About Us
We have been providing central Arkansas with creative entertainment since January 2007!
What started as a dream for me has turned into a reality in The Painted Pig. Growing up, I was always the kid who 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 and 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 upset 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 Jan. 15, 2007, as I was starting my final semester of college, and 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 all their own is priceless. People are always looking for new ideas and wanting to learn new techniques, which in turn inspires me. We have customers who drive in from Fayetteville, 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! Most of my girls love 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, followed in 2011 by mosaics and clayprints. In 2012 we added glass fusing, and in 2015 we added door hangers for a great make and take. We also now offer technique classes for pottery (Copy Cat Club), glass and door hangers. We are so happy with our offerings of creative activities, and especially that we have been able to share them with you. There is always something new at The Painted Pig!
In 2019, we moved into our current home on Kavanaugh, where we now have a party room and more seating. We love our new location, its so bright and airy, perfect for a “crafternoon” with a friend. In March 2020, we quickly set up an online store with Pottery to Go options so we could help our customers bust the boredom at home, with curbside pick-up and we even made a few deliveries!
Make sure you are following us on social media and getting our emails so that you can always stay in the know for the next cool thing!
— Allie Nottingham
Co-Owner, Manager and Queen Artist
BFA with an Emphasis in Painting