Mankind has been searching for decades to find the perfect item to pair with each distinct variety of wine. We even invented a job dedicated solely to winesnobbery in the sommelier.
It seems Vanessa Leigh of Concord and her business partners have ended that quest and found the ideal match for any wine variation.
Acrylic paint.
Leigh opened Muse Paintbar on Hanover Street in Manchester a little more than four months ago, creating the first business of its kind in New Hampshire. Described as part art instruction studio and part wine bar, Muse allows people to dabble in painting while dabbing their mouths after sampling a variety of wine, beer and small bites. It’s dinner, drinks and a trip to the art gallery all without ever leaving your seat.
“We thought it would be really fun to bring this sort of idea to this community,” Leigh said, noting that similar businesses are more popular in southern states like Louisiana and Texas. “So far it’s been great. We’re trying to create a really fun environment. It’s a judgment-free zone – nobody is judged here.”
Where else can you get earthy notes on a canvas and in a glass? A long finish from a brush stroke or a final sip? We could keep the wine and paint puns flowing, but we’re going to put a cork in it.
What’s especially unique about Muse is the process. There are open paint nights where artists are welcome to work on whatever they like, but the main attraction has been the instructor-led classes, each of which features one painting and an instructor guiding the students step-by-step to the final product.
Interested students can view a calendar at Muse’s website (musepaintbar.com) and select a session featuring the painting they’d like to recreate. Classes have done renowned classics, seasonal selections and a variety of lesser-known works already.
And here’s the best part – even if you’ve never picked up a paint brush before, you’ll still leave with a trophy for your wall.
“We take it nice and slow. There’s usually about 10 to 15 steps during each painting, and we do a layer, then take a break and see if anyone has any questions,” Leigh said. “We’re there to help them along the whole way, and each class has a time limit of roughly two-and-a-half hours. And the paintings are ones we specifically choose that we felt would be attainable in that amount of time.”
The idea is to foster a comfortable, social atmosphere – and that’s where the wine and beer comes in. Muse stocks a strong variety of both, including local options, as well as juice and Coke for those who are looking for something softer. There are also what Leigh called “bites,” or smaller appetizers, to nibble on while you work.
The entire experience is free-flowing, with artists encouraged to get up and grab a glass of wine anytime during the evening.
“You are not a prisoner of where you are sitting,” Leigh said. “We love the idea that it’s social, but also creative. You get inspired and do something you didn’t think you could do.”
Muse provides everything necessary, from paint and canvas to brushes to aprons. Walk-ins are always welcome, but in the four months Muse has been open, many of the insructor-led nights have sold out, Leigh said, so going online and reserving a space ahead of time is strongly encouraged. Classes are all around $35, though it varies depending on the night, and typically run Wednesday through Sunday evenings.
Muse has been a perfect outlet for Leigh’s passion. A life-long artist, her co-founders are more comfortable coordinating the business side of things, leaving her to focus on the creative aspects. She has still found time during the day to work on her own creations before guiding the evening classes.
“I think the best thing about this is the blend that really happens with the co-founders. I really get to be creative and artistic and given that freedom, and we all kind of work together in the business sense,” Leigh said. “I’ve always sold my work personally, but this is certainly combining and bringing things to a more wide audience, just sharing the love of art.”
Business has been strong, Leigh said, and she’s been most surprised to see people who entered the first time without any experience return to continue the adventure. After all, that’s precisely the kind of atmosphere she was striving for – low-pressure surroundings that encourage people to be social and pe into a creative outlet that perhaps they’ve been too nervous to try in the past.
“A lot of people have reservations, and they’re vocal sometimes about how much they don’t believe they are artistic and don’t know how this is going to go, but I think that first step, once that canvas is covered, it’s amazing the difference,” Leigh said. “They feel so much more at ease when they’re not staring at a blank canvas anymore. People are amazed at how much talent they have and they didn’t realize they did. And you do it in such a way that you learn a little bit and gain some confidence along the way.”