Clientele Art Studio of East Wheeling is opening its doors for regular business hours starting Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. The art studio used the pandemic to transform the space from an events-based gallery to a studio with regular business hours, a bar and a retail section featuring Appalachian artists.
Founded in 2018, Clientele Art Studio started out as a garage and some extra space for Wheeling native and owner, William Wallace, “I picked up the property hoping to have a space for my band to practice and maybe some extra storage space.” However, the need for a space for all artists to create and congregate quickly became apparent to Wallace. “We had a naming party, and the rest is history.”
Pre-pandemic, Clientele hosted community fundraisers like Deck the Halls, a skateboard deck show and auction with proceeds going to The Homeless Coalition, and Coven, a women-based Halloween art show showcasing the talents of female artists of Wheeling. Wallace plans to keep similar events on the schedule while adding a retail section and bar to the venue.
“We have some really cool events on the calendar for the rest of the year that I’m really excited about, including another Coven event on October 23, and the upcoming opening weekend events to show the community what we’ve been working on.”
Clientele Art Studio is celebrating its opening with a Friday night open house on Sept. 10 and a dance party on Sept. 11.
The open house begins at 5 p.m. on Friday and will give guests a chance to preview the all-new bar area, retail space, and several upgrades to the studio. Local chef, Lorenzo Arce will be cooking a one-night special menu of Asian-fusion fare as well.
The following evening, a dance party called, Papers will feature Pittsburgh DJ Stealth-1, who will bring a mix of hip-hop, soul, funk and jazz to the newly-renovated outside courtyard area. Both events are free to the public.
Starting Sept. 10, the bar and retail area will be open for regular business hours Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m. For more information, visit Clientele Art Studio on Facebook and Instagram, or clienteleartstudio.com.
