The Story Of Art In The Dark Paint

The story of Art In The Dark Paint began in 2014 with a surprise party I planned for a friend. I wanted to create something different, so I turned my home into a blacklight party. We wrote on the walls with blacklight-reactive crayons, painted our faces, played music, and had an amazing time. I remember looking around and thinking, why isn’t there a place where people can go and do this? A few years later, I began attending paint-and-sip events with other moms. Everyone seemed excited about them, but I never truly enjoyed myself. I kept wondering why an event centered around sipping wine required us to bring our own, but more importantly, I did not like watching people become frustrated with their art. Instead of relaxing, people spent the evening comparing their work to everyone else’s. When their paintings began to look different from the instructor’s, their enjoyment faded; even though there was nothing wrong with what they had created. Some were already talking about hiding their paintings in a closet before the night was even over. I remember thinking, this is supposed to be fun, why are we being so hard on ourselves? The experience reminded me of an illustration in which a fish, a monkey, an alligator, and a bird were all instructed to climb a tree. There was nothing wrong with the fish because it could not complete a task that was never suited to its abilities. That message became the foundation of Art In The Dark Paint. I wanted people to create freely, enjoy the moment, and leave feeling proud of something that reflected who they were.

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In 2016, Art In The Dark Paint officially became more than an idea. Without the finances to open a studio of my own, I partnered with Blue Martini in Philadelphia and began hosting events in its VIP area on Thursday evenings. Those early events showed me that the idea could work, but the arrangement did not. Parking was difficult and expensive, and customers were paying approximately $20 to park after already purchasing their tickets. Creating the atmosphere I envisioned while working around someone else’s schedule and décor also became overwhelming, so I eventually stopped. Years later, while my husband and I were dating, he found one of my old flyers and asked me about the business. I told him how it started, what had gone wrong, and why I had become discouraged. At the beginning of COVID in 2020, he surprised me by taking me to see three commercial properties and assured me that I would not have to start again alone. My family has played an important role in the story of Art In The Dark Paint. My children and husband helped me paint the walls at every location, and participated in preparing for events, choosing themes, decorating, and cleaning the studio. Some of our best memories were created while we listened to music or watched movies and worked together.

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With their support, I chose a space in Logan Square in New Hope and opened the first Art In The Dark Paint brick-and-mortar location. The studio began with eight seats, standing floor easels, and large canvases. Opening a business centered around bringing people together during COVID was incredibly difficult, but I held on long enough for people to begin finding us. After the second year, my husband and I were married, our family had grown to include three children and two dogs, and we had moved from Montgomery County to Chester County. New Hope had become too far from home, so I relocated the studio to Lancaster Avenue in Malvern. The new location allowed me to expand from eight guests per session to 20, as well as a game room. It also gave me the opportunity to move away from canvas painting and introduce denim and trucker hats. Wearable art became the studio’s lane because every guest could create something personal without following an example or comparing the finished piece to anyone else’s.

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Every part of the experience was intentional, from the blacklights, music, the relaxed atmosphere and even the way each guest was welcomed. The complimentary bar offered water, juice, soda, wine, beer, cocktails, and mocktails because I wanted everyone to feel considered and included. The studio welcomed families, couples, team building events, individuals; anyone looking for a place where they could create without judgment. As Art In The Dark Paint grew, I grew alongside it. Between opening the first location and now (2026), I’ve earned my bachelor’s degree, my master’s degree, became a licensed therapist, and am now pursuing my PhD in Educational Psychology. Looking back, I can see how much of what matters to me as a therapist was already present in the original idea. Art In The Dark Paint was always about creating an environment where people could feel safe, accepted, and free to be themselves. My customers became part of our family. They have trusted me with birthdays, date nights, private parties, corporate events, and moments that were important to them. What began as an idea, became something that brought people together and gave my family countless memories of our own. As the founder and trademark owner of Art In The Dark Paint, I am deeply proud of its story and everything the name has come to represent. I could never tell the story of my life during these years without telling the story of this business. Art In The Dark Paint is not simply something I created; it is part of who I am.