Muñeca Arthouse has settled in nicely in its new location, a few miles west of its original spot in Patchogue.
The owner, Jessica Valentin, moved her contemporary art gallery to Blue Point from South Ocean Avenue.
The 1995 Patchogue-Medford graduate said the change was both for emotional and financial reasons.
The last six months have been tough on Valentin. Her father died of COVID-19 and her brother fell gravely ill from the virus.
She also struggled to obtain grants for her venture, which she launched in 2018.
“Released from the high rent, I found a new space,” said Valentin, known as Ratgrrl, on her new space on Montauk Highway, next to Beyond Philly. “A comfy but still large space ready to hang work and welcome artists and visitors.”
Last month, Muñeca hosted a grand re-opening reception. The socially distant, two-day event attracted a large turnout of masked guests — with no more than eight people inside the gallery at a time, Valentin said.
Muñeca, nominated for Best Art Gallery in the Best of Long Island Awards, has worked to bring a contemporary graphic aesthetic to Long Island’s arts community. The arthouse focuses on showing artist illustrators, graffiti, street, digital and graphic, comic, POP and POP surrealist work.
To learn more, visit their Facebook page.
Top: Muñeca Arthouse’s new gallery in Blue Point (courtesy)
