Shelbyville, Tennessee’s town square has a collection of small businesses that make the area unique, all providing the community with an assortment of goods and services you won’t find anywhere else. They’re the type of businesses that credit unions like Ascend Federal Credit Union are proud to partner with.

One of those small businesses on the square provides something truly special: a place to get arty.

Arty All The Time opened on the main floor of the old First National Bank building on Depot Street in 2019. Owner Angie Jackson and her husband, Daniel, purchased the 1920s-era building in December of 2018 and renovated the upstairs into a living space before making the art studio downstairs.

Jackson, who recently retired from a 20-plus-year career as an elementary and high school art teacher, wanted to give the community a space to relax and learn about different art forms.

“As an art teacher, people were often asking me to teach classes on how to do different artsy things,” she said. “After we bought the building, I was talking to another teacher friend, and they wanted me to come to their school and do a painting class. It kind of mushroomed from there, and Arty All The Time was born.”

At the studio, Jackson offers art classes, paint parties, and camps to teach students of any age more about various art forms: painting, weaving, needle felting, and much more. She’s also been busy recently renovating the space to add a coffee and tea bar, as well as art kits and other gift items for sale.

“I want the studio to be a place where people can come and feel relaxed and confident enough to create something that they’re proud to display in their home,” she said. “It’s very rewarding when I see people in town, and they let me know that they or someone they know came to my studio and had a wonderful time and enjoyed creating a piece of artwork.”

Jackson wasn’t alone on her journey creating Arty All The Time – she has a team around her who’ve helped with everything from paint parties to renovating and organizing the shop.

“I have been very blessed with my family who have all supported me,” she said. “I know not everyone is that lucky, but I am so thankful that I am.”

She also has Ascend in her corner. Jackson has been a member for more than 40 years and even worked there as a teller and in the marketing department for a time.

“They have always been very helpful,” she said. “I prefer to do my banking with a local financial institution rather than a big bank because they seem to care about me and my success significantly more.”

On a town square known for its unique small businesses, Arty All The Time truly stands out as a place for the community to have fun and unwind. Stop by sometime if you’re feeling creative.