This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
Board & Brush Creative Studio opens its doors this weekend in Longmont taking the place of the former Boulder location and adding another notch in a growing arts and crafts community.
Belinda Pelletier is the franchise owner and is hosting a grand opening on Saturday, July 13 from noon to 2 p.m., with gift bags for the first 50 people. Plus, free snacks and drinks at an event that is free and open to the public.
Before venturing into the DIY art world, Pelletier was a stay-at-home mom. Prior to that she worked as an office manager for her husband’s family’s construction company and held several corporate sales positions.
Pelletier is no stranger to the Board & Brush concept, having also worked as an instructor at the Denver and Boulder studios for two years, helping to lay the foundation to open her own studio in her hometown of Longmont.
“I think the demographic is more suitable here. A lot of our customers in Boulder came from Longmont or Westminster or Fort Collins. We didn't have a lot of people from Boulder except for companies that did team building,” said Pelletier. “Longmont has so many new restaurants and craft breweries and an up-and-coming creative arts district that it seemed the perfect location.”
The workshop experience is novice friendly with all materials supplied by the studio in an instructor-led format during which attendees are guided through the ins and outs of power tools, paint, art, and assembly. Each workshop lasts about three hours and attendees can select from hundreds of design templates for each project. The studio can seat upwards of thirty people for a workshop with enough space for group gatherings.
“My favorite part of the workshops is when people look at their finished product and say, ‘I can’t believe I made that,’” said Pelletier. “It really empowers people and I love that.”
Located at 611 Ken Pratt Blvd, Google Maps might send you off on an adventure in another direction, so just know ahead of time that Board & Brush is next to La Panda Mexican Restaurant and behind Goodfella’s Diner in Southmoor Plaza at the corner of South Main St and Ken Pratt Blvd.
