Decoy Art Center to close Beavercreek location and take business mobile as pandemic limits capacity to serve customers and remain profitable.
Decoy Art Center To Close Store And Go Mobile
Decoy Art Center has been a treasured local business in Beavercreek for nearly 9 years and a valued customer of Dayton Local since the start of 2015. Owner Tabitha Guidone is a positive influence in our community and does what she can to make it better. She is the force behind Beavercreek's ArtFest, a festival celebrating the arts founded in 2016. We hope to see ArtFest return in 2021.
As sad as we are to see the brick and mortar close, we are happy to know that she is taking the business mobile rather than closing it down. Decoy Art Center will continue to offer classes and workshops through local parks and recreation organizations. In fact, Beavercreek Parks and Recreation already has several on their website. Sign up today, before the classes fill up. If your local parks and rec doesn't offer art classes, ask them to contact Decoy Art Center.
Tabitha, along with two other artists, Carmen and Sara have opened MADE a ceramic art studio at Front Street in Downtown Dayton where they offer workshops, create commissioned works, and host gallery showings. The group hosted "I DISSENT" on November 6th a show featuring works by local artists honoring late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and recently completed a series of commissioned planters for woman-owned downtown Dayton retail store Luna Gifts & Botanicals.
Darwin said, "It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change." Tabitha is a "roll with the punches" kind of lady. I'm hopeful that once we get past COVID, we'll see Decoy Art Center morph once again into a gathering spot for creatives. In the meantime, she's taken advantage of the reduction in hours at Decoy and indulged another passion by obtaining her Real Estate license and joining the Leici Nunnelly Team at EXP Realty.
Decoy Art Center is hosting "Paint Your Heart Out" 5-hour pottery painting event Saturday, December 5 (registration required) and an "Everything Must Go Garage Sale" December 10-12 featuring tables, shelving, supplies, planters, hardware, barn doors, and much more. The message below was posted on Decoy's Facebook Page and Instagram account Sunday, Nov 29th.
"Have you ever started a project and it didn't go exactly the way you imagined but turned out so much better and instead of it being an hour or so, it was a few days?
How about a part time teaching gig turned in to nine years of painting and events? That's pretty much how Decoy started.???
And we're not done. Far from it. We're just on to another chapter like so many of our fellow small businesses are, trying to navigate these waters. Our boats are different, but one thing is the same... we all need support to stay a float.
We've been flabbergasted by the love shown to us. Understanding the changes, even through a few tears, but looking forward to what 'may be' in a few years.
When you shop this season, or heck...anytime, think local first. From hardware, yummies, clothing, plants and beyond. It's all here.
If you make an appointment w a business, keep it. Or notify to cancel as you are taking time away from others that can support in your place. Yes, we've had many no shows and we understand things happen, but courtesy goes a far way. Many businesses rely on apts right now to make ends meet, due to spacing restrictions and time overhead. We can't have 75 painters like we'd normally see on a Sat at any given time in the same room...now it's 12. Big difference.
Tell your friends... post your favorite spots. Share your latest find. There are so many options in Dayton, most of us just think of the big box stores until someone tells us otherwise, so share, share away!
Thank you. Seriously. THANK YOU. These (close to) nine years has taught us so much and has provided opportunities to so many it would be impossible to count them all.
We love you all!"
