The Giggling Pig is not just an art studio, it’s a magical place where both kids and adults can let their creativity flow and imagination take flight! From the moment we stepped inside, we were greeted with their amazing workers and a colorful atmosphere that will be sure to inspire the artist within you.
The studio itself was adorned with vibrant creations from visitors past and had shelves stacked with art supplies of every color imaginable. We were honored to attend a special birthday party event where the kids got to draw and create pretty princesses on their canvases while watching a master at work! Each and every one of them were so excited to let their imagination shine, which really showed on their canvases.
Take a peek at the painting process below!
Following The Instructor:
A Child’s Fabulous Creation:
The Instructor’s Pretty Princess Painting:
The Giggling Pig isn’t just limited to painting; it offers a plethora of creative activities so you can find the one that fits you! They even offer classes and workshops to all ages starting from 0. For adults, they offer authors & illustrators classes, along with paint and sips. Want to have your own birthday party at The Giggling Pig? You can choose between painting ceramics, spin art, clay desserts, slime, and painting beautiful creations on canvases! Love the sound of this, but don’t live in Milford? Don’t worry! They have locations across CT in Bethel, Shelton, Seymour, and Guilford!
Take A Look At Some of The Ceramics Available Below!
See our Q&A with Owner of The Giggling Pig Milford, Makayla Silva , below!
Tell me a little about yourself and why you opened the Milford location of The Giggling Pig?
“I was born and raised in Milford, and have two children ages 10 and 12. I started going to The Giggling Pig Shelton when my son was 18 months old and attended their mommy and me classes. I continued going there for years and became good friends with the owner of the Shelton location, Hannah Perry. At the time I was working for the City of Milford as a covid relief ambassador in economic development. Part of my role was meeting with interesting businesses to see if they wanted to come to Milford! I knew Hannah, and knew there were a lot of vacancies in Milford post covid and had suggested to her it would be a great idea to open in Milford. I felt like there was a really strong need for a creative space for families in Milford and Hannah thought that I should be the one to open it! We ended up opening in May of 2022, so about a year and a half now. We’ve been able to serve so many families and children ranging from ages all the way to adults.”
Do all of the locations offer similar programs?
“There’s five locations in total and they all offer similar programming. They all offer art lessons for beginner, intermediate, advanced , canvas lessons, parties, and mommy and me. In Milford we really have expanded what we call Piglet’s Playgroup. We offer these classes 5 days a week, soon to be 6 days a week on weekday and weekend mornings. The classes are sensory process art based classes where we have 4 or 5 multi-sensory stations set up. We curated six week sessions where they build upon each other. For example, in this session we are visiting different places in town like the grocery store, the coffee shop, the bakery! These classes are a huge part of our business”
What is the story behind the name “The Giggling Pig”?
“Hannah Perry had an actual pig and it literally sounded like the pig could giggle when it snorted! Of course it inspired the name, but it also inspired Hannah to go on and write children’s books . She has developed three illustrated children’s books featuring these whimsical characters. There’s about a dozen different characters that she’s named and created that all have their own unique personalities. Of course, Giggles is the main character, and it is a huge part of our branding. ”
How would you say The Giggling Pig has evolved from a singular art studio to a comprehensive brand?
“Hannah opened 12 years ago. In year 10, she decided she wanted to start franchising and opened her second location in Bethel. She sold it to one of her longtime instructors who instructed in Shelton for ten years. I don’t want to speak for her, but she’s pretty selective. All five locations are owned by women. She’s really about women empowerment and giving women the opportunity to both open and run their own business. To her, it really is all about providing children of all ages the opportunity to have a creative space to grow and make friends. I believe her hope is to keep on dreaming big like she says!
What would you say is unique and special about The Giggling Pig?
“I think that right now, children specifically, really need a space to just be creative. They need screen free time and a safe space to come and just create. I think that we are different because there have been a lot of studios that have and gone, and she has been in business for 12 years. She has 5 locations and is still continuing to open more locations proves that The Giggling Pig is such a powerful brand that really resonates with people. So many people have come up to us and have said that they want their kids to be creating and painting while having a special place to make friends!”
Do you have anything special coming up at the Milford location?
“In Milford specifically, we are continuing to grow our programming like Piglet’s Playgroup I mentioned earlier. We want to keep expanding them and growing them! We do a lot of special playdates with princesses, we have miniature therapy horses coming, we do a ton of seasonal events as well. At Milford, we really just want to continue to reach as many different people as possible.”
About The Giggling Pig Milford: The Giggling Pig opened in Milford on May 1st 2022. Makayla Silva wanted to bring a family friendly store that encouraged creative connection within the community.
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