Alumna’s business closed during COVID. She donated money to student scholarships anyway.
The Painted Peacock is a Greenville business owned by alumna Susan Bucci ’08 and managed by alumna Ashlea Tievy ’15. (Contributed photos)
Painting and pottery are hands-on, in-person activities. When a Greenville paint-your-own pottery studio couldn’t allow people inside because of pandemic restrictions, its owner had to get creative quickly.
In October 2020, The Painted Peacock, owned by alumna Susan Bucci ’08 and managed by alumna Ashlea Tievy ’15, needed a way to keep its staff busy and customers engaged. Bucci and Tievy decided to start an online retail line with pieces that staff could paint, customize and ship to customers.
They partnered with the ECU Alumni Association on their Captain’s Collection, which includes sword-shaped charcuterie boards, skull drinking glasses, and purple and gold ceramics. A portion of sales from their Pirate-themed pottery collection goes directly to ECU Alumni Association scholarships. To date, The Painted Peacock has donated $500.
“We love to give back and love working with the Greenville community, and ECU makes up such a big part of that. We love being part of the ECU family,” Bucci said. “Even though things were tough, we wanted to do anything we could to help out.”
“We know how important the scholarships are,” Tievy added. “What’s most important to us is giving back. We mean it when we say it’s our number one reason.”
The ongoing fundraising effort for ECU Alumni Association scholarships is a wonderful example of the university’s motto of ‘servire,’ or ‘to serve,’ said Shawn Moore, director for scholarship and signature programs.
“From the beginning, Susan and Ashlea were very open to collaborating with ECUAA, and we were thrilled when the Captain’s Collection came to life,” Moore said. “It’s amazing to think about the ripple effect of this collection. Their custom, hand-painted works of art are made by Pirates, for Pirates and will benefit young Pirates.”
The Captain’s Collection includes Pirate-themed ceramics, and a portion of proceeds supports ECU Alumni Association scholarships.
As pandemic restrictions lift, The Painted Peacock plans to continue and grow its online retail offerings, Bucci said. “This year we’re hoping it really takes off and we can give back to more students.”
Learn more about ECU Alumni Association scholarships at piratealumni.com.