Childhood friends Anne Williams and Allie Kingsley Baker met at Redmond’s Evergreen Middle School. Decades later, they’ve gone into business together — 1,200 miles apart.
Baker founded Art Major Studios, a children’s arts and crafts space in La Quinta, California, two years ago. After Williams left her corporate recruiting job earlier this year, she realized she wanted a career like Baker’s — where every day could be bring-your-kid-to-work day. So, she asked Baker if she could open up an Art Major in Snoqualmie.
“What a dream come true, not only to have your business open a second location, but for one of your closest, oldest friends to be doing it with you,” said Baker, who attended the Snoqualmie grand opening Dec. 5. “It’s like ice cream on top of ice cream.”
The new Snoqualmie location of Art Major — at 8030 Railroad Avenue SE — will have open crafting hours, as well as classes, camps and private events. Open crafting will be $30 per kid, all supplies included, and camps will be about $65 per kid, depending on the hours.
Like the original location, Williams’s studio will provide all the necessary supplies for children to let their imaginations run wild without making a mess at home. Encased in tall, white walls, the resounding room is truly a blank canvas, which was intentional.
“We want all of the color that comes in to be through creativity,” Williams said. “And that’s something that will go across all Art Majors. … We’ll have all the same white furniture, all the same white walls, but then again, people will have their own kind of flair added onto it.”
Different from the original location, however, Williams will host adult-only “craft and sips” with alcoholic beverages. Being a mom of young kids herself, Williams said there aren’t many local spots for adults to socialize outside of restaurants.
“[Baker] has the blueprint for the business … but we’re each going to have some differentiators based on our demographics,” she said. She added, “[Moms] are always looking for ways just to get together and collaborate, but I feel like there’s just not a lot to do right now in that realm.”
The Snoqualmie Art Major location will still be heavily kid-focused. Williams plans to be open on weekends, holidays when schools are closed, and after school on weekdays so kids have somewhere to hang out.
Two Fridays a month, Art Major will host a parent’s night out/kids’ night in, where parents can drop off their kids for two hours to craft and have dinner at the studio. Since camps are for age 4 and up, Williams will also incorporate toddler “mommy and me” classes into the studio’s schedule.
Aside from time with her kids, Williams opened Art Major for community connection. She encourages guests to give feedback and ideas for future classes, either through artmajorstudio.com or on Instagram @artmajor_snoqualmie.
“I really want the input of the community. It’s for the people, for our kids,” she said, adding that she takes a lot of inspiration from her 9-year-old daughter. “In a year, I bet I’ll look back, and be like, ‘Wow, I had no idea this is where this was going to go.’”
Anne Williams, owner of the Snoqualmie Art Major Studios location, cuts the ribbon at her grand opening Dec. 5, 2024, surrounded by friends and family. From left: SnoValley Chamber of Commerce CEO Kelly Coughlin; Williams’s son and daughter; Williams; Williams’s husband and son; Snoqualmie Mayor Katherine Ross. Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record
Anne Williams, owner of the Snoqualmie Art Major Studios location, stands in her studio’s photo station at her grand opening Dec. 5, 2024. (Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record)
Friends, family and neighbors gather to celebrate the opening of the Snoqualmie location of Art Major Studios Dec. 5, 2024. (Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record)
