Red Green Blue owners grateful that creativity is contagious
By: Courtney Gross
Chess sets with dinosaurs. T-shirts speckled with primary colors. A plate crafted through pointillism.
If there is one thing that is constant in craft studio and gift gallery Red Green Blue, it’s that creativity is contagious, owner Karyn Greco said.
To celebrate its first anniversary, a day spent last year under a blanket of snow, the store/studio on Hulfish Street is welcoming Princeton area residents, and those beyond the border, to create collaborative projects and individual pieces beginning 4:30 p.m. today.
In addition to the celebration, the store has recognized its inaugural anniversary by opening a children’s art gallery representing work done by Princeton-area students. The exhibit, now hosting Riverside Elementary School, is booked for the next seven months, and will rotate monthly.
Schools that have already signed up include The Hun School of Princeton, Community Park Elementary School and Chapin School, among others.
Red Green Blue named after the three primary colors of light, Ms. Greco said allows all generations and levels of ability to express their individuality.
"Everything here is to help you shine your own light," Ms. Greco said.
Ms. Greco, who owns the store with her husband, Michael, was inspired to open the studio in Princeton after she started her own family. After the birth of their two daughters, the Grecos found that their time together was spent making crafts and they decided to take that idea to another level.
The store, which hosts gatherings from children’s birthday parties to corporate and team building events, gives members of the Princeton community the same opportunity, Ms. Greco said. Visitors can design glass plates, paint T-shirts, create puzzles, picture frames, and more.
Now, as the store expands into a gallery, Ms. Greco said, Red Green Blue can showcase the creativity occurring outside its walls and inside Princeton’s classrooms.
"Children are always proud of the work they do in the studio, so we were inspired to give them a place to show off some of their other creations," Ms. Greco said.
The Riverside School exhibit, installed on Wednesday, displays watercolors, paper mosaics and sketches all accompanied by the children’s explanation of their inspiration. And their abilities and artistic inclinations, whether realist or abstract, are clearly apparent.
One explanation that accompanies a drawing of school supplies, including glue and scissors, states, "I drew things the way I saw them."
A statement with a collage of blue and orange shapes reads, "I drew shapes, but didn’t try to make them into something."
The difference is clear, and the contrast is embraced at Red Green Blue. Ms Greco said no matter what the project might be, participants will always have their own, individual results.
Attendees at Red Green Blue’s celebration today, which will include Princeton Borough Mayor Mildred Trotman and Princeton Township Mayor Phyllis Marchand, can create their own bookmarks and individual puzzle pieces. Puzzles can be made collectively with family members, Ms. Greco said.
Attendees will also be asked to design small pieces of glass that will be consolidated to create a commemorative, community glass mural for the studio. Food will also be served all of the sweet palate, Ms. Greco said.

