Welcome to The Painted Pig. We have been providing the central Arkansas area with creative entertainment since January 2007.
What started as a dream has turned into a reality. Growing up, I was always the kid that got in trouble for drawing in math class. When I got to college, I studied painting, drawing, printmaking, art history, museum studies, and of course, ceramics. On the weekends I worked at a paint-your-own -pottery studio & children's boutique in the Heights called Young @ Art. I loved it. It simplified art into a fun, relaxing place in the neighborhood that families could come and be creative together.
As I approached my final semester at UCA, we found out that Young @ Art was closing. I will never forget approaching my family about the sad news from work. We were so sad that such an essential part of the neighborhood was about to disappear. That Thanksgiving weekend of 2006, my dad and I made the decision to buy some of the assets of Young @ Art to start our new studio, "The Painted Pig." We found a new location, painted the walls, bought a second kiln, and finally moved the tables and chairs over from the other store after New Year's . We opened January 15, 2007, as I was starting my final semester of college. We haven't slowed down since.
It has been an amazing experience. I love our customers. The smile on someone's face when they realize that they have created something amazing is priceless. They are always looking for new ideas and wanting to learn new techniques, which in turn inspires me. We have customers that drive in from Fayettville, Conway, Cabot, Searcy, Pine Bluff, Hot Springs, and even Oklahoma!
My staff is also amazing. We work harder than people realize. We come in to load kilns on the weekends, working late some nights for hours after the customers leave. So much of what we do is "behind the scenes" and we make it look easy! My staff loves "The Pig" so much that they even come in off the clock to paint for themselves!
In 2008 we started carrying art-related gifts and pre-painted ceramics for quick gifts. In 2009 we added Lilly Ollo™ Create Your Own Silver Jewelry to our line-up of creative entertainment, followed in 2011 by Mosaics. We also now offer Copy Cat Club Technique classes & Prints in Clay. We are so happy with our offerings of creative activities. There is always something new at The Painted Pig!
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Allie Nottingham
Co-Owner, Manager & Queen Artist
BFA with an Emphasis in Painting
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