Bernardsville Duo Bring Abrakadoodle Classes To Somerset County

BERNARDSVILLE, NJ — A Bernardsville duo is opening a franchise of creativity and art education company Abrakadoodle, which will serve towns such as Somerset Hills, Bridgewater, Hillsborough, Piscataway, Somerset.

Abrakadoodle Somerset County will bring creative visual arts classes, camps, workshops, in-school field trips, special events and arty parties to schools, recreation centers, and other community sites.

Laura and Shaheed Shabazz are the two owners behind the new franchise. She has taught creative classes to children and adults for over 30 years and he is a musician and creative entrepreneur, who has owned and operated a recording studio for 13 years, performed and recorded as a blues guitarist, and taught guitar.

Together, they have run a guitar teaching business for eight years while juggling other professional pursuits.

“Making things with my hands and working with art has been deeply therapeutic and meaningful in my life," she said, adding that the two are excited to bring the program to the area. "We signed our daughter up for a class before joining the company, just to test it out, and were incredibly impressed.”

Abrakadoodle academic art programs are offered in charter schools, elementary schools and pre-K programs.

Students use specialty art materials, learn about contemporary and master artists, explore art from around the world and work in two and three dimensions.