The story behind "US"

When I was a child, it felt like everyone had a team. There were the dancers, the sports kids and even the farmers. But where were the artists? We didn't have a group. Everyone, child and adult alike, deserve to have a team. We deserve to have a safe space to create and a wonderful community to create with! That's why I started US and Art!

1. My why

I started this business several years ago out of my home. I cleared off my kitchen counter and invited neighborhood children to come paint with me. It started out small and quickly grew. Children from miles away were joining my waitlist. I could tell that people were searching for something that didn't exist

2. TROUBLE

That is when I turned my basement apartment into an art studio and hired extra teachers, but it didn't stop there. We quickly outgrew the basement and found an amazing location on Main Street in Pleasant Grove. BUT that's when trouble began.

3. I'm the problem... it's me

As amazing as it was to be in a physical location it came with a lot of challenges. For one, people expected A LOT more out of me. People assumed that because we were in a brick and mortar that we were a full fledged business and expected a full staff at all times. However the reality was, I still ran everything from the website design to classes/curriculum and more. The only thing I didn't get to do anymore was teach.​

4. Time for a change

It was okay at first, but after the second year the landlord raised the rent by 40% and it knocked our socks off. I had yet to take a paycheck from the business and continued to put everything I had into it, but it was a lot and I knew I couldn't keep it up. We found buyers and things were looking up. We even discovered we were expecting a miracle baby at this time, nearly a decade after being told we couldn't have more kids. And then, the buyers unfortunately didn't qualify and we had to make the sad decision to close our Brick and mortar location.

5. Finding Hope on the other side!

BUT not all is lost. Though times were looking rather grimm and the pregnancy was keeping me out of functioning order, there continue to be silver linings. For starters, what a ride! It was an amazing journey to explore art and do so much with all of you. And we made online courses so we can share those together and we even still have a few options for locals with Summer camps and if you're willing to travel you can join us on an Art retreat!

We have amazing things still happening and I'm so glad to still be here and a part of your art journey!    -Miss Emily

See what we are still up to... classes and more!