This business in Columbus helped folks celebrate life moments. Why it’s closing

Brushes and Beverages, 1102 Broadway in Columbus, is closing this week.

The 18-year-old paint-and-sip studio lounge announced its closing in an emotional Facebook post June 2, thanking customers for the years of support.

“Though this chapter is coming to a close, we carry with us the beauty of what we created together,” the post says. “The laughter that echoed through the studio, the masterpieces (and happy little accidents) that filled our walls, and the warmth of this community will stay with us forever.”

Brushes and Beverages will have its last class June 13. The studio is selling and donating remaining supplies, like paintings and wooden racks, until June 14.

Co-owner Bain Smith spoke with the Ledger-Enquirer about the closing and the shop’s legacy.

Why is Brushes and Beverages closing?

In response to questions about why the shop is closing, Smith said that this was the right time.

“My mom’s retiring,” she said. “I got a nursing degree. Everyone’s splitting off and doing their own thing. … We’ve been kind of hanging on to it, knowing we need to move on with our lives and go on new adventures. It’s just time.”

The decision to close was not easy. After Smith graduated from nursing school, she realized that running the family business wasn’t suited for her family anymore. Her other family members, who also helped with management and operations, agreed.

“As a small business, you don’t have benefits for retirement,” Smith said. “You don’t have insurance or anything. So, I needed something that was better suited for my family, my 7-year-old daughter and my husband.”

Smith expressed gratitude for the overwhelming community support after the closing was announced. Seeing customers’ comments has been “very touching,” she said.

“We’re grateful for everything we could do for everyone, and we’re grateful for everything the community did for us,” Smith said. “It’s been an incredible journey these 18 years. We’re just very grateful for everyone. They’ll always have a piece of our hearts.”

The legacy of Brushes and Beverages

Opening in 2007, Brushes and Beverages has been the only paint-and-sip business in downtown Columbus. Smith’s mother, former Glenwood School art teacher Katy Kent, opened the storefront after cuts to the school’s art department.

“She was like, ‘Alright, well, I’ll just open up my own place,’” Smith said.

Smith, 35, started working in the studio when she turned 18, running the studio with her other family members over the years. Their art studio meant a lot to their family, serving as a consistent presence in their lives, she said.

“It’s carried us through these past 18 years,” Smith said. “We always had this to come back to. And, I did. I moved away and came back.”

Over the years, Smith said it was a highlight to see her regular customers grow over the years, celebrating precious life moments like proposals and bachelorette parties in the studio. She said customers felt like family.

“You can’t get that anywhere else, except for running a small business,” Smith said.

This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 10:19 AM.