After a great night out in Colorado Springs at a Painting with a Twist franchise, Nicole and her husband David Leslie knew that they wanted to bring that same experience home to Traverse City. In January 2015 their franchise become a reality when they opened Painting with a Twist in Traverse City. MyNorth’s Eliza Foster checked in with Leslie about the new franchise, what it’s all about, how a class works and more.

“We are so happy to bring Painting With a Twist to Traverse City,” says Nicole. “We are excited to open our doors to a wonderful few hours of a GREAT TIME!”


Why did you want to bring Painting with a Twist to TC?

Last summer, we took a family vacation to Colorado Springs to visit some close friends of ours. After settling in, my friend Brittany said she had a surprise for me. That night she took me to a Painting with a Twist. I had the time of my life!  I came back and told my husband how great one would do in Traverse City, especially since we are a thriving wine and art community. We did our research, filled out a request to franchise and got a call back less than 24 hours later from corporate. They flew us to New Orleans for Discovery Day. That’s where we learned about the details of the business. Overwhelmed with excitement, we came back to Traverse City and got the process started.

 

How does a class work? Can you walk me through a typical class?

People sign up for classes by going to our website. Our calendar then floats across your screen. You simply choose the painting you like and that starts the process of registering for that class.

During a typical class, you walk in with your favorite wine or beer to sip on, we check your name off the roster and hand you a canvas. From there, you proceed down the hallway and grab an apron, then find your seat at one of our long tables. One of our four artists will let you know when the class is about to begin. Most people show up early with their friends and mingle for a while beforehand. During the class, our artist will instruct you step by step on how to create your very own masterpiece in just two or three hours.

 

It’s a wine-y world up here, will you be offering local wines for sipping?

Because we are a thriving wine and art community, we are definitely open to working with local wineries and maybe doing some cross promoting.

 

Who will enjoy Painting with a Twist classes?

You don’t need any art experience at all to come to Painting with a Twist. Corporate calls it “the new night out.” You come with your favorite bottle of wine to relax, socialize, listen to great music and create a masterpiece of your very own.

 

Can you talk about the local artists that teach classes?

We have four lovely local artists that work for us: Lisa Schulte, Sue Tock, Cheri Arcieniega and Nikki Lennox. They all have an art background and a deep appreciation for it.

 

You just opened recently, but what kind of reactions are you getting so far?

We had no idea how much of a response we were going to get. It has been amazing. Everybody is talking about it within our local community. We literally have only been open for two weeks and we have had some of the same people come back three or four times already.

 

What is Painting with a Purpose?

Each month, my husband and I will pick a charity to give back to. We will pick a day and have that charity try and fill up a painting class. We will then donate half of the proceeds to that charity.

 

What are some services that Painting with a Twist will offer? i.e. parties, etc.

We offer: Birthday parties, private parties (minimum of 10), kids classes and themed events (costume night etc.)

 

Learn more and sign up for a class here!

Photo(s) by Painting with a Twist