The Uphill Climb to the Muse: A Gallery Story
For the past six years, I’ve been on a journey that has involved a lot of coffee, a lot of prayers, and a shocking quantity of new vocabulary words. This September, The Marshall Muse Gallery will finally open its doors. If things go according to plans, that is. While I’m still not totally sure what a “subpart 72A-B” is, I am sure that every single hurdle has been worth it.
Let’s rewind a bit.
I casually started building-hunting about six years ago, and got serious two years ago. I looked at the Double Oaks Bed & Breakfast (yes, I was that close to turning it into an art space with wine and waffles). But it didn’t work out, and what felt like a loss at the time turned out to be a blessing, because soon after I stumbled across the beautiful Tudor building that is now almost ours.
Then came the… fun. Permits, zoning, sprinklers (yep, have to add those), and the discovery that apparently, an art gallery needs seven toilets. SEVEN. I’m still budgeting for toilet paper.
There were miscommunications, design delays, and my personal favorite: a mix-up where we were mistaken for a completely different business. We’re an art gallery. With events. That involve art. (And wine. Occasionally dancing too, lol.)
At one point, I was reading so many emails that I started responding to acronyms with, “Haha, yeah, totally, I love subpart 72-74C. Big fan.”
But the truth is, I had help. Incredible help. My contractor, architect, designer, bank team, realtor (who may be my new best friend), friends, family, the Greensboro city permitting team, everyone has been phenomenal. They’ve laughed, cried, and cheered me on, especially when I tilted my head sideways and said things like, “Wait, what’s a grease trap and why do I need one if I’m not frying anything?”
And while this is my fourth time opening a gallery — my first was at 26, and I had a wonderful run with a second round co-op for five of those years — this time feels bigger. I stepped away from the gallery world for a while when my kids were little (shoutout to my husband who once said, “You can do it again when things calm down”… I did not forget that promise, love). Life was crazy, three kids, a teaching job, side gigs, and then, just as I gave notice at my school to find a space… COVID. That slowed things down, but it didn’t stop me.
Fast forward to now: we’re finally closing on the building in just a couple of hours (thanks, SBA paperwork!) just two days before I fly out of the country. Great timing? Maybe. Maybe my contractor prefers I disappear for a bit so he can build without 15 texts a day from me asking, “Could this wall be magenta?”
The vision? 11 artist studios. Custom framing. Classes. Camps. Create & Sips. Yoga. Tai chi. Themed art shows. Music. Theater snippets. Nonprofit partnerships. Business sponsors. Community collabs. Seven days a week, something creative, inclusive, and full of life. I want old artists (incidentally, I’m 51 and was recently called old in my own house) and young artists, first-timers and pros, creatives and dreamers. All welcome... we're making space to meet creatives where they are.
This isn’t just about art. It’s about connection. You can find your place here with us.
Thank you to everyone who’s walked with me, talked with me, supported this crazy beautiful dream. Even a few days ago, when my stomach dropped hearing the closing had to be moved, I still smiled and said, “It’s going to be OK.” Because it is.
Everything worth doing is worth fighting for. And this? This is so worth it.
Check out the About pages and Community page to see all the people who’ve helped make this possible. And bookmark themarshallmusegallery.com so you can continue to explore our 100+ web pages of plans, classes (18 adult and 20 kids’ classes launching this fall!), and sign up for the newsletter. Follow us on all the social media (yes, even TikTok — I didn’t know what it was either but I’m told I need to be on there).
We’re almost there. Stay with us. And thanks for being part of the journey.
