ABOUT THE STUDIO
ORLANDO, FL • WORKSHOPS & KITS NATIONWIDE
Your wellbeing
is our business.
The Ugly Art Studio is an art-for-wellness studio headquartered in Orlando, Florida (Lake Nona). Founded in research demonstrating that art is good for everyone, we've developed zero-barrier art kits and workshops that allow people to access the benefits of artmaking, without the pressure.
Here, you'll learn about who we are, what we believe, and why the name is the whole point.
Founded by Samantha Dunne
Global Arts in Medicine Fellow
Making Art for Health, Happiness, & Wellbeing
THE FOUNDER
Samantha studied art and global culture at university, then earned a master’s in architectural science -- learning how to design environments for the health and wellbeing of people and the planet. She went to Paris to study art history, to Sydney to study sustainable design, and to Grenoble for language and culture. In 2021 she began teaching art at university, helping first years and non-art majors foster a love for art through building meaningful and exploratory art practices.
Today, Samantha is a Global Arts in Medicine Fellow, where she continues exploring how creative engagement supports wellbeing in healthcare and community settings.
The Ugly Art Studio was born out of this interdisciplinary experience. Every workshop and art kit is designed to support wellbeing; each thoughtful detail contributes to an environment where people feel safe enough to let go of perfection and start creating.
Meet
Samantha Dunne
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The research says, making art is beneficial.
The problem is, most people think they're "bad at art."
Which means, too many people never even try.
So we created a new kind of art experience.
The Ugly Art Studio exists to help more people experience the wellbeing benefits of artmaking. We create research-informed artmaking experiences for healthcare settings, workplaces, and communities that feel approachable, welcoming, and deeply human. Decades of research across arts in health, neuroaesthetics, and psychology continue to point to the same conclusion: making art helps people reduce stress, connect with others, and experience greater wellbeing.
The science tells us why art matters, and our mission is to make sure more people get to experience those benefits. That's why everything we do revolves around one simple mantra:
art doesn't have to be good to be good for you.
In a world dominated by screens, performance, and constant distraction, making something with your hands offers something increasingly rare: presence. We intentionally design our experiences for tactility, attention, and real-world connection. On top of that, everything we do prioritizes process over perfection. We remove the pressure, lower the barriers, and make it easy for anyone to begin.
You don't need talent, experience, or a creative bone in your body to benefit from making art. Research shows the benefits come from the act of creating, not how it looks at the end. We believe everyone deserves access to these benefits, so we've made it our job to provide opportunities for more people to make more art, more often.
OUR MISSION
A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER
Hi, I'm Samantha Dunne. Founder and CEO at The Ugly Art Studio.
I'm an art teacher, wellness enthusiast, and lifelong believer in the magic of making things with our hands. I started this weird little studio with one bold idea: art doesn’t have to be good to be good for you.
My background is a colorful patchwork of art, education, and sustainable architecture — all stitched together by a passion for creativity with purpose. I’ve spent years cultivating spaces where people can reconnect with their inner artist (you know, the one who got sidelined somewhere around 4th grade). I’ve worked with college students, kids, elder Americans, community groups, and corporate professionals helping them to reignite their own creative magic.
In 2024, I stumbled upon a book called Your Brain on Art by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross. This book changed my life. I felt my purpose on this planet become very clear — I was to become a service provider for the field of Arts in Health. In doing so, I would continue making and teaching art, but this time, with the clear intention of helping others live happier and healthier lives.
The Ugly Art Studio is my life's greatest art project. I’m not here to teach you how to draw like Michelangelo, or paint like Georgia O'Keeffe. I’m here to invite you to make your mark — crooked lines, weird colors, feelings and all, and see what unfolds.
My personal mission is to help you let go of perfection and discover the power of process. Because, my friends, process is life's whole point.
Let’s go make some gloriously freeing, radically human art. Together.
DESIGNED FROM SCIENCE
Built on Decades of Arts in Health Research
Our work at The Ugly Art Studio is founded on research from the field of Arts in Health demonstrating the powerful impact artmaking can have on human health and wellbeing.
Stress Reduction
Artmaking has been shown to reduce stress and support your body's natural relaxation response.
Social Connection
Making art together has been shown to reduce loneliness while increasing feelings of belonging.
Feeling
Good
Artmaking can activate the brain's reward systems, promoting flow —focused attention that often brings enjoyment, calm, and timelessness.
Why UGLY?
Because perfection is stressful.
Because ugly is freeing.
Because in a world that’s filtered, optimized, & productivity-obsessed...
making something playful, weird, and unusual is a
radical act of self-care.
We called it The Ugly Art Studio because too many people believe they're "not good enough at art" to join an art studio. So we created a space where perfection is left at the door. Curiosity is welcome, play is encouraged, and everyone is free to explore without worrying about how it looks in the end. Everyone, regardless of skill level, deserves to experience the wellbeing benefits of creativity, whether they identify as an artist or not.
When we say ugly, we mean unpolished, in-progress, honest. The lopsided clay bowl. The watercolor that ran off the page. The collage that makes sense to exactly one person: you. Our name isn't about guiding people to make bad art. It's about dismantling the invisible barriers that keep people from making art in the first place.
Here's the thing the research and our workshops keep confirming: the benefits of artmaking come from the making, not the masterpiece. Your nervous system doesn't grade your output. When you stop performing and start making, that's when the good stuff happens. So we design every workshop and art kit around process over product. Nobody critiques. Nothing gets graded. The only failure is not getting started.
A special welcome to:
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The “non-artists”
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The creatively curious
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The overworked, overwhelmed, and over-Zoomed
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Teams, families, elders, teens and everyone in between
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Artists overwhelmed with pressure or creative block
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Anyone ready to feel a little more human
What we believe:
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Making is medicine
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Process > Perfection
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Everyone is creative (yes, including the ones who say they're not!)
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Imperfection is not a flaw
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Science with soul - informed experiences that always feel human, never clinical
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