MOMpreneur
It takes a VILLAGE....
Friday, March 05, 2010
In a restored building, located in the heart of West Acton Village lies an art studio fit for a king! Village Art Workshop is filled with thousands of items just waiting to be turned into a masterpiece. You can take these items home to work on OR if you plan to stay at the workshop, there is a team of experts to help!
How It Began...
Suzy's newest MOMpreneur, Amanda Sullivan, who is an Acton resident, was recently asked by her husband, "what job makes you most happy". She knew the job in children's book publishing which required commuting to Boston each day just wasn't the answer! In her spare time (while raising three kids) she reminisced about what she was passionate about and realized that teaching art at summer camps was very high up in the ranks.
Maybe we should thank Amanda's husband for asking her that question, because in July 2009 Amanda opened Village Art Workshop in Acton. Village Art offers artists (and wanna-be artists like Suzy) shelves of unique arts & craft supplies, classes for all ages (adults too!) affordable walk-in projects, vacation camps and Birthday Parties.
Why It Works…
As someone who enjoys arts and crafts, Amanda realized how far it was to drive to the arts and crafts chain stores and wanted to be able to provide quality and a variety of items. Her retail section of the store includes items such as construction paper to crayons, molding clay to yarn, foam to felt….you get the idea, there is something for everyone. And it's obvious that both sides of her business compliment each other. Even in the midst of remodeling, the studio clearly demonstrates that Amanda has thought of it all! Village Art also sells a number of clever items to purchase as gifts (and they can be wrapped too, for FREE)!
How She Does It…
Celebrating 7 months of being open, when asked how she manages it all, Amanda attributes her success to her "wonderful, creative, and flexible employees". She also says that it is her staff that sets the tone of the workshop. Everyone who works at Village Art wants it to be a fun, accessible place for everyone to experience art. Don't think of this as a Fine-Arts school (although they will be adding some painting technique classes soon!) but as a truly affordable hot spot with plenty of walk-in projects (such as a variety of wood boxes to paint, ranging in price between $3-10). Amanda knows this helps to keep the customers happy AND coming back!
Suzy Tip: If you sign your kids up for an art class, they won't make the same item twice!
A Little Shared Advice…
To MOMpreneurs just starting the process or in their tenth year of success, Amanda wants to share the advice she received when opening the shop…"don't bring the store home with you". And although it is easier said than done, it may be the key to a successful business and a happy family. (What more can you ask for!)
What To Know…
For those of us that are young at heart and love creating pieces to treasure as much as our kids, Village Art offers an Adult program too. This new program is so personalized that you get to choose the day, the time and the craft that fits into your busy schedule. Talk about personalizing the experience! All of the instructors offer private, semi-private (2 attendees) or group (3 or more attendees) rates. Choose from Needle Felting, Beginner Knitting, Knitting a Hat, Purse or a Stuffed Animal…or create Handmade cards, get knew ideas to finish that Scrap-booking project, dabble in some Pottery or create beaded Jewelry(with Lily Chen former owner of Lily's beads). The options really are endless.
Suzy is thinking…what a perfect place for a Girls Night Out…adult girls that is!
The Sullivan Family:
Amanda, Jeff, Calvin (10), Nathan (7) & Gabriela (9)
Getting to know Amanda…
Suzy's 5 Fav Questions!
1. Favorite Local Shop- Savoury Lane
2. Last Book Read- Into the Wild, John Krakauer
3. Favorite Reality TV Show- Project Runway
4. Favorite Ice Cream flavor- Peppermint Stick (yum!)
5. Most Embarrassing song on your IPOD- Anything by Air Supply
Exciting news for MARCH!
Walk-in item: Paint & Decorate Wooden Bug Box (perfect for Spring)
New for Birthday Parties: Pewter Name Necklace & Matching Bracelet
Visit Amanda and her creative team at Village Art Workshop
541 Massachusetts Avenue in Acton
978-635-9944
Village Art Workshop Hours:
Monday- Friday: 9-5
Saturday: 10-5
Sunday: Open for birthday parties only
How It Began...
