A few months back, GOOD Morning Wilton introduced a new business feature, showcasing the people behind the local businesses. Let them know you’ve read about them on GMW.com!
Today we’re spotlighting Alla Ionescu, who opened a great Wilton-based business called Happy Hands Art & Pottery a little over one year ago.
Business Name: Happy Hands Art & Pottery
How long have you had your business in Wilton? Since the end of April 2015.
What do you love most about your job? We absolutely love being a part of the Wilton community. It’s very satisfying to know that something you are passionate about can bring smiles to others. Being able to work with so many people in the Wilton community is very rewarding. We love to share our art with kids through after school programs. We’re very grateful for the support of Wilton Park & Rec and Wilton Continuing Education. It’s always special to work with Chris Foley‘s special needs group from the Wilton YMCA. We are able to spread summer fun through our Summer Camps that include a diverse range of projects that includes clay and pottery painting. We have created an enriching, 12-week Summer Program starting June 16. Kids will have exposure to the interaction with the background of the pottery process. Pottery painting promotes motor skills, social interaction, and overall development in important skills. Various girl scout troops have hosted their parties at Happy Hands. We love supporting local schools and fundraisers. We’re always open to have an event to donate to charities and organizations.
What sets your business apart from any other? Our business coalesces friends and families together through art. It’s very rewarding to know that people chose to share their special parties and events with us. From infants to adults, we strive to create timeless memories through hand-print art that commemorates significant events or just happy moments in people’s lives.
What would people be surprised to learn about you and your business? Our studio caters to people of all ages. Art has no age limit. We have a lot of fun with little artists and we’re always open to new aspiring artists of any age. Through our ladies nights and corporate events, people have formed special friendships with help from creativity and art.
What was the most memorable work experience you’ve had in Wilton? This year, we were honored to be a part of Wilton Town Center’s annual sidewalk trick-or-treating event. We met many new faces and were able to spread Halloween cheer throughout the town. We were excited to dress up and see familiar faces dressed in their costumes. It was a really special experience to see how many people came together in town center to celebrate with us. Over two hours, we gave out 500 promotional cards to our studio and over 1,000 treats. We can’t wait to be a part of this tradition again next year! We’re looking forward to participating in the upcoming Sidewalk Sale in town center, sponsored by our landlord, Kimco. Look out for special promotions from Happy Hands.
Any funny anecdotes/recollections/story from your work here? We had the honor of hosting an event for the Wilton YMCA Gymnastics Team last year. We had an energetic night with 25 Wilton gymnasts and their moms. The girls were inspired by a custom sample that our staff created specially for the event. At first, the girls were very focused on painting their red uniform leotards, but as they finished painting, the night progressed, and they were filled with energy from Tom E Toes’ delicious pizza, our studio turned into a gymnastics mat. The girls were doing splits, cartwheels, and hand-stands. It was a late night of fun and dancing, but the best part was all of the gymnasts came out beautiful and none of the pottery in the studio was broken.
What do you love about doing business in Wilton? Wilton is a very family oriented community. We enjoy being able to share family celebrations and special moments in our studio. It is very admirable that many business owners in Wilton are women. It is refreshing to see how dedicated and hardworking these women are. We’ve created a special bond with Nancy [Saxe] from Sweet Pierre’s and Ann Lathrop from The Toy Chest. Since we opened they’ve been very supportive of Happy Hands and have made our Wilton experience even more enjoyable.
What do you hope to teach/give your customers? Every person has an inner artist. At Happy Hands we support confidence and creativity no matter how experienced the artist is. We are always there to help and guide. No matter how they feel about their creation process, it is amazing to see that they enjoy the end result. Creating functional pieces, or just having fun, all of the pottery that leaves our studio is a work of art.
What other Wilton business would you recommend to GMW readers and why? We’ve been apart of the Wilton Community for just over a year. During this time, as different small businesses came and went, we’ve always been excited to extend a warm welcome to new small businesses. We greatly appreciate and rely on the Town of Wilton’s continuous support and look forward to being a part of your future events and special occasions.