Thursday, July 16, 2020
cheshirecitizen.com
Volume 11, Number 40
Barbers, salons start to see a return to normal By Devin Leith-Yessian Record-Journal staff
Even though she works with a face shield and her shop is capped at half capacity, Maria Perez feels like the Cheshire Barber Shop is returning to normal.
Gianna Martone, 8, of Cheshire, freshens a brush with brown paint while working on her owl project during an art camp at Catalyst Art Studio, 88 Center St., Wallingford. Photos by Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
Art studios adapt to pandemic By Jessica Simms Special to the Record-Journal
Even in a pandemic, art studios and art organizations are providing ways to unleash creativity, including paint nights, at-home art kits and art camps. Cheshire’s Artsplace teachers have been designing new ideas to reach the art community even though the building has been closed to visitors up to this point. “A combination of Zoom online workshops have been filmed and we have creatively set up two large classrooms to use when we reopen for teen/adult programs,” said Artsplace Director Joan Pilarczyk, adding, “We have several exciting program art challenges in the final stages of prep before offering to the public.” Cheshire Art League also has reworked its usually busy schedules. “Our league has a virtual art book club that we
Emily Wargo, 8, of Cheshire, paints at art camp at Catalyst Art Studio.
are doing through the library, said CAL President Dale Spaner. “I am trying to line up a virtual demo for our September meeting. I think right now everyone is staying away from any social events,” she said. Spaner also announced that the group rescheduled its annual October exhibit at Cheshire Nursery until next year.
Before COVID-19, many area art studios offered paint night classes for customers to spend time with friends and learn how to paint. At Board & Brush in Southington, the customers would take a piece of raw wood and turn it into something beautiful.
“One of the first things we say to them is ‘take a picture See Studios, A11
with a touchless thermometer the Cheshire Fire Department gave out to local businesses. She was able to acquire extra masks and face shields from the Chesprocott Health District.
The flood of customers at reopening prompted Sa“Business was booming lon Nathaniel in Meriden the first month. I feel like I to extend its hours. Owner cut everybody’s hair in the Nathaniel Bottone world in the first month said even operating at half and now everything is a capacity, the salon had little back to normal,” she around 50 percent more said. business last month than The state allowed haircut- in June 2019. ters to reopen June 1. Since stylists already reAfter months of not being ceive training in sanitation able to get haircuts, Perez during certification, Bottone said getting used to said her clients seemed masks was the biggest like a throwback to the 1970s, when long hair was hurdle. more common. “We were already used to the sanitation protocols,” For hairstylists the new normal includes having to he said. cut around face masks Keeping up with the deworn by customers, single mand for equipment and use capes, closing waiting sanitizing supplies and areas, requiring customers operating at half capacity to make appointhas forced some shops to ments and increased sani- increase prices. They are tation of equipment and also hurt financially besurfaces. cause open time between appointments is no longer “It’s a pain, it’s not easy,” filled with walk-ins. Perez said. “But at the same time I was so ready “There’s much more costs to go back to work and so that we never had before. grateful that I was going You always had a cost, you back to work, that I told had your sanitizing prodmy customers if I had to ucts, lights; now you have wear a suit of armor, I a lot more with the disinwould wear a suit of arfectants, laundry,” said mor to go back to work.” Louie Lumani, owner of L ouie’s Barber Shop in Perez also takes the temperature of each customer See Barbers, A3