Diana Prusik has built a business around helping people feel comfortable picking up a paintbrush. As owner of Artmazing Event Co, powered by Paint Nite, she hosts paint-and-sip events across the St. Louis region—including in Chesterfield—for beginners and experienced artists alike. Prusik says the goal is simple: create a welcoming space where people can relax, try something new, and express themselves.
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Organization: Artmazing Event Co, powered by Paint Nite. (The original paint and sip company)
Title: Artmazing Event Owner; Paint Nite—Local Mentor, Artist, Host
Age: 61
Background: Born in Sullivan, MO. Reside in Cedar Hill, MO.
Education: Masters in Education (with teacher certification), University of Missouri—St. Louis; Bachelors in English, Summa Cum Laude, University of Missouri—Rolla
Interests / Hobbies: Painting, drawing, crafting, reading, traveling, spending time with loved ones and in nature.
What motivated you to get involved in this work/community/activity? In 2014, I attended a Paint Nite in St. Louis with life-long friends. We had such a relaxing, fun experience making memories and masterpieces together that I immediately knew I wanted to help others experience the same. I’ve been a Paint Nite artist ever since.
What values or principles guide how you show up in this role/community? I value meaningful time spent on self-care and on bonding with others. I value making positive memories to cherish. I value self-expression and creativity. I value learning something new and expanding upon previous learning. I strive to facilitate a positive, welcoming, judgement-free, stress-free environment so everyone at Paint Nite feels comfortable and encouraged to do all of the above and more.
What’s the most enjoyable aspect? Meeting new people, making new friends, witnessing people discover they can create beautiful art, and seeing the uniqueness each person brings to their creations.
Can you briefly share a few standout memories? One of my most powerful Paint Nite moments happened at the end of an event when a guest approached me to say she had been battling cancer. After treatments, she was finally feeling strong enough to come paint for the first time. With tears in her eyes (and tears in mine!), she gave me a tight hug and said, “You have NO idea how much I needed this! Thank you!” That right there is the best reward I could ever receive for doing this job! Another standout memory is ongoing. A frequent guest (the number of events she has attended over the years is well into triple digits) often gifts her paintings to friends, family, community members, restaurant staff, and more—from local people to residents in Oklahoma, Tennessee, and even as far away as Florida. She posts photos of recipients holding her masterpieces, and it brings me great joy to see her spreading joy through her Paint Nite art!
Can you share an insight about this role that most people don’t know? You do not need to feel artistically inclined or have any art experience at all to have an ARTmazing experience at Paint Nite. It’s all about relaxing and having a good time while exploring creativity.
What’s one key piece of advice you’ve embraced? I say this often at Paint Nite: Our art is as unique to us as our penmanship. We can all write the alphabet, but our alphabet will not be identical to anyone else’s. We are not cookie cutters or Xerox machines. How boring it would be if every painting in an art museum looked the same. Art is about creativity and self-expression, so our differences are something to celebrate, not something to stress over.
What’s the greatest challenge? Deciding which projects to offer is by far the greatest challenge. Our Paint Nite Library contains tens of thousands of options, so selecting (or creating) paintings others want to paint can be daunting. One solution I found is to periodically run a “This or That?” voting series on my Artmazing Event Co Facebook page so my social media followers can vote on their favorites. The paintings with the most votes by the deadline become those offered at future events. Still, it’s a challenge to select which paintings to pair up for vote!
Where do you find inspiration? Everywhere in the world around me, especially in nature.
What are your future plans or ambitions? I would love to expand to more venues so more people can experience the fun and so those who already drive a distance to attend can experience Paint Nite closer to their homes. Also, I would love to expand the variety of projects. Paint Nite is the original creator of the paint and sip concept. In addition to canvas painting, our most popular and common offering, we’ve added other creative experiences, such as glassware painting, chunky blanket workshops, candle-making workshops, seaglass tree workshops, etc. I would like to continue offering new ways for people to get creative while having a blast.
