Gallery on the Go: The Perfect Painting Party in Your Home!

My daughter Hadley recently turned 12 and is so obsessed with all-things art that I knew we had to do something creative for her birthday. There are several fabulous painting/drinking studios but I didn’t want to deal the hassle of driving somewhere so it was a no-brainer when I heard about Gallery on the Go, a mobile canvas painting party service that was started right here in Colorado. 

The owners Maria, Shantelle, and Mandy aren’t artists; they’re just average gals who wanted to get together with their friends and socialize.  They intended to try the new paint and sip venues that were popping up, but the typical logistics kept getting in their way.  So, they decided to just put one together on their own.  They had so much fun that they kept getting together to paint and Gallery On The Go was founded in October of 2011. 

How It Works

I don’t have an artistic bone in my body so the thought of getting out the craft supplies and cleaning them up makes me cringe. At the time of Hadley’s party, I was juggling sixth grade continuation, putting our house on the market, helping at a wedding reception and four graduation parties, which is a nice way of saying I had no time. 

Do you want to know what I had to do to plan our Gallery on the Go party? I simply told them when to come to my house and Hadley pre-selected what she wanted to paint from the variety of artwork for boys and girls (see the gallery here). I provided the food and drinks while they supplied everything else–from the table and floor coverings to chairs, aprons, paint, canvases, a fun photo booth, a game and even a gift for the birthday girl! 

Carrie, our “Independent Gallery Guide,” was fabulous as she assisted the girls through every brush stroke made even easier with their color-coded brushes while still giving them their own creative outlet. The girls were widely varied in their artistic abilities and all were thrilled with the finished product, thanks to Carrie’s patience and expertise.

Cost

Gallery on the Go’s Youth Events are perfect for birthday parties, Girl Scout troops, grown-up girl’s night out, back-to-school parties, or just any ‘ole day you want to get the neighborhood kids together for some creative fun. The cost is $170 for up to 11 painters ages 6 to 13.

Independent Gallery Guides

I was intrigued by Carrie’s part-time job with Gallery on the Go and quickly realized it is the perfect gig for moms. Soon after founding the company, the owners quickly realized they would need help and decided the best way to grow their business would be to model themselves after successful direct sales businesses, even though they weren’t selling anything other than their service.  This meant that other like-minded gals and guys could purchase their start-up kit and join in the fun and profits.  Those Independent Gallery Guides (as they call themselves) can then build a team and earn residual income in addition to the income from their own painting parties. They currently have over 150 Independent Gallery Guides serving 25 states throughout the country.

 Carrie was a high school English teacher-turned stay-at-home mom but when her baby girl was born at 31 weeks, she found herself confronted with a NICU life and a special needs child. Once her life started to settle down, her friend suggested she carve out a bit of time for herself to attend a “Coffee and Canvas” at her local rec center and it was there she met Mandy Thomas, one of the owners of Gallery On The Go. The rest is history. 

Author: Amber Johnson

Amber is the founder and editor of Mile High Mamas, travel writer and former columnist for The Denver Post. She is a passionate community builder and loves the outdoors. She has two awesome teens and is happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin.