Sven Nickerson 7Art

Get creative and express yo’ self with Arlington-native and 7Art Mobile Paint Parties owner, Sven Nickerson.

Nickerson always loved drawing and painting, and showed talent from an early age, even creating the mascot and logo for an Arlington animal organization when he was in 4th grade. But after graduating from Sam Houston High School, he was depressed about not getting a basketball scholarship and it affected his art. Nickerson didn’t pick up a paint brush or draw for almost seven years.

“God’s number is seven. So, after seven years in 2013, I started working in after-school programs and being creative again,” said Nickerson. “Working with children and being creative inspired me to know I have a purpose.”

From there Nickerson interned at a paint party company, before he started his own company three months later, called 7Art.

 “To be here in my hometown and being able to use my gifts to empower people, teaching everyone from children to seniors is amazing,” Nickerson expressed. “Just seeing their faces when they first come in thinking ‘there’s no way I can do this’ to leaving renewed and refreshed, saying ‘I can’t believe I did this’ and they’re proud of what they made, makes me so thankful.”

When people book, the customer gets to choose the image and the location of the paint party. They provide all the paint supplies, music and an emcee.

“We give them step-by-step instructions on how to paint. We never leave anybody hanging. Whatever image they chose, we try to dissect it and give it to them in bite-sized pieces in order to complete the masterpiece.”

7Art Mobile Paint Party offers several packages from adult, child and family parties including an option for photography and DJ add-ons. Parties have a 10-person minimum. To learn more about their packages and to book, visit www.7art.party. Or you can visit the One Start Development Center, on the second floor at City Hall from March 27 - 31, 2023, during Small Business Promotion Week. The City’s Planning and Development Service Department is also hosting Customer Appreciation Week during the same time and will be providing refreshments and bottled water for the customers visiting the Small Business Promotion table.

The City of Arlington is highlighting minority-owned and/or women-owned small businesses throughout 2023. Canales Furniture, another Small Business of Arlington, who has grown substantially in the last few years, wants to give back to the community and is sponsoring this program with the Planning & Development Services Department for the year 2023. In their new headquarters at 102 E. I-20 Highway, they have dedicated a training room for their growing community, including free English-speaking classes, citizenship classes, and teaching small businesses on how to utilize social media as a marketing tool.