Community Canvas

The Crafty Canary brings more color to the Dunlap area

Whether you’re a budding Van Gogh or you created your last artistic masterpiece with Crayolas in kindergarten, The Crafty Canary in Dunlap just wants you to have fun being creative.

Donna McGovern and Mary Layne, the mother-daughter duo behind the downtown art studio, quickly learned about the rewards of offering an artistic space for the community.

Studies show that engaging in art has many positive health benefits. A 2017 study from Drexel University highlighted how creative activities — even just coloring or doodling — helped contribute to greater feelings of happiness and self-confidence.

The study rings true for Donna and Mary, who have seen similar experiences play out for customers countless times since they opened their studio in 2022. “We always encourage people to come in and take time for themselves,” Donna says. “We tend to get caught up in the business of life and don’t ever really make time to have fun. Art is good for your health and your overall well-being.”

Getting Started

Though it was years ago, Donna vividly recalls Mary asking to use her graphite pencils for her childhood art projects. 1 day, when she finally gave in, Donna realized her daughter inherited her artistic skills and more. “I’d usually just give her a regular pencil and a piece of paper, but then I started to realize she was doing amazing work,” Donna says. “In school, she’d often place in student art contests, including international competitions. By now, she’s definitely surpassed me. I always say that she’s the head artist here. I tend to stick with what I know, but she branches out into all different types of media. It really helps our business do well.”

Although they never completed any formal training, Donna and Mary became well known for their portraits, before opening a brick-and-mortar location. “We started out doing graphite pencil portraits for people in our area, and that became a pretty big thing through word of mouth, especially around Christmastime,” Donna says. “Eventually, we started setting up events and festivals. Then we started talking 1 day about how it would be cool to have our own a place, so we established ourselves here, and it just keeps growing.”

Painting Parties & More

Stop by The Crafty Canary and you’re likely to see people of all ages and skill levels smiling as they create art projects. Everything from group painting classes to mixed media activities, children’s birthday parties, double-canvas painting date nights for couples, private lessons and more are available. Patrons who are 21 and older can also bring in their favorite adult beverages to help creativity flow.

“We’re known for our paint parties,” Donna says. “It’s a step-by-step process that we guide people through over a few hours. Everyone can relax and enjoy themselves. You can come here and forget about the stresses of the day, laugh and do something in a fun atmosphere. It’s a good getaway.”

The Crafty Canary also often hosts visiting artists to share unique skills like crocheting.

“We also travel for large groups,” Donna says. “It’s always nice to go to different churches or community centers as another way to get involved.”

Drawing Business

With nearly 2,000 followers on Facebook, Donna and Mary harness the power of social media to help promote their business. “We get a lot of traffic for our business online,” Mary says. “It’s definitely 1 way we advertise what’s coming up soon. We get a lot of bookings over Facebook Messenger.”

This summer, The Crafty Canary will host several art camps for children, as well as an art exhibition for elementary through high school students. Follow The Crafty Canary on Facebook for the latest information.

From graphite pencil portraits to painting classes, Donna and Mary guide their business as it becomes a staple for the downtown community. As The Crafty Canary grows, they’d love to see the surrounding area liven up, too.

“We know life is stressful enoug,h and art can be relaxing,” Donna says. “We’d love to see the community become more artsy and bring a little more peace and solace into the world.”