Published: November 08, 2008 09:08 pm         

Just plain fun!

New studio opens doors for creativity, fun for individuals, families, community groups

Diana McGraw opened a new business because she wanted to have some fun — and she wants other people to do the same.

Artrageous Studio opened this week in the Robert C. Byrd site formerly occupied by Pandora’s in Beckley. At first glance, a visitor might think it’s a ceramic shop. A closer scan reveals it is much more.

“I visited a place like this in Raleigh, N.C., and just fell in love with it,” McGraw said. “It’s a place where anyone can come and be creative or families or friends or groups can come and share in an activity that’s just a lot of fun.”

Shelves on one side of the studio are filled to the brim with all shapes and sizes of pottery waiting to be decorated, fired and glazed.

Another section of the store is stocked with wooden shapes and tessarae tiles for making mosaics. Another section features glass that can be cut and shaped into jewelry, decorative dishes and just about anything else someone’s imagination can create.

There are clay molds and raw clay and all the tools needed to finish any of the items in the store.

But if the supplies were the only thing McGraw sells, Artrageous would be only a store.

The studio is filled with tables and chairs where creative minds and hands can work on their projects. A room in the back is decorated for parties. The kiln room provides the space to fire finished pieces.

“I wanted to provide something that could bring families together where people could work on different kinds of creative things, but still be together. It’s also a place where we can have birthday parties and use the projects as part of the activities. We can have wedding showers, where the bride-to-be picks out things she likes, and her friends can decorate those things according to her color scheme and give her a very personalized gift. This is a place where there are all kinds of possibilities for how to use it,” McGraw said.

McGraw, her two daughters, 8 and 10, and her sales associate Carly Smith have been working for a couple of weeks getting some finished pieces ready so visitors can get ideas about projects they can make.

“This is just plain fun,” Smith said. “I really enjoy working here. It’s fun to do projects myself, and it will be fun helping other people see what they can do.”

When people choose a project, they know the price upfront, including materials and tools.

“There are no hidden costs, and people can sit down here and have everything they need. I believe everybody has a creative side, and I want this to be a place where they can come and discover that side of themselves,” McGraw said.

Believe it or not, even men find this a place to hang out.

“My dad was my first customer,” McGraw said. “He painted a vegetable tray for my mom’s birthday, and it’s something that’s now very special to her. It turned out really nice.”

There are books offering plenty of ideas, and hundreds of pieces of materials with which to work.

“I’ve tried to make sure we have everything anyone needs in order to come in and enjoy making some kind of artistic creation that is uniquely theirs,” McGraw said.