“At the end of a session, they’ll walk away with something they can be proud of and hang on their wall. “We just don’t need four of the same art hanging in our house,” Kathy Fillmore said.īoth Levine and Finch said Muse’s success has to do with the customers and how they feel during and after creating the art. Kathy Fillmore, visited the West Hartford location a couple times before attending Glastonbury, and while everyone else in the room was following Levine’s instructions on re-creating Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night,” she was figuring out which of the many paintings in the room she would try to re-create on her own. “It’s fun and different though,” he said, as he painted in blue skies, adding that he will return again with his family now that the newest location is closer to home. Middletown residents Kathy and Donald Fillmore, along with their daughters, participated in the pop-up session, though Donald Fillmore said he wasn’t initially eager to participate in his first session. The energy and the wide range of food and drink options make the business appealing to a wide range of customers, though Finch said many happen to be in their 20s and female. “You need high energy,” said Levine about her lively stage presence, “because ultimately people are reflections of each other.” But, she said, the paint bar allows people to try something “in a judgment-free zone” and ultimately helps them unwind in a relaxing environment. She admits to telling people a glass of wine helps to make the art better. Speaking to a 40-person group this week in Glastonbury during a pop-up night for the paint bar, Levine joked about making sure people didn’t mistake a paintbrush water glass for their wine glass. “No two paintings look alike,” Levine said. She breaks down a painting step by step, and color by color until a final product is done. During a Muse session, Levine is the one creating energy and making the aspiring artists comfortable in an unusual environment. “I actually wrote a haiku as a cover letter and got the job.”Įxpanding her creativity and letting others do the same drives Levine. “It seemed like a dream working here,” she said. Three years ago, she saw the job opening for the Blue Back Square location posted on Craigslist and applied. Levine said she’s fortunate to work for a company that has stayed true to its origins: believing in artists and allowing them to be themselves. “It’s such a great energy, tons of laughs.” “It’s really cool to see the piece come together at the end,” Levine said. Couples pick one piece of artwork to re-create but split the piece into two. Levine’s favorite though, is the “couples night” sessions. Recently, the company added a “paint your sunset” session, where customers can bring in a sunset picture and re-create it with an artists’ guide. Keeping fresh ideas flowing helps the business maintain its success. “We’re adding vases, wine glasses and mason jars along with having over 400 pieces in our library,” said Robyn Levine, a graduate of UConn who studied arts and illustration and the company’s lead artist and area manager. Growth includes finding locations, though it also includes branding and building upon different art forms, branching out from the company’s original canvas drawings. Right now, we’re looking to see whether we’ll work with Yale or negotiate with other landlords,” he said. “We’re trying to find the proper location. New Haven is the next target Finch plans to visit the Elm City in two weeks to come up with a plan. “We are looking to open one location a month.”Īnd Glastonbury won’t be the last town in the state where a Muse opens. “Right now, it’s about investing into larger growth,” Finch said. Muse donates 5 percent of all of its profits to local causes.įinch said that the business is profitable, making $10 million in revenue in 2015, and that he has an expansion plan in place for all areas of the business. Finch has access to the train line in all of the eight states where he has opened a Muse Paintbar.įinch says paint bar - there are three in Connecticut, in Glastonbury, West Hartford and Norwalk - offers the opportunity for customers to unwind with a bite to eat before, or a drink after, their art sessions.Ĭlasses at Muse start at $35 for two hours, and private parties and local fundraisers are also welcome. “I take the train a lot basically I’m following the Amtrak line,” Finch joked. In each locale, Finch looks for a family vibe and a community atmosphere. The success of the West Hartford location kicked off ideas to continue the company in similar locations.
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