MOUNTAIN TOP — It’s been a roller coaster ride for The Art Party Place, but after a name change, location changes and ultimately a closure, the business has triumphantly returned to 44 North Mountain Boulevard, and held a grand-reopening celebration all weekend.
Owner Lauren Smith explained that the store originally opened in 2014 as Mountain Top Gifts Gallery, then re-branded as The Art Party Place. From there, around 2018, the store moved to a larger location in Wilkes-Barre.
“And in 2019 we were getting so big, we decided to expand to the place next door to us,” Smith said. “So, we renovated next door, did that whole thing and had our grand-opening for our huge location in March of 2020.”
With the coming pandemic shutdowns, The Art Party Place started delivering painting kits and ceramics to customers. However, in December of that year, The Art Party Place closed its doors. Though, it wasn’t all bad news, as Smith found out that same month she was pregnant with her fourth child.
“I had originally thought about selling the business, but this was like my baby and I couldn’t let it go,” Smith said. As time progressed, Smith was looking for a new place to reestablish her business. “I said, ‘if we ever open up again. I want to be back on the mountain,’ and this place became available, and we were like, ‘Let’s do it.’”
And with her ‘silent partner’ on board, her mother, Emily Terrell, Smith has created a place that has a little something for everyone. There’s kids events and birthday parties, wood workshops and adult wine and paint parties, as well as fundraisers and there’s plans to start doing art lessons and family events.
“It means the world,” Smith said about being back open in the same place she and her husband Chris raise their family. “I spent so many days thinking about ‘Oh I want to take my kids somewhere … I want them to do art. I want them to be creative and stuff. And to be back and have the community have this response is just affirming. I can’t even put into words how excited we are to be back and to let the community have something they can cherish that I cherish as well.”
And, of course, that’s what it’s all about, bringing a community together to create.
To get involved, visit www.theartpartyplace.com to sign up for upcoming events and be sure to stay up to date on announcements on their Facebook page @ TheArtPartyPlace.
