AW Spotlight
Picasso’s Paint-Your-Own Pottery
By Krista Martinelli
What is it about Picasso’s Pottery that makes people feel so happy? I’ve experienced that feeling of joy, relaxation and fun throughout the past year at Picasso’s. According to owner Brian Murray, it’s a “very creative, lively and interactive” place, just as he
had aimed for. Adults love it because it seems to relieve stress, and kids just love painting. “It’s different from going to the movies,” explains Murray. “It’s truly a place for people to sit together and enjoy each other, as well as what they’re doing.” At Picasso’s, they create the perfect atmosphere with fun colors in the store, fun music and, of course, very helpful staff members.
It’s a great experience – to select a pottery piece, paint it and then come back about a week later to find their beautiful finished piece that has been fired in the kiln. Their pottery pieces make wonderful gifts. And the kitchenware is dishwasher-safe and microwave-safe. See the “Introduction to Picasso’s” video, thanks to Nicole of Picasso’s.
At Picasso’s they do everything from walk-ins to birthday parties to summer camps. On scheduled days off from school (like teacher work days), Picasso’s offers a special “drop-off day camp,” a 4-hour creative camp. They offer ladies’ nights with wine, cheese and prizes. They have also put on a few terrific fundraisers (for breast cancer research, autism awareness and other good causes) and themed events (like “Twilight” and Justin Bieber parties).
There’s a great variety of pieces to paint, including lots of good choices for upcoming holidays. One of the most popular pieces to paint for adults is the handprint platter. For Father’s Day, for example, kids can make special keepsake handprint plates with their names and ages. Last Thanksgiving our kids made a “turkey handprint platter,” which was easy to make and is something that we will look forward to bringing out every Thanksgiving going forward. Among kids, the most popular piece to paint is a standing dog. Another favorite is the cupcake box. A couple of other great gift selections are coffee mugs and holiday ornaments.
Picasso’s celebrates its one-year anniversary on June 5th. Its
success is largely due to terrific employees, according to Murray. The young women who work at Picasso’s spend a lot of time with each table of painters. It’s more intensive than a waiter or waitress type of job, since many first-timers are in need of an individualized lesson. Murray raves about his manager Nicole and about the quality of the whole team. “When kids come in here for a birthday party, by the time it’s over they want to go home with Nicole instead of with their parents,” he jokes. Amazingly after one year, no one has ever quit or called in sick. Their enthusiasm for their work is contagious; another thing that gives Picasso’s such great ambiance. In short, it’s a fun place to be – for clients and for staff.
This is not the first time Murray has run a successful business. He and his partner previously owned “Key West Crossing,” the popular ice cream and gift shop in downtown Lake Worth. He sold the store and then found that he missed it, so he looked for a new business venture after moving a bit west. He noticed that there were more kids in this suburban, Western part of Lake Worth, along with a high-concentration of elementary schools. Since his sister owns two pottery studios in Connecticut, it was a natural progression to look into pottery as a next step. Indeed, the Paint-Your-Own Pottery studio was the only one of its kind in the area and seemed to fill a need. “It’s a great place to come inside to the A/C and be creative.” When he opened last summer, kids and parents were very eager to get inside and begin painting. They had a full house every day for more than three months, without even advertising (other than the storefront window).
At Picasso’s, they aim to give people a great experience, in addition to a beautiful painted piece that they will be proud of. At the birthday parties, school fundraisers and ladies’ nights, the staff adds activities and games to the experience, making it a lot of fun. If you are a slow painter, there’s no penalty. They do not charge a studio time fee – just a flat fee for the piece of pottery.
They also offer little “add-ons,” trinket-sized pieces that can be fired onto a larger piece in the kiln – peace signs, hearts, letters of the alphabet and other nice touches. For example, you could make a little jewelry box with a heart inside (or any of these add-ons), which melds together with the piece when the kiln is fired. The options are endless! The staff will help you if you’re having trouble coming up with ideas too.
For a full schedule of their eight weeks of camp this summer, check our Press Releases.
Whether you’re looking for a special, personalized gift or a relaxing experience with friends or a fun, indoor activity with the kids, check out Picasso’s Paint-Your-Own Pottery at the SW corner of Lantana and Jog Road in Lake Worth, next to “That’s Dancing.” Just watch out . . . because it can become addictive!
Picasso’s Paint-Your-Own Pottery
6169 S. Jog Road
Lake Worth, FL 33467
(561) 439-4000