Suzy's newest MOMpreneur, Amanda Sullivan, who is an Acton resident, was recently asked by her husband, "what job makes you most happy". She knew the job in children's book publishing which required commuting to Boston each day just wasn't the answer! In her spare time (while raising three kids) she reminisced about what she was passionate about and realized that teaching art at summer camps was very high up in the ranks.
Maybe we should thank Amanda's husband for asking her that question, because in July 2009 Amanda opened Village Art Workshop in Acton. Village Art offers artists (and wanna-be artists like Suzy) shelves of unique arts & craft supplies, classes for all ages (adults too!) affordable walk-in projects, vacation camps and Birthday Parties.
Why It Works…
As someone who enjoys arts and crafts, Amanda realized how far it was to drive to the arts and crafts chain stores and wanted to be able to provide quality and a variety of items. Her retail section of the store includes items such as construction paper to crayons, molding clay to yarn, foam to felt….you get the idea, there is something for everyone. And it's obvious that both sides of her business compliment each other. Even in the midst of remodeling, the studio clearly demonstrates that Amanda has thought of it all! Village Art also sells a number of clever items to purchase as gifts (and they can be wrapped too, for FREE)!
How She Does It…
Celebrating 7 months of being open, when asked how she manages it all, Amanda attributes her success to her "wonderful, creative, and flexible employees". She also says that it is her staff that sets the tone of the workshop. Everyone who works at Village Art wants it to be a fun, accessible place for everyone to experience art. Don't think of this as a Fine-Arts school (although they will be adding some painting technique classes soon!) but as a truly affordable hot spot with plenty of walk-in projects (such as a variety of wood boxes to paint, ranging in price between $3-10). Amanda knows this helps to keep the customers happy AND coming back!
Suzy Tip: If you sign your kids up for an art class, they won't make the same item twice!
A Little Shared Advice…
To MOMpreneurs just starting the process or in their tenth year of success, Amanda wants to share the advice she received when opening the shop…"don't bring the store home with you". And although it is easier said than done, it may be the key to a successful business and a happy family. (What more can you ask for!)
What To Know…
For those of us that are young at heart and love creating pieces to treasure as much as our kids, Village Art offers an Adult program too. This new program is so personalized that you get to choose the day, the time and the craft that fits into your busy schedule. Talk about personalizing the experience! All of the instructors offer private, semi-private (2 attendees) or group (3 or more attendees) rates. Choose from Needle Felting, Beginner Knitting, Knitting a Hat, Purse or a Stuffed Animal…or create Handmade cards, get knew ideas to finish that Scrap-booking project, dabble in some Pottery or create beaded Jewelry(with Lily Chen former owner of Lily's beads). The options really are endless.
Suzy is thinking…what a perfect place for a Girls Night Out…adult girls that is!
The Sullivan Family:
Amanda, Jeff, Calvin (10), Nathan (7) & Gabriela (9)
Getting to know Amanda…
Suzy's 5 Fav Questions!
1. Favorite Local Shop- Savoury Lane
2. Last Book Read- Into the Wild, John Krakauer
3. Favorite Reality TV Show- Project Runway
4. Favorite Ice Cream flavor- Peppermint Stick (yum!)
5. Most Embarrassing song on your IPOD- Anything by Air Supply
Exciting news for MARCH!
Walk-in item: Paint & Decorate Wooden Bug Box (perfect for Spring)
New for Birthday Parties: Pewter Name Necklace & Matching Bracelet
Visit Amanda and her creative team at Village Art Workshop
541 Massachusetts Avenue in Acton
978-635-9944
Village Art Workshop Hours:
Monday- Friday: 9-5
Saturday: 10-5
Sunday: Open for birthday parties only
