In 2011 Andrew and I were living on the Isle of Man and debating in which country – the UK or the USA – we would make our permanent home together. You see, we had been pen pals since we were a little 12 ½-year-old English schoolboy and a wistful 11-year-old girl living a provincial life on the south side of Milwaukee. Eventually (and this is a story we will happily share some morning at breakfast) in our 50s, we became a couple committed to living together in one country or the other. We decided on the United States and thought opening a bed and breakfast would be a great way for us to make a living together. We selected this particular property in Milwaukee just one mile from Lake Michigan to start that venture when we were still living across. We could see even just from realtor pictures and the emerging Bay View neighborhood where it was located that we could make it into something very special.
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” –Pablo Picasso
One thing we knew for sure was that when we were finished turning the property into the only Bed and Breakfast in Bay View, it would not be “Your Mama’s B&B!” No doilies or great grandma’s wedding dress in the hallway would be allowed! Our renovation of The Muse Gallery Guesthouse focused on maintaining the craftsmanship and beauty of 19th Century architecture with high ceilings, beautiful woodwork, bay windows, and an antique fireplace, while adding modern and artful elements. The spacious and light lodging accommodations became tastefully appointed with an eclectic mix of re-purposed items, restored furniture, contemporary decor, and occasional vintage pieces. All of this provided the backdrop for an exquisite, rotating art collection.
“There is not a single true work of art that has not, in the end, added to the inner freedom of each person who has known and loved it.” –Albert Camus
The Muse as an art gallery guesthouse is meant to inspire guests in the way that only traveling and relaxing in a beautiful setting can. Our hope in creating these artful accommodations is that you will be refreshed and sparked by the creative expression around you. A stay at The Muse can enliven and renew personal creativity. It may even help you rediscover yourself as a greater, more energetic and talented person than you ever dreamed yourself to be!
“A man’s work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened.” –Albert Camus
Art is unique in its power to reinvigorate and inspire one’s body and soul. The Muse Gallery Guesthouse is dedicated to encouraging our guests’ rejuvenation while supporting local artists and expanding the notion that art is for everyone, anywhere. We hope our art leaves you inspired. Check out our gallery page for some of the current artists on display.
Join us in the heart of it all!
The Muse Gallery Guesthouse offers quality lodging between Milwaukee’s airport and downtown and just down the street from the Lake Express ferry port. It is ideally and conveniently located in Bay View – one of Milwaukee’s trendiest neighborhoods. Bay View, overlooking Lake Michigan on the city’s southeast side, is home to an abundance of Milwaukee’s newest restaurants, popular bars, microbreweries and distilleries, eclectic shops and galleries, verdant parks with beer gardens and a free weekly summer concert series, as well as a seasonal farmers’ market. Some are just steps away, and all are within walking distance. In this neighborhood, there is so much to do that you never need to leave it! The Muse is the perfect guesthouse for Bay View residents to host out-of-town guests, as well as the perfect place for guests to be able to entertain in their home-away-from-home.
Gift certificates are available on request and can be obtained by calling 414-745-7735.
