Community Corner
Fingerpaints and Fun at the Giggling Pig [Video]
The Giggling Pig, an art studio for kids of all ages.
Art is more than just paint on a canvas, an image burned into film, or words inked onto a page. Art is, among other things, a story, as Stephen DiRienzo was trying to impart to a young student at a private lesson at the Giggling Pig on Center Street.
“Visual storytelling is key,” said DiRienzo to the teenage student, who came in to get help with her anime style of illustration.
It’s certainly not all anime at the Giggling Pig however; as behind the thirteen-year-old the fingerpaints were flying as two adorable children turned their blank sheets of paper into the colorful chaos that four-year-olds are so adept at creating.
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“Having a creative mind is a great gift,” said Hannah Perry, the owner of the Giggling Pig. Perry hopes to encourage children to explore art; to have them come in, have fun and get their art up on the wall during the monthly exhibitions of the children’s art she plans to hold.
The Giggling Pig is a cozy children's art studio that Perry opened next to Addeo's Italian Ice along Center Street seven weeks ago. Perry hopes the summer heat doesn't drive too many customers away, "people want to be in the pools," said Perry, "if I had a pool, I'd be in it."
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Perry, who has been working with children as an artist for 14 years, named the shop after a character she developed in 2006 from doodles of a pigs inspired from childhood memories of her friend Helen, who lived on a farm in England at the time.
In addition to doing walk-in sessions, private lessons, group activities and birthday parties, Perry also sells a wide array of art and crafts at the Giggling Pig, including prints of her work as well as DiRienzo’s paintings and photographs taken by the shops photographer, J. Avery Wham, as well as jewelry from Tags Along, and hand-crafted hair ribbons (many in the shape of Disney princesses) by Jenn Chrysadakis.
Perry plans to do expand into after-school specials in the fall, as well as running a ‘date night’ of wine and painting for adults on Thursdays or Fridays, if enough interest exists in the idea. People can sign up for her mailing list and/or newsletters via the shop’s website (www.thegigglingpig.com).
