Art and Wine Classes: A Versatile Trend

2016 is finally winding down … but we are already excited for our 2017 event schedule! Telaya will be continuing the Wine & Design signature event series, which is our personal spin on the “art and wine class.” Art and wine classes invite people to foster their creative spirits, with the added benefit of slightly lowered inhibitions and decreased self-consciousness. These instructional events are great for dates, group outings, and even individual indulgences, and attendees always walk away with something to show for it.

---

Art and wine classes come from rehabilitative roots. The “paint and sip” trend was popularized in post-Katrina Louisiana in 2007, when two friends devastated by the hurricane decided to take the opportunity to facilitate relaxing, educational events that distracted from the disaster and taught members of their community a new skill. Cathy Deano and Renee Maloney’s success culminated in a booming franchise.

People’s interest in creating artwork over a glass of wine has since proliferated and transformed into new interpretations. Art and wine classes make art accessible to people with a wide range of experience levels and time constraints. Besides that, not everyone who wants to, say, paint a landscape piece wants to invest in acquiring paints and brushes and canvases from an art supply store. By providing the requisite supplies and space for art projects, art and wine classes allow attendees without an art studio to try their hand at something new. And due to an easily adaptable format, the original “paint and sip” concept can be converted to any number of creative endeavors.

Telaya’s take on art and wine classes interprets the “art” element more broadly than just painting. We like to offer a diversity in types of projects, from designing beautiful appetizers to freehand lettering to wreath-making. Whenever we can, we emphasize classes that incorporate wine into the art. This spring, Carlyn from Usful Glassworks, a local nonprofit that converts used glass into functional glassware, provided instruction on upcycling used wine bottles into windchimes. On a similar note, Chris from Corks 4 a Cure, a local nonprofit organization that supports families affected by MS, taught attendees in September how to make monograms from wine corks.

In our eyes, the common thread for these classes is always to enable people to practice thoughtful, upscale creations. Wine & Design allows us to collaborate with creators we admire and connect them to the Telaya community. This has been an opportunity to team up with some exceptional organizations and individuals from the community, which is something we can never get enough of!

If you’re interested to see what all the hype is about, our next Wine & Design event is “Wire Jewelry,” on February 23. Hosted here at Telaya, attendees will receive instruction from Jenni Ritch Art on creating their own personalized jewelry. Jenni describes her own aesthetic as “rustic and natural,” and we look forward to having her bring her artistry to Telaya. Keep an eye on our Wine & Design page to reserve your seat! To learn more about the artist, visit her shop on Etsy.

​