Things to Do in Welby

Hosted at a variety of local venues, Bottle and Bottega's public, private, corporate, and kids’ painting parties provide painting materials and expert guidance to foster participants’ creativity. With at least one artistic instructor per 15 students, themed session revolve around recreating an original artwork, featuring subject matter such as sunset skylines, floral still lifes, and portraits of Dorian Gray's cat. Bottle and Bottega's host of painting packages include add-ons such as catering, cooking lessons, wine tasting, live models, and personalized party decorations.

Over the course of two decades, the glint of gemstones, polished beads, glass pearls, and sterling-silver chains on the shelves at Desert Gems have inspired countless crafters to create their own personalized jewelry. The shop's veteran staff leads workshops for novice and advanced beaders that cover foundational beading techniques, as well as leather- and wire-wrapping and advanced bead stitching. Between its stock of glass pearls and Turkish beads, Desert Gems carves out a third of the space in its store for rocks, minerals, carvings, and alien-crafted obelisks gathered from around the world.

At Butts Rental, Inc., chainsaws and lawn mowers purr in the lot, punctuated by the cold hiss of filling propane tanks. The selection of rental equipment helps in the completion of home projects with dollies, floor polishers, and other tools from brands including John Deere. Party planners wander among rental chairs and ice tubs as well as popcorn machines, which help feed guests and give a nervous Robocop somebody to talk to.

Anya McManis's art has been featured in galleries and shows from Colorado to Europe—with recent honors including a spot in the 2011 Florence Biennale—and her graphic-design company has won awards since its inception. But her most lasting piece of work is Spellbound Art. Half gallery and half school, Spellbound hosts exhibitions of up and coming local artists and grants guests the chance to explore the art and expression that hides within. Anya’s workshops delve into diverse media ranging from poetry and collage to painting and interpretive salad-making, and open-studio sessions let artists take a stab at painting or mixed media with provided materials.