GALT, CA (MPG) - A new art studio and community space is set to open in downtown Galt, led by Galt resident and South Sacramento art teacher Esperanza Pevehouse and her daughter Kennedy Johnson. 

 The Color Wheel is expected to open May 31.

The studio will be located at the corner of C and Fourth streets in a soon-to-be renovated building that Pevehouse said has long caught her attention. 

“Ever since I moved to Galt, that building has just stood out to me. I thought it was really pretty and it needed something in that spot,” Pevehouse said. “Fourth Street is where our community comes together, and that is where we have our little festivals and parades and our ice rink.”

“I just thought it was the perfect spot for our community to gather and to showcase the store,” she added.

The building is in the midst of a renovation. Once complete, it will house The Color Wheel, a restaurant and multiple top-floor apartments. The project is part of a broader city effort to revitalize the area and attract new investment.

“I love art, so my kids and I are always going to other art pottery studios and doing art,” Pevehouse said. “I always had it in my mind that I have to do this, and just staring at that space every morning, I pass it every time I come home.”

Pevehouse said she was encouraged by her husband to pursue her vision. 

“My husband told me that you never know unless you try,” she said. “I’m hoping that our community feels the same way and they rally together. It can only be our community that makes our store a success.”

Once open, The Color Wheel will offer pottery painting, birthday parties, guided art classes, field trips, team-building activities and fundraisers. 

“We want to make people want to come back,” she said.

Pevehouse’s daughter, Kennedy, who is also an art teacher, plans to help run the studio. 

The two plan to be on-site Fridays through Sundays, with a hired employee managing daytime operations during the week.

Renovations include painting the building, installing custom wallpaper, cabinetry, shelving, countertops and new lighting. A kiln is also in the process of being delivered. 

“I am hoping that the word gets out,” Pevehouse said.

Pevehouse also runs the Young Bakers Academy, which teaches aspiring bakers to make pastries and baked goods. The next academy camp is scheduled for June 16 to 20.

More about The Color Wheel, including class details, can be found at thecolorwheel-galt.com.