Have a hankering for eclectic fashion and dashing designs?
Opened by Melissa Lujan in 2021, Dainty Disco is a collective where creatives can let their imaginations run wild! With their retro flare, bright colors and welcoming attitude, Dainty Disco has become a hub for local artists in the Long Beach area.
Dainty Disco has been working hard to hold weekly events and connect with the community. They held a recent Dia De Los Muertos Art Walk featuring multiple guest artists whose work can also be found in the shop, and they’re having an upcoming tote bag painting workshop on November 19th! (Which I’ve already reserved spots for, and you totally should too!)
Their upcoming events for this month! Courtesy of their instagram @DaintyDisco!
The beautiful Dia De Los Muertos display that was set up inside of Dainty Disco to honor loved ones.
An outside view of the art walk, where multiple artists tabled and sold their creations!
Dainty Disco’s classes have been anything from crocheting classes to art walks to clothing swap pops, and recently they even held a Bad Bunny Piñata-Making Class! Participants could make their own mini Benito while his music played in the background of the colorful Dainty Disco shop.
Instructor of the Pinata Class, Daisy Rios, as she walks us through the Pinata-making project together!
We each received our own baggie filled with pinata-making materials and sat together around tables set-up in the shop. People came around to each table to check on us and Daisy Rios, a relative of Lujan, walked us through the process. They were very patient and made sure everyone felt involved in the session. I felt really calm while making my pinata; cutting the tissue paper to make the layers, gluing the pieces on and trimming the cardboard to make the heart was really fun and refreshing. In just a handful or two of steps, we all had an awesome little friend to take home!
The “core” of our Bad Bunny Pinata! Everything was color coordinated-they even had red cupcakes with his logos and face on them!
Our Pinatas! Some of us cut holes in the side so we could store things in it too. It would also be the cutest gift card or letter holder! Or a fun little friend to hang in your bedroom :) My guy came out a little fluffier than the original! I also turned his frown upside down (like art does for me!)
But there’s also a more serious component to the art-making process that we can’t forget, especially as Honors students. We can get so caught up in the daily string of things we have to do. Sitting down and just focusing on one thing, one thing that brings us joy is just as important as our next assignment or our next grade. It’s easy to forget that sometimes; we’ve fallen so deeply into the “Rise and Grind” mindset where it never stops. Not always a bad thing, but not always good either.
Daisy Rios, who taught the Pinata class, shared her perspective on why art is important for Honors students, and any person who may need a mental health break.
“For me, I practice mindfulness with it because it forces you to focus. Like everybody here, nobody was thinking about the problem they have with their family,” Rios said. “It's like you're…just focusing on what you're doing in front of you. You're in a safe environment, you feel comfortable, and it's just relaxing.”
The set-up of the shop as people are hard at work making their pinatas and chatting with each other!
“Creating and making art has so many benefits. One of them being a way to empower and express yourself as an individual. Art allows you to escape from reality and allows you to explore your imagination. One person may think your work is "weird" but another may be completely inspired and amazed. I believe it also teaches you that the possibilities to be creative are endless,” Lujan added.
Marissa Lujan and Daisy Rios pose together with their completed pinata and the original big boy himself!
They both encourage us to not let ourselves be put in boxes and to continue to express ourselves however we can!
Dainty Disco really is a place that likes to go “all-out,” not only in the fashion sense but also for its customers! They love to go above and beyond while making things super fun and friendly for everyone who comes their way. Thank you, Dainty Disco! Check them out on Instagram @DaintyDisco! Pay a visit to their shop on Atlantic Ave or even catch them at your local art walk! Support your local, small-owned business while also maybe getting some artistic ideas so you too, can create and recenter yourself.
Thanks for reading!
Group photo with some of the pinata-making participants!
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