CLAY STUDIO

The Chartreuse Muse started when three artists, Ellen Roehne, Gayle Gallagher, and Angela Purviance, found a studio space they could share to create and show their artwork and to teach classes on H Street in downtown Modesto, opening its doors in 2002. A year after its founding, Gayle and Angela moved out of the area, leaving a void which Sandra Veneman stepped in to fill. Business continued in this space until it became clear that a better venue was needed to show the higher caliber artists found in the Modesto region.

The Muse moved to its current location in the heart of downtown Modesto on 10th Street in 2007. Since then, in addition to showing art and teaching classes, The Muse added off-site classes through the Mobile Muse Program and a fully functioning Clay Studio. The move made to 10th Street allowed the gallery and art school to have a much better show space and two classrooms.

Because both Ellen and Sandy work with ceramics, they landed on something that really set the business apart from other galleries and art schools: clay! The Muse developed a fully functioning clay studio in 2013 and began hosting Open Studio, teaching clay classes, and offering memberships in 2014. As classes filled, many people in our area found a great creative outlet. The Clay Studio has been one of The Muse’s greatest successes.

2003 saw the start of The Gallery Walk between Anderson Gallery on J Street, the Central California Art League on I Street, and The Chartreuse Muse Gallery on H Street; and has grown to have as many as fifteen stops and include many more venues than just galleries. It turned into The Third Thursday Art Walk. This great night out has showcased hundreds of our area’s artists over the years and, after twenty one years, continues to be a great family-friendly night out to enjoy art.

It has been a wonderful twenty two year run that The Muse has had and we will forever look back on this time with great joy. The artists and art instructors that have been at The Muse are some of the best around and we would not have been the place we are without each of them. We are also thankful to the guests who have graced the doors of the gallery and classrooms and to the schools which have allowed us to share and inspire art with their students. We have decided to close The Muse on a high note and many may be sad, including us, but all good things come to an end. Please join us for our final show, our magnus opus: “A Shade of Green”. This show will run April through May with an artist reception on Saturday, April 13 from 5-8pm. All are welcome!