Marigold Art Collective
A New Chapter Blooms at Marigold Art Collective
Friday evening's grand opening of Marigold Art Collective offered visitors a colorful introduction to Jesse Roque’s latest venture.
The space in Flat Rock Square, formerly home to Jesse's Ruby de Noche restaurant and, before that, Blue Ruby Kitchen, has undergone a remarkable transformation. Fabric, thread, paint, felt, and an eclectic assortment of objects collected over a lifetime fill the studio, creating an atmosphere that invites exploration and discovery.
At the center of it all, surrounded by the swirl of color and happy faces, was Jesse herself, welcoming visitors and introducing them to her newest undertaking. After nearly four decades in the food-service industry, Marigold represents something more than another business venture for Jesse. It is an opportunity to return to artistic interests that have accompanied her throughout her life.
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For Jesse, the transition to operating an art collective brings a renewed sense of excitement, along with the inevitable uncertainty of starting something new. "The funny thing is that despite the uncertainty, I'm genuinely happy," Jesse says. "I'm still making things. I'm still creating. And I'm spending my days surrounded by color, fabric, paper, paint, and possibility."
Jesse Roque
Jesse arrived in Henderson County in 2006 after studying at Johnson & Wales University and building a career in professional kitchens. A classically trained French pastry chef, she originally envisioned opening a coffee shop and art gallery in downtown Hendersonville. That modest venture evolved into Never Blue, a popular restaurant known for its inventive cuisine, eclectic atmosphere, and Jesse's creative flair. Over 17 years, Never Blue grew into a thriving business that, at one point, employed as many as 50 people.
In 2023, Jesse opened Blue Ruby Kitchen in Flat Rock Square, hoping to create a smaller, more manageable restaurant operation that would allow her to focus on the culinary creativity she loved. The space later became Ruby de Noche, continuing her involvement in food and hospitality.
But after so many years in the restaurant industry, Jesse began looking for a different pace and another outlet for the creative energy that had always been part of her life. The culinary world had provided a rewarding career, but also decades of demanding physical labor, long hours, and the emotional pressures of operating restaurants.
Art offered a different kind of fulfillment.
Extensive travels over the past 10 to 15 years also broadened Jesse's perspective, exposing her to artistic traditions, textiles, and crafts from cultures around the world. Bringing together those experiences with her lifelong interest in art and her talent for creating welcoming spaces now feels like a natural progression.
A Place to Make, Gather, and Discover
Attendees at the Grand Opening contribute creations for the Marigold Guest Book
Marigold may be difficult to describe with a single word - and that appears to be part of the idea.
It is an art studio and workshop space, but also a gathering place. It includes a "Materials Bazaar" offering art materials, handmade pieces, imported goods, and workshop kits. Cocktails, small bites, and possibly