Today we’d like to introduce you to Sista Paint.
Hi Sista Paint, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Our origin story is a good one: We all met at the home of an awesome Baltimorean who opened up her home as a place for people to connect. The four of us hit it off and ended up exchanging numbers. We all met up several months later on Memorial Day for a picnic in Patterson Park. We had so much fun laying in the sun and talking, painting, and sharing food laughs, and kept noticing people walking by who showed a lot of interest in what we were doing. A week went by and two of our co-founders (Esterline and Jasmine) posed the question in the group chat: what if we threw a sip and paint and invited members of the community, just to see how it went? Well, we did just that. Fast forward to now, a little over a year later: we’ve held multiple ticketed events and partnered with some amazing Baltimore businesses in such a short time! We’ve also branched out to include private event offerings, merch, and take-home paint kits. The momentum has been fast and furious to say the least.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We’ve been fortunate to have so many things come together and align beautifully for us, but have definitely had our fair share of challenges. One of the biggest struggles in the beginning was laying the groundwork for what we wanted Sista Paint to become, and establishing a business model. Of course we learned quite a bit through trial and error, figuring out what worked well, what didn’t (and why), and streamlining processes. More recently, our biggest challenge has been finding balance with running Sista Paint while juggling our 9 to 5’s, taking care of our human and fur babies, and doing all of the life stuff in between.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Sista Paint was designed to bring women of color and allies together to fellowship, unwind, and express themselves through art. We carry out both pop up and ticketed painting events at different venues in the city. We’re extremely proud of the partnerships and relationships we’ve cultivated with local artists and small businesses. Baltimore is teeming with talent, and we love being able to showcase people who are doing great things here. We do this by partnering with other creatives, businesses, and nonprofits, prioritizing those run by minorities and/or women. We’re known for including a wellness component and instructor in every event. We refer to them as our ‘zen guides’, who provide various restorative practices such as yoga, meditation, sound bowl therapy, and massage. Our goal is to make sure our guests leave feeling refreshed and uplifted, and our zen guides play a major role in helping us accomplish that. Sista Paint goodie bags are also a highlight, as they include samples and discounts from small and minority owned businesses. It’s a great way for business owners to increase awareness of their products and services, and of course our guests love the free self care items!
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We are always seeking collaborations with local artists, venues, nonprofits, and other creatives for future events! Feel free to slide in our DM’s @sista_paint or email us at sistapaintinfo@gmail.com. You can show your support of our mission by following us on social media, mentioning folks who may be interested in partnering with us, booking us for a private event, purchasing a painting kit, and of course checking out one of our events!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sistapaint.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sista_paint/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Sista-Paint/61551626905342/?mibextid=ZbWKwL
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/104218949/admin/feed/posts/
Image Credits
The personal photo image is from Trent of TH Squared Photography.
