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Downtown Art Studio Celebrates Anniversary
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Young Wendy Frosceno, daughter of owner Alise Frosceno, picks the first number in a drawing to see which patron would be the first to select a gift in a White Elephant exchange at Stuff and Things, an art studio in downtown Riverbank. A ‘Sip and Paint’ lesson followed, with Alise leading attendees in creating a snowman-themed painting. Ric McGinnis/The News

Patrons of a local art studio gathered over the weekend to celebrate the holiday season, both with a special gift exchange and a lesson in painting.

Proprietor and instructor Alise Frosceno hosted the afternoon gathering at her Stuff and Things studio at 3220 Santa Fe St., Suite C. It’s located at the rear of the building, off the alley between Second and Third streets.

The afternoon gathering on Sunday, Dec. 15 featured snacks, a White Elephant gift exchange, and a special lesson, taught in ‘Sip and Paint’ style by Frosceno.

In addition to celebrating the holiday, the event also marked the one year anniversary of the shop, opened by Frosceno and her husband Anthony on Dec. 12, 2018. Both are military veterans and operate the family business as an environmentally conscious art studio.

“That means that we procure items that would otherwise be trash and turn them into art. Most if not all of the items that we use would ultimately end up in a landfill,” Frosceno said. “Items like plastic bottles, bottle caps, corks, scrap wood pieces, scrap paper, old toy pieces, old books, and so on. We take these items and utilize our imaginations to create fun awesome pieces of art. Sometimes we make games, too. It is really up to the person creating.”

The gift exchange was held White Elephant style, where each guest, in turn, chose either a gift from the table or one that had already been opened by someone, who then had to choose another. Each gift could be ‘exchanged’ up to three times before it became ‘frozen.’

There was also a small table of specially painted rocks to be chosen from as party favors.

In addition to snacks and beverages, the party included a ‘Sip and Paint’ style class, where participants were guided through the process of painting a snowman scene to take home.

Stuff and Things is an art studio that provides services for both adults and children. They can schedule separate events and also feature open studio times for all ages. Normal hours of operation are 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesdays through Saturdays.

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Celebrants at Stuff and Things in Riverbank show off the Snowman paintings they created, part of the establishment’s Christmas celebration for patrons who attended its White Elephant exchange over the weekend. Participants were guided through the lesson by owner Alise Frosceno, following a round of gift exchanges. Photo Contributed