Griffin's Studio
100 East 6th Street
Hopkinsville, KY 42240
270.874.2028
**We will be closed December 31st-January 6th**
HOURS
Wednesday, Friday & Saturday
11:00am-2:00pm
***If you have a few minutes, we have a long post to share in regard to the future of Griffin's Studio.
From the time I was a teenager, I dreamed of owning my own business in a historic downtown building. For many years I wasn’t sure I would ever get an opportunity at pursuing this dream of mine, but in 2013 when I was twenty-five, I got my chance. As I walked into the Klein building at 100 E 6th Street, I looked past all of the hard work and renovations it would require, because I knew it would be the perfect location for the business I had envisioned for so long. Mac and Katherine Arthur, owners of the Klein building, were very helpful and kind as we worked to get the building ready for our opening. With the help of my mom Penny Jo and aunt Gail and with the support of family and friends, we opened Griffin’s Studio on September 13th, 2013.
When I started my business I was newly married and living downtown just a few blocks from 6th Street. It was such a special time in my life getting to experience downtown living and walking to my dream job every day. Those first couple of years were very exciting but also challenging at times as we learned how to run a business. Nearly three years after opening Griffin’s Studio my next dream came true as my husband and I welcomed our first child Oliver into this world.
Running a business obviously became much more difficult to do with a little one. I had to step away from some of the night events we would offer and always had to have a sitter lined up for my Saturday events. Knowing we wanted to have our children close together, two years later we had our second son Preston.
It was around this time that I began thinking about the future of my business. It was becoming increasingly difficult to balance my time at home and my time at the shop and studio. As much as I loved the business and wanted it to continue, what I really yearned for was more time with my family. As I imagined the years ahead, I thought about how my busiest times of the year would always be weekends, summers and holidays which are also the times that my boys will be home from school. Everyone tells you how quickly the time goes once you have children, and I am already witnessing that truth. I want all of the time I can get as I know I will never get these precious moments back with my little boys.
With all of this being said, after much thought, counsel, and prayer, I have decided to change the direction of Griffin’s Studio by eliminating our storefront. Please know that the coronavirus pandemic did not cause us to make this decision; I had already decided it months prior to this occurrence. However, it did speed up the timing of my transition which was originally planned for 2021.
The exciting news is that Griffin’s Studio is evolving with three main goals moving forward: 1) Operate as a pop-up art studio to continue providing enriched art experiences to people of all ages, 2) Provide art-to-go packages for birthdays and other group gatherings, 3) Create commissioned artworks and designs that have personal meaning and significance. So, although we will not have our physical location, we will be continuing many of the same services that we currently offer.
This was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make, but in the end this was what was best for me and my family. I can’t thank my mom and aunt enough for taking this journey with me. In case you didn’t know, it was the two of them that purchased most of the inventory for our shop. They took care of the decorating and displaying and always did a wonderful job. The shop would have never been what it was without them, and I am so thankful for the hard work and dedication they put in over the last seven years. I also want to say a special thank you to Mac and Katherine Arthur for allowing me to run my business in their building and for their commitment to 6th Street.
Lastly, to all of our customers, I say thank you. For everyone who has shopped with us, painted with us, or just simply come in to talk, we are so very grateful for your support. Each time we discuss our new direction, we tend to go back to what we will miss most about the having a physical location which is the people. I don’t think we realized it when we opened, but it wasn’t just the start of a new business; it was the start of many new friendships. We know we will still see many of your smiling faces at our future events and that brings us peace of mind with our decision.
In conclusion, we want to let you know that our plan is to transition by the end of summer. There is still time to come in and shop with us and use any gift cards that you may have. Our art-to-go packages will be available as we have done during these unprecedented last few months as well as private art lessons. We will be announcing the dates and locations for our fall events at a later date.
Change is never easy, but we are eager to begin the next chapter in our story.
Thank you,
Griffin