Creativity That’s Convenient 

Meet Olivia Cohen, the art teacher behind “Art in a Cart.” Olivia was interested in art from a young age and now sees it as a necessity. After earning a degree in studio art, she began teaching at a school in Fayetteville, where she found a career that was both fulfilling and an outlet for her creativity. When Olivia and her husband moved to Southern Pines this February, she knew it was time to paint a new picture for herself. “It was a really hard decision to end my time at the school I was teaching at,” she says. “But I wanted to pour my heart and energy into this area and family seems to be a big value of this community.”

Homeschooling is also popular in the area, which aligned well with her new business plan for Cohen Classical Arts. She wanted to build something that gave her flexibility while meeting a need she saw in the community. 

Now she offers art lessons in a variety of formats for kids ages 3-18 whether they’re homeschooled, in traditional school or still learning how to write their name. “I knew I wanted to do one-on-one lessons and when trying to think of ways to market that, I came up with ‘Art in a Cart,'” says Olivia. Parents can sign up throughout the summer and school year, decide how serious they want lessons to be, etc. Olivia brings the lesson to the client, supplies and all. She even takes care of clean up, a perk for parents.

Although this is the business’s first summer, Olivia says the response has been quite positive. “I feel so honored that people put their trust in me,” she says. Her flexible scheduling makes it easy to accommodate busy families and a variety of routines.

“I do this to empower young people to be able to do something new and feel proud of what they’re doing,” says Olivia. Her lessons explore a wide range of mediums and techniques, ensuring that no two classes are ever the same. You’ll find Olivia leading occasional classes at The Connection Corner and KidCentric, with classes at The Campbell House beginning in August.