New Black-owned art gallery works to bring inspiration, transformation in West Side space
Co-owners Taylor and Stephen Smith are on a mission with their recently-opened Muse, a completely renovated space that’s home to art as well as events, classes, and interactive experiences.
Taylor Smith, co-owner of Muse, welcomes me into the bright, newly-refurbished building on Leonard Street. Her husband and co-owner Stephen Smith joins her and draws our attention to the art hanging on the walls around us. I hover in front of each piece for a few moments and absorb the textures and colors. The space feels fresh and open, with floor-to-ceiling windows letting in the late-afternoon sun.
Muse, an interactive, contemporary art gallery on the West Side of Grand Rapids, opened this May after some serious renovations. The building, now completely transformed, had been an adult bookstore for decades.
Muse is one of the only black-owned art galleries in Grand Rapids. Its co-owners, coming from backgrounds in journalism (Taylor Smith) and photography (Stephen Smith), originally thought they’d just open a photography studio.
“Through the process of working with the City and just exploring what we wanted to do and the construction process, we landed on an art gallery,” explains Taylor Smith. “I’m really excited that we’ve switched our ideas and let it evolve into what it has been… it’s been really fun.”
The couple wants to be inclusive in the work they show, giving everyone an opportunity to express themselves and showcase their experiences. They work with local artists for the most part but collaborate with national artists as well.
“I would say our mission is to just inspire people,” Taylor Smith says. “That’s kind of the root of what Muse means and what we want to do here. We want to inspire people to be creative, feel comfortable being creative — even if they don’t think they’re creative — and also to just embrace change and transformation in a creative way.”
Though Muse is primarily an art gallery, the pair is open to new interpretations of the space. They welcome events, art workshops, book signings, and other interactive experiences. They also plan to teach their own classes.
“I’m a photography instructor for West Michigan Center for Art and Technology (WMCAT), but I’ll be doing some photography classes here for adults, for children, and for couples,” Stephen Smith says. “We’re open to teaching — to teachers coming in and teaching and people who just want to come in and learn.”
The duo never planned to go into the art business, but they had to do something that fed their appetite for positive community engagement.
“We knew that we would own something impactful,” Stephen said. “The gallery is a vehicle. We knew that people were going to be brought together and they were going to be challenged to explore their purpose and their passion.”
The co-owners visibly beam with pride and enthusiasm as they express their hopes and intentions for the gallery, a reflection of the truly special place they’ve created.
“I think what makes it feel meaningful is… it goes back to that whole concept of change and transformation,” Taylor said. “Seeing it transform inside the building but also seeing things changing outside of it and seeing new faces and some of the activity outside of the windows has been pretty cool. People just… the excitement and people embracing it has been really awesome.”
Muse will be hosting the Sankofa Mixer and Pop-up Marketplace, presented by Grand Rapids Area Black Businesses (GRABB), this Thursday, July 26. The event kicks off at 5:00 and is free and open to the public.
Follow @mymusegr on Instagram and check out Muse GR on Facebook to get the latest about exhibitions, events, and artists coming to the space. Interested in hosting your own event? Contact Stephen and Taylor Smith for more information.
And if you’re in the neighborhood, stop by and explore the gallery. The Smiths would be delighted to give you a tour.
