Every day’s a party at Art’s a Blast in Rockwall

Every day’s a party at Art’s a Blast in Rockwall

Arts A Blast

Retired teacher blends passion for art and teaching into new, artsy entertainment venue

Rockwall resident Shay Cronin may have retired after 30 years of teaching in the RISD, but her love of art and her passion for people has put her right back in the classroom.

There are no pop quizzes or final exams, no deadlines or grade point averages – just interesting subjects to paint and colorful projects to take home and hang on the wall.

And best of all, every day’s a party.

At Art's A Blast, you can pour a glass of wine, mix and mingle, and paint a masterpiece with personalized instruction from a local art teacher.

Shay’s classroom is a paint and party studio, called Art’s A Blast, where imagination and creative energy are poured out onto canvas by students of all ages and abilities.

During adults-only evening classes, you can enjoy a glass of beer or wine, or just paint one. It's BYOB at Art's A Blast.

Mix in some of your favorite background music, add a splash of inspiration, and you’ve got a unique entertainment and learning environment that produces fresh works of art and new friendships, too.

Located in the Stein Mart Shopping Center on Ridge Road in Rockwall, Art’s A Blast offers adults-only evening sessions, daytime and after school classes for children, private lessons and private parties for up to 30. It’s great for birthday celebrations and bachelorette parties, corporate functions and team building activities.

Art's A Blast
Make your next outing a painting party. Brushes, paints, and fun included.

Art’s A Blast provides everything you need to create your masterpiece – the paint, the canvas, the brushes and supplies, and of course a talented teacher to draw out your inner Picasso. Guests  may bring their own snacks and beverages to add to the relaxed and festive atmosphere. Evening classes, which are exclusively for those 21 and older, are BYOB – which includes beer and wine.

Art's A Blast welcomes aspiring artists of all ages.

Summer camps for kids are slated to include sessions on drawing, sculpting as well as painting.

The professional staff includes:

Maria Shah of Rockwall, a middle school art teacher who holds a Masters in Secondary Education, a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education;

Susan Aston of Rowlett, who has taught both middle school and high school and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Teaching Certificate in Art;

You'll have more to take home than a great painting; you'll have memories of an extraordinary time!

Jana Hake, of Rockwall County, who in addition to her middle school teaching experience is part of a Home School Teaching Co-op and holds a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design and Teaching Certificate in Art;

Annie C. Foster, who has taught at the college level, holds an M.F.A. in Ceramics and a B.F.A. in Printmaking, serves on the Nasher Sculpture Center Education Board and St. Matthews Cathedral Arts Guild, and studied at the Instituto de Bellas Artes in Italy;

and Kathleen Finan of Rockwall, an elementary teacher who was a homeschool mom with experience as a  special education teacher, an elementary art teacher, and an art instructor at Muscarelle Museum of Art at College of William and Mary, with a Masters in Special Education, a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, and a Teaching Certificate in Art.

Shay and her husband, Richard, have been married 40 years, and have called Rockwall home since 1973. They have two grown children, Casey and Keely, and one grandchild, Kagen.

“Shay loves working with people, loves art and has a lot of energy and enthusiasm.  She gives 100% to everything she does,”  Richard said.

Art’s A Blast designed Flamingo and Parrot mosaics for 32 Aspasians members to paint and donate to Helping Hands Health Center.
The mosaics were a collaborative effort, in which each woman painted her own section.

Before opening Art’s A Blast in October of 2011, Shay taught at Cullins-Lake Pointe Elementary School for 14 years, then spent the next 16 years as an art instructor at Williams Middle School.

She holds a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education and a Minor in Art from Texas Tech, as well as a Teaching Certificate for kindergarten through 12th grade.

She is a charter member of the Aspasians,  a philanthropic women’s group that hosts the popular Aspasians Arts and Crafts Fair twice a year in the historic downtown square. Richard has been in the commercial real estate business for 42 years, as the owner of Cronin Company.

Shay and Richard invite you to visit the paint and party facility to learn, laugh, and have a blast creating something new. Even if that something new is reminiscent of an Old Master.

All art classes and painting parties are hosted in the Art’s A Blast studio at 2845 Ridge Road, Suite 209 (facing Steger Town Drive). Call them at 469-300-1416 or email .

At Art's A Blast, pour a glass of wine, dip your brush, and paint your very own masterpiece with personalized instruction from a local art teacher.

For detailed information about classes, costs, registration, and to view the Gallery of options available for private parties, visit their website at artsablast.com. And be sure to “LIKE” them on Facebook.

By Dawn Redig, Blue Ribbon News, all rights reserved. 

To submit your news and events or see your business in the spotlight, email .