Craft studio gets creative during COVID-19 crisis - Sentinel & Enterprise

FITCHBURG — Local business owner and artist Stacey Sparrow Murphy needed to change how her studio operated and find a new source of revenue during the COVID-19 crisis.

So, she decided that Art on the Rocks, the studio she opened in 2009 with her husband, would start delivering crafts to customers, doing paint classes online, and selling art kits to go.

Murphy said she’s also showing the store’s inventory on social media and customers are commenting on the pieces they’d like to buy. Customers can bring their ceramic bunny or frog back to Art on the Rocks to be fired in a kiln.

Ceramics and paint from Art on the Rocks. Photo Courtesy of Art on the Rocks.

“We had to really get creative,” Murphy said. “We wanted to still get people things to do and keep busy, while trying to support ourselves too.”

Before the pandemic, the business mostly dealt with walk-in customers and offered painting classes, which came to a halt after the state’s stay-at-home advisory, she said.

“We’ve had a lot of support from the community and people who want to be sure that we survive this,” she said. “But we’ve had to rethink how we do everything, and it’s been difficult.”

Murphy said the most difficult decision she’s had to make was laying off her staff members, something that brought her to tears.

“It was tough because they helped us build up this business over the last 10 years,” she said.

Without any staff, Murphy and her husband have been handling all of the orders and packaging ceramics, wooden crafts and other items for customers.

While the crisis has taken a toll on the business, Murphy said she’s trying to stay positive.

Several art kits put together by Art on the Rocks to be donated to children who need it. Photo Courtesy of Art on the Rocks.

“I’m hopeful that when this is over people will have such severe cabin fever that they’ll want to come support us and come to classes again,” she said.

Murphy said residents have also been making donations to purchase art kits for children in need and Art on the Rocks is matching every donation. So far, Art on the Rocks has been able to donate 200 kits.

Before the stay-at-home advisory, when Art on the Rocks was still allowing customers in the shop in small groups, a customer decided to purchase an art kit for someone who couldn’t afford one, she said.

Murphy said another customer decided to do the same after hearing what the first customer had done, and things snowballed from there.

She says it’s heartwarming to see the community come together during the uncertain time we’re living in.

“We were kind of taken aback by how quickly people started doing this,” said Murphy. “I couldn’t believe how nice people were. That’s why we decided to match the donations because we’re just trying to give back while people are supporting us.”

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Craft studio gets creative during COVID-19 crisis - Sentinel & Enterprise
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