Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from the tri-state area. In addition to this development from Galena, Ill., we will share other news in Tuesday’s edition.
GALENA, Ill. — A new do-it-yourself craft studio is set to soon open in downtown Galena.
Board & Brush Creative Studio will open Oct. 13 at 310 N. Main St. in Galena. It is one of hundreds of franchise locations across the country and will be owned and operated by Jen and Curran Lane, of Menominee.
The do-it-yourself studio will host several workshops per week where attendees can create unique wooden decor projects from scratch under the direction of a Board & Brush instructor.
“Even if you’re not super artistic, you can still participate because someone is walking you through the entire process,” Jen Lane said. “I’m looking forward to seeing people’s reactions at the end of a workshop and seeing how proud they are of the work they did.”
Jen said she was inspired to open the Galena location after attending a workshop at the now-closed Board & Brush location in Dubuque. She was impressed by the ease of the workshop and the quality of the finished product, and she asked Curran that night about opening their own location.
During registration, she explained, attendees will choose from hundreds of stencils provided by Board & Brush. An instructor will then walk guests through the process of staining the piece, laying the stencil and painting the design.
“We’ll have 97 different (paint) colors … and eight different stains,” Lane said. “With all the different designs and techniques, I’d guess there will never be two signs that leave here looking the same.”
Wooden signs are the most popular project choice at Board & Brush, but other options include tray tables and wooden game boards. There also are kids projects and “time crunch” workshops, which take less time and money.
By the time the Galena store opens, Curran said, more than 75 handmade signs will be hung around the space for inspiration.
“I’m just excited to try something new and be able to put my skills to work for some of the pieces that need to be assembled,” he added. “I’ll be able to do that and cut the wood ahead of time (for workshops).”
In addition to public workshops, the studio also will be available for private rentals. The store does have its liquor license, meaning alcohol could be served at adult-only events.
The Galena location can be contacted on its Facebook and Instagram pages or by email at galena@boardandbrush.com. People also can register for upcoming workshops online at boardandbrush.com/galena.