Drop & Dine in Westhampton Beach - Welcome to STUDIO ART!

STUDIO ART - WESTHAMPTON BEACH

Westhampton Beach is pleased to welcome Studio Art to the Westhampton Beach Village business district. This ingenious creation of local entrepenuer Karen Hogan offers a walk-in creative arts center for artists of all ages located just off Main Street at 22 Sunset Avenue along side the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center. Karen is a certified art teacher who has spent the last decade and a half raising her five children. Karen and her husband Jamie invested in our community a few years ago as second-home buyers and loved it so much that the relocated their family here on a full time basis. Now that their youngest have gotten a old enough, Karen's creative streak has erupted once again... and the juices are flowing.

Studio Art offers an endless selection of art projects for children and young adults on a walk-in basis in her creative design studio. At any given moment you can fine several kids in her 2-story drop in art center working on a variety of projects - traditional canvas painting, clay creations, sneaker painting, UGG-style boot bedazzling. On one of my last visits on a hot day this past summer there were five new artists out back behind the studio splatter painting some very cool things... even though the cranky neighbor next door didn't find it amusing. Freedom of expression seems to flow freely at all times. The overall sense here is "let the inner artist emerge, flourish and most importantly CREATE!"

Taking things a step farther, Studio Art has become one of the premiere Birthday Entertainment venues in the area offering group parties to community children. It has just turned into a very positive location for local kids giving them a venue to express their feelings through the magic of art! Group parties have been hosted in house at the drop-in creative art center as well as off-site in private residences and other locals.

Kids just can't seem to get enough. A group of third graders vactioning here in this Hamptons village this past August spent the whole morning at Studio Art working a variety of projects while the Moms shopped the nearby boutiques. After two hours, they stopped back at the studio to find their kids having an absolute ball that the ladies decided to just continue on their way over to the Patio at 54 Main for a great midday lunch while the kids finished up their projects. When it was time to venture out to dinner later on that evening with friends, the kids were begging to be droped back off at Studio Art for a couple evening hours of creation.

"This Mom and Dad called right before I was closing one day and asked if I had evening hours. Their kids spent a few hours in my studio the day before and had an absolute ball. When it came time for the adults to head out to dinner, the kids were asking if they could come back here for a couple of hours of project time.", Karen explained. And a great idea was born! Karen went and networked at several nearby restaurants and developed a cooperative "Drop 'n' Dine Art Program" with these establishments. The program has just flourished into a great success. Parents are making reservations with local restaurants and asking if they are working with Studio Arts's "Drop 'n' Dine Art Program"... the kids go create while parents enjoy a pleasant evening in the local eateries. What a great concept!

Karen Hogan's Studio Art Drop-In Creative Art Center has been so successful in Westhampton Beach since her March 2009 opening that she opened an identical studio on Main Street in Huntington Village on November 1st. This local artist / entreprenuer has found an ideal niche and is scouting out other locations throughout the Hamptons and Montauk for Summer of 2010 opening. Go Karen!

I had an appointment scheduled last Saturday to show some 2010 Summer rentals to this couple and their two kids 9 and 11. After showing them the first home for consideration, the kids were getting a little anxious and bored. So before we headed off to see any more properties, I swung by Studio Art and introduced them to Karen at Studio Art. Three hours later we were back and the kids had finished two great arts and craft projects each while Mom and Dad found the perfect waterfront rental for next season's Summer vacation in the Hamptons.

Welcome to Westhampton Beach and thank you STUDIO ART ! If you are in Westhampton Beach, drop by and visit Studio Art or visit them on the web at www.yourstudioart.com