Meet Joana Pratt López of Art for Life in Buford LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joana Pratt López.

Hi Joana, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My career began in Colombia, my birthplace, where I studied theater at art school since I was a child, eventually specializing in set design. I then created my own business performing traditional folktales in schools using puppets, and went on to start another company dedicated to making Mardi Gras-style floats for the annual feria in my home city of Cali, Colombia, as well as making furniture using a technique I developed involving recycled cardboard. I taught this same technique to adults and children at a studio in my home. When I moved to the U.S. in 2001, I was able to get work teaching art, Spanish and theater to children in private schools – including Montessori – for years. When “paint n’ sip” events became popular about 10 years ago, I started getting work leading those events at a local art studio. Then in 2017, the family of a young girl to whom I taught art told me there was a locale opening up in the Buford, Ga. commercial center they owned. They asked if I was interested in opening my own studio, with the first three months rent-free! We talked it over in my family and decided to give it a go. Eight years later, I am combining all the things I have been passionate about my whole life: making art, teaching art, helping improve people’s lives through creativity!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As with many small business owners, the height of the pandemic nearly ended our art studio. We had to do events virtually, take out an SBA loan, and scrape by for awhile. The biggest challenge on an ongoing basis is getting the word out to people that you exist, especially in a fast-growing area such as the one surrounding Buford!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am the owner and manager of Art for Life in Buford, a studio dedicated to bringing art into the lives of all people, from ages 6 to 96. With the help of a small staff and my husband (we are a family-owned business), we offer the community after-school programs in art and Spanish (using the arts); school vacation Art Camps; weekend public and private Artsy Parties (“paint n’ sip” events) and other special events such as Paint Your Pet and team-building activities using art for businesses, colleges, religious congregations and others. Despite Gwinnett County being nearly 1/4 Hispanic, we are the only bilingual art studio in the county! We offer unique programs such as an Afterschool Program dedicated to fashion and cosplay. Finally, we work with children with behavioral and learning disabilities, both in existing programs and in private classes.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Good luck is what launched our business, since the parents of a girl who I taught art to also were owners of the locale in Buford where our studio is now located! They offered me the spot for three months rent-free eight years ago, and the rest is history!

Pricing:

• Artsy Parties (“Sip n’ Paint”): $38 per person, $70 per couple.
• Afterschool Art/ Spanish Programs: $100-$175/mo.
• Paint Your Pet: $60 per person

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artforlife.center/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artforlifeinbuford/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artforlifeinBuford/