I’m Maura O’Shea and this is Our Story….
In 2010, after 18 years as an arts educator and administrator, I left my position as Deputy Director at the New Britain Museum of American Art to turn my attention to launching a creative venture in my home town of Glastonbury, CT.
My original concept was a bricks and mortar studio space where guests could drop in to participate in creative, artistic activities and parties. In spring of 2011, while discussing the challenges of finding an affordable storefront location with a friend, the suggestion was made to take the concept mobile. And why not? I immediately launched a search for the perfect vehicle.
Two more happy coincidences occurred while on the vehicle search: another friend suggested looking into modifying a tow style trailer (he had worked in many as a field biologist); and one of my former star employees, Morgan Fippinger, from the New Britain Museum of American Art was looking for a career move.
I called Morgan about the venture and a partnership was formed. Morgan brought big talent in teaching and customer service to this venture, along with enthusiasm for multimedia design and social media.
Geared-up with a mission to Mobilize Creativity, The Art Truck, LLC was officially formed in June 2011 and sealed when I bought our first Ford F150. By July, we took delivery of our first “raw” car hauler and spent the next three months outfitting the interior and learning the geometry and art of driving our first car hauler!
We launched Connecticut’s first mobile art studio with a plan for delivering five-star, artistic parties and events throughout the State.
