About Us

Nicki Novotne
Artist/Owner

Hi I am Nicki Novotne, owner and artist at The Cre8tive Place and Art on the Go - Your traveling art studio.

I have a passion for sharing my love of art with others. Art on the Go started offering painting parties in 2014 in the Rochester area. That soon caught on like wildfire and expanded to SE Minnesota, Northern Iowa and into Wisconsin too. Art on the Go brings the art studio to you!

In 2020, during the pandemic, I needed to change with the times, and I expanded by connecting with other local artists. The Cre8tive Place began in 2021 as an online website where you could learn and support artists. Once the world started opening back up another big change started. 

In 2022 I took a leap of faith and opened my first retail, DIY craft and art studio in Plainview, MN.  At The Cre8tive Place you had space for artists to teach painting, resin, sugar scrub and stamping classes, (just to name a few).

The Cre8tive Place hosted adults and kids for private events like birthday parties, 4H groups, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, employee teambuilding events, church groups and school art events. I also offered open studio days where anyone could come in to paint either a wooden shape or canvas.

As a community member of Plainview, the studio offered homeschool art classes, afterschool and summer art camps that were open to community. 

Mid-summer there was talk that the local sewing and quilting shop was closing its doors. The word spread quickly, and the community was devastated.  As a small business owner, I was looking to move into a larger space to expand my services. Once I heard the news Belinda Stain and I came up with a plan to help us both, to save the sewing and quilting shop and expand The Cre8tive Place. 

In July, Piece by Piece closed their doors. Belinda sold her sewing and quilting shop to me. I was a bit nervous to jump into something I've never done before, but as a helper, a small business owner, a community member and artist, I moved into Piece by Piece at 401 W Broadway in Plainview.  Quickly I started making changes like first and foremost, the name. 

The Cre8tive Place officially re-opened on Aug 16th, 2023. We offer a wide variety of art classes, unique handmade gift items at the best place to be cre8tive! 

The crazy world of retail and art means, things are always changing and offering more opportunities to collaborate with artists and with the community.  

Thank you for supporting small local businesses!

Meet Tina