inventory replenishment on term contracts, typically one-year or multi-year arrangements with as-needed ordering and firm pricing. Vendors must often supply specific manufacturer brands (such as Crayola, Prang, or Fiskars), comply with Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act and Labeling of Hazardous Art Materials Act standards, and deliver to central warehouses or school sites on palletized, shrink-wrapped cartons.

Recent activity concentrates in Florida and Texas school districts, with secondary activity in Wisconsin and Georgia. The School Board of Marion County, Florida issued Bid #4150AM (due January 14, 2026) for approximately 215 line items of art supplies for its Central Warehouse, spanning March 1 through December 31, 2026. The School Board of Polk County, Florida issued an ITB for 157 line items of art materials (due April 21, 2026), with contract commencement June 1, 2026. Northside Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas posted IFB 2026096 for districtwide art supplies and equipment (due July 30, 2026), requiring vendors to maintain incumbent contract eligibility. Donna Independent School District in Cameron County, Texas issued RFP 011326-867 for art supplies catalog discounts (due April 8, 2026). The Columbus Consolidated Government in Georgia issued RFB No. 26-0014 for arts, craft, and recreational supplies to support parks and recreation programming, with estimated annual spending of $30,000 to $50,000. The Community Development Authority of the City of Madison, Wisconsin solicited painting and siding work under RFB #15051-0-2026-AH (due July 17, 2026), though that opportunity mixes gesso-adjacent materials with exterior surface preparation and does not center on art-supply procurement.