A Happy Place. A Safe Place.

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These are troubled times.

In times like these, where isolation is the cure and mass hysteria is at large, it is important to have a happy place to be. Just as important, it is important to have a safe place to be.

As a result, we are upping all efforts to keep the studio clean and safe for all users. We are hoping to stay open, but will only do so if it remains safe for the workers and all our studio friends. If you are feeling sick or have been in contact with anyone who has recently traveled, please stay home! With all these additional precautions (on top of all existing silica dust precautions), we are keeping the studio as safe and clean as we reasonably can, given that it is a community studio and a shared space.

Some of the precautions we are taking include the following:

1) Daily, often many times a day, wiping down door handles, light switches and common surfaces with disinfectant
2) Encouraging all users of the studio to wash their hands with soap right when they enter and before they exit
3) Providing hand sanitizer
4) Soaking common tools (ie. pottery sponges and throwing tools) in a sanitizing bath between users
5) Mixing in a small amount of bleach into the final rinse buckets in the clay studio
6) Opening outside doors and turning the HVAC fan on, weather allowing, to encourage clean air flow
7) Proving a lenient make-up schedule for any students or members, in case they get sick

We encourage you to make decisions that are right for you. Even if we close temporarily, we will be here when this all passes.

If you are looking for something to do to take your mind off the hysteria, the spring class session begins the week of April 6th! We still have space in many of our pottery, stained glass, watercolors and drawing classes. Acrylic Painting is off for the session. Learn more: 550arts.com/classes

See you in the studio, Friends. Stay Safe and Stay Healthy Out There.

Kick off 2020 with some YOU time.

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Everyone can be creative! Sometimes you just need to give yourself time to do it.

The Winter Session of classes begins the week of January 13th. We will be offering pottery (10-wk), acrylic painting (8-wk), drawing (6-wk), and stained glass (10-wk) classes for the winter session!

Jump on in to a class, try it out in a 1 day workshop, learn something new, have a little bit o’ fun, and then create something handmade while you’re at it!

Browse classes & workshops and sign up here: https://www.550arts.com/classes/

NH Open Doors this weekend!

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We are a stop on the NH Open Doors tour this weekend! NH Open Doors is a celebration of handmade across the state, and, you know us, we are all about handmade.

Join us anytime this Saturday from 11am – 9pm to shop our selection of handmade items, where we host the creations of over 45 different makers. We are not an upscale hard-to-relate-to gallery with crazy expensive art, we are a “handmade for everyday life” kind of shop where most of our items are $20-60 and the items are meant to be used! We also have a lovely selection of items that are all under $10.

New in the shop are three DIY gift pack stations. Put together your own bath & body basket, decorate a “Let Love Grow” plant pot with a live succulent, or make a Tea Lover’s sample pack. We also have the work of new artisans in the shop – sterling silver jewelry, mosaic jewelry, stickers and prints, cups from over 20 ceramic artists across the country, and sooooo many plants.

We will also have a little game or two you can play to win discounts in the shop or some studio merchandise!

Come visit!

Registration for Summer Classes & Summer Art Camps is now live

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Summer Registration is now Open!

Adults and teens can sign up to learn Pottery, Stained Glass, Drawing or Acrylic Painting in a 10-week session (drawing only 6 weeks) by going to this link: https://www.550arts.com/classes/

Beginners always welcome!

 

Kids Summer Pottery & Art Camps Registration Open!
Refer a friend and you both get 5% off registration!

Arts Explorer! (7-12yo):  Spend a full day camp exploring music, theatre, movement arts, mixed media visual arts and clay arts. No experience in any art form is needed! This is meant to be “exploratory”. Before and after care is available. Click here for the camp policies.  

Click the links below to Sign up:

July 8-12, 9AM-4PM each day: Arts Explorer! Week 1 (7-12yo)

July 15-19, 9AM-4PM each day: Arts Explorer! Week 2 (7-12yo)

July 22-26, 9AM-4PM each day: Arts Explorer! Week 3 (7-12yo)

 

Tween/teen wheel throwing (10-18yo) An afternoon weeklong intensive on wheel throwing and clay work. No clay experience is needed! We will cover the basics of the pottery wheel, hand sculpting and surface decoration. 1:30-4PM each day. 

Click the links below to Sign Up:

June 24 – 28, 1:30-4pm: Teen Wheel! (10-18yo)

August 5 – 9, 1:30-4pm: Teen Wheel! (10-18yo)

 

Mindfulness practice to get you through the week…

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We are delighted to be able to share our space with Kathryn Costa, author of a beautiful Mandala tutorial book, creativity coach, and teacher. She is offering Mindfulness Mandala Art Classes at our space on Tuesdays with a different mandala lesson each week.

The mandala lesson will be offered twice each day, afternoons from 1 to 4 p.m. and evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. Sign up for one, two, or every class. Each lesson stands on it’s own so you can pick and choose the class that piques your curiosity and works best for your schedule.

Each week features:

  • a new mandala art lesson
  • guided meditation to gently awaken your creativity
  • demonstrations and easy to follow step-by-step instructions
  • a theme to create mandala art for self expression and insight

Browse projects and sign up here: https://truenortharts.com/studio550/

2019 Valentine’s Date Night Ideas At Studio 550

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Valentine’s Date Night Ideas At Studio 550

 

Sure, Roses are okay, chocolates are always great, but making something together is the way to really remember the day.

Studio 550 is excited to host a variety of Date Night ideas for the month of February.  Beginners are welcome in all workshops! No experience is necessary! Workshop participants are invited to take 10% off any additional purchases in the handmade gift shop during the night of their workshop. All workshops are respectfully BYOB.

Rose Stained Glass Ornaments – Learn all the steps of making a stained glass rose sun catcher. Assorted Fridays and Saturdays during the month. Sign up here.

Succulent Plant Arrangement – You’ve seen them at weddings and on Pinterest, now make your own plant arrangement with a wide assortment of succulent, sedum, and rosette plant babies. Bring some greenery into your home. Sign up here.

Adult’s Night Out! Clay Sculpting – Come create something fun and functional once a month with guided instruction. In February we are creating salt and pepper shakers and next month we are making charcuterie/cheese boards. To see future projects, click the link! Sign up here.

Date Night in the Pottery Studio Get a crash course on the pottery wheel with the assistance of a trained instructor. Each person gets their own wheel. All instruction and materials to create at least one food-safe and microwave-safe piece of handmade pottery per person. Extras can be kept for $5 a piece. Workshops are held Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year at 6PM and 7:30PM each evening. We are also hosting a special 7:30 session on Wednesday, February 13th at 7:30PM. Sign up here.

Handmade for the Holidays!

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November 24th is Small Business Saturday! We have a bunch of fun planned from 10AM-9PM!
Make your own gifts, or find something unique in the market.

10-2PM – Handmade Holiday Market
10-2PM – $5 five-minute wheel lessons for any age during the market!
10-2PM – Kids Keepsake Handprint Ornaments
10-6PM – Paint your own & Make Your Own ornaments
3-9PM – Stained Glass and Clay Workshops, Gift shop open
6-7:30 & 7:30-9PM – Date Night in the Pottery Studio

All Day: Spend $50 or more and get a free “Shop Small” canvas bag. This applies to gift card purchases and class registrations.

All Day: The handmade gift shop and the Annual Cup Sale will be open! Come find a one-of-a kind plant arrangement, amazing lotions and soaps, or a mug for your coffee or tea loving friends.

Special Mother’s Day Workshops

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Studio 550 Mother’s Day Workshops

 

Studio 550 will be honoring moms everywhere for the month of May. In celebration of Mother’s Day, the studio will have multiple chances all month long for you & loved ones to show your mother appreciation & love.

These special workshops include:

Stained Glass Picture Frames

Express Yourself: Poetry & Card-making (TBD)

 

We also suggest:

Date Night in the Pottery Studio 

DIY Succulent Terrariums

 

Reservations can be made:

  • over the phone at 603.232.5597
  • via email at info@550arts.com
  • online at https://www.550arts.com/.
  • in person at 550 Elm Street in Manchester, NH

We look forward to making Mother’s Day even more special & fun for all!

Special Valentine’s Day Date Night in the Pottery Studio!

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Valentine’s Day Date Night At Studio 550

 

Studio 550 is excited to host a special Date Night in the Pottery Studio on Wednesday, February 14th in celebration of Valentine’s Day! Date Night workshops are normally only held on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year.

For Valentine’s Day we will be hosting sessions at 6PM and 7:30PM. This means you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy dinner before or after the workshop.

The Date Night price of $60 per couple includes:

  • All instruction and materials to create at least one food-safe and microwave-safe piece of handmade pottery per person
  • an additional 10% off gallery purchases during the night of your workshop

 

Couples in attendance will be given a demonstration of the basics of throwing on the wheel and then given their own pottery wheels to play and create on, with the assistance of a trained instructor. No prior clay or wheel throwing experience is needed. 

*You are welcome to create more than one piece.*


To make this evening even more special, Studio 550 is partnering with Apotheca Flower Shoppe, in Goffstown, NH so couples will have the option of purchasing a beautiful and unique bouquet of flowers while they are here. A limited selection of the artistic creations will be available at Studio 550 for that evening only.

Space is limited to four couples each session, so participants are asked to reserve in advance.

 

Reservations can be made:

  • over the phone at 603.232.5597
  • via email at info@550arts.com
  • online at https://550arts.as.me/datenightpottery
  • in person at 550 Elm Street in Manchester, NH

We look forward to making Valentine’s Day even more special & fun for all couples!

Open Mic Night to benefit New Horizons & Nashua Honduras

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Open Mic Night to benefit New Horizons & NHOT, January 18, 2018

Performers of all ages, backgrounds, and styles are invited

 

Perform or listen to great local talent, and do something good in your community at the same time! Studio 550 welcomes performers of all ages, skill levels, and backgrounds to an Open Mic Night on Thursday, January 18th from 6:30-8:30PM. Singer-songwriters, musicians, spoken word artists, and solo/duets/trios are all welcome. There is no cost for performers or for listeners, but performances should be original material.

The hope is that this Open Mic will be a listening room and foster a community of musicians and performers to share their work, instead of a music backdrop to a bar scene.There will be a simple PA with two inputs (vocal and instrument) but the space will be small enough that acoustic would be perfectly fine. This Open Mic is also a pop-up fundraiser/awareness builder for two organizations.

Nashua Honduras Outreach Team: This is a group of leaders sharing their talents with the small community of San Francisco de la Paz, Honduras. During visits, they paint murals, teach dance, tutor and plant community gardens. At the open mic they will have a pottery & plant sale, including some lovely Honduran inspired succulent pots. Plants were donated by the NH Food Pantry Greenhouse and nurtured by St. Casimir students.

 

The open mic organizer, Jyl Dittbenner, is a member of this organization.

New Horizons for NH: In exchange for donation items from the New Horizons Shelter and Food Pantry “Wish List”, visitors can select free pottery made by past students at Studio 550.  So much more than just canned goods are needed! Guests can see “Wish List” items on the New Horizons website: newhorizonsnh.org/donate/

 

The Studio 550 Tea Room will be serving 24 different flavors of loose-leaf tea. Tea can also be purchased in tins to enjoy at home.For more information, see the Studio 550 Facebook Event page.

 

Contact us: 603.232.5597 or visit in person at 550 Elm Street in Manchester, NH