What could be a better way to brighten up the dark depths of winter than a colorful, resilient plant? That’s what Joan Hofmann and Donald Stanziano, owners and operators of Wild at Art, thought when they decided to create Paint and Plant.
The event, taking place at the Wild at Art studio in downtown Moscow, will start at 10 a.m. and run until noon Saturday.
Participants will be provided with two small planters to paint, in addition to potting soil and a selection of succulents.
“The Plant and Soil Science club at UI reached out to us about the plants,” said Stanziano. “They didn’t have enough, so we had to get some elsewhere, but we would have gotten all of the succulents from them if they’d had enough.”
Wild at Art hosts a variety of popular seasonal events throughout the year, such as painting mugs and margarita glasses.
“My favorite part of these events is that almost everyone comes with a friend or two,” said Stanziano. “There’s an easy, friendly camaraderie here. It’s a supportive and beautiful environment.”
According to Stanziano, the events usually draw a diverse age demographic. Children, teenagers, UI students and older adults regularly attend Wild at Art’s events.
They usually expect about 50 people. Tickets are sold at the door, but Stanziano recommends pre-purchasing tickets, which are available online and in-store.
“One time during UI Mom’s weekend, we accidentally overbooked,” said Stanziano. “We ended up with 62 people.”
Tickets are $25 for one person, $45 for two people and $15 more for each additional painter, according to the shop’s website.
Participants are welcome to use this time to start a new project, but they are not under pressure to finish it within the two-hour long event.
“This is a ticketed event, but this is a drop-in studio. We have no separate studio fee,” said Stanziano. “It’s a hands on paint-your-own studio. When we are open, anyone can walk in and create something with pottery, glass, or canvas.”
This means if a participant is able to come for only part of the event, they are still welcome to come. They are also welcome to come back to the studio at a later time to finish their piece at no extra charge.
Wild at Art plans to continue hosting seasonal events, such as a Cocoa and Canvas night Oct. 27.
Hofmann and Stanziano have ideas in the works for Thanksgiving and Christmas project events, which will be announced on the website at a later date.