MEET SARA – THE MASTER OF SIP & SPLATTER

When Sara Turner moved to Loveland in 2011, she was in search of a new job that would allow her to pursue her love of painting while also spending time with her young children. What began as a job at Studio Vino became a passion project when Sara and her husband purchased the business from the original owners. The studio turned out to be the perfect combination of Sara’s background in both marketing and painting and allowed her to realize her longtime dream of owning her own business!

Originally located in downtown Loveland, Studio Vino opened as a hot-spot destination for artists of all abilities. The original owners opened the studio after attending a “Canvas & Cocktails” class in Denver, which they realized would be a perfect fit for Loveland’s artistic community. They opened the studio in 2011 and found that locals and visitors loved the opportunity to paint, enjoy a glass of wine, and gather with community members and friends alike. After seven years in downtown Loveland, Studio Vino moved to Centerra in 2017. This move offered a great location within the bustling Promenade Shops at Centerra. Re-locating also offered Sara the opportunity to “re-open” the business as her own, which marked the beginning of a new journey as business owners for her and her husband.

The move was a little nerve-wracking for Sara, as she wasn’t sure what the community would think of the re-location; she was so thankful to find the Centerra community welcomed Studio Vino with open arms.

“This area is really friendly and they (the other businesses at The Promenade Shops) definitely made us feel welcome when we were the new business on the block,” Sara said, “and all of our customers have been really supportive during our move.”

Beyond the communal feeling, Sara loves all that this area of Loveland has to offer. She loves watching the sunset over the mountains from the studio and enjoys the outdoor activities that await just outside the studio doors. Sara also loves the fact that she’s now centrally located to communities like Fort Collins, Greeley and Denver.

The studio currently has 10 employees, all of whom are local artists in the Loveland community. This is something that is unique to Studio Vino, as they don’t hire outside art teachers for their painting classes, maintaining their community feel. The artwork taught in each class is a piece created by one of Studio Vino’s employees, giving each painting an extra personal touch. Each class is taught by a different employee, which allows students to learn firsthand from the artist who created the painting. Studio Vino became an all-female staff by pure coincidence, but Sara loves working with this group of women because they are so supportive of each other and willing to help when needed. Many of the Studio Vino employees also work other jobs, so the studio is like a “passion project” for most of the team members, allowing them to have a creative outlet and a way to connect to locals and visitors in Loveland.

When Sara isn’t at the studio, she’s spending time with her family. Sara’s sons are extremely active and love the outdoors, so their family is constantly spending time enjoying Loveland’s outdoor activities like mountain biking at Devil’s Backbone or climbing at Loveland’s local climbing gym, Wooden Mountain. Sara’s love for outdoor activities and the surrounding environment is apparent at Studio Vino as well. The studio participates in initiatives like recycling and re-using painting products. The studio always recycles the cardboard that comes with its canvas shipments, as well as implementing a “re-painting” technique which allows art teachers to re-use the same canvas multiple times.

While Studio Vino is known for its traditional “paint and sip” inspired classes, Sara is working to integrate new types of classes as well. They currently offer pottery classes, crafting classes, summer workshops for kids and an ever-growing list of activities. Beyond the in-studio class options, Studio Vino also offers traveling classes to local businesses and private parties. These are a great option for team building, birthday parties, bridal showers and many other occasions. Those interested in booking a mobile Studio Vino class can call the studio or place a request on their website. In addition to the artistic side of things, Sara also owns and manages the boutique at Studio Vino which sells clothing, jewelry and gifts and is open to the public even when classes are not in session.

With summer weather on the horizon, Studio Vino is the perfect place to beat the heat as you enjoy a date night, an afternoon with the kids or to find the perfect gift. Follow along with Studio Vino on Facebook and Instagram and get inspired to unleash your inner artist!