New London — Sara Monroe, longtime owner Studio 33 Art & Frame Gallery at 140 Bank St., obtained a Paycheck Protection Program loan, a grant from the city and help from a friend to help her business stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She said she's taken great pains to make customers feel safe for the holiday shopping season and for those still leery about shopping in-person has shifted artist galleries and artisan gifts online and offered after-hour appointments, curbside pickup and deliveries.
Felicia Stevens, owner of The Drunken Palette Art Studio and Art Supply Emporium, continues to offer socially distanced group art classes and started offering customers virtual shopping tours, walking customers through her State Street business to check out the ever changing inventory of locally-crafted wares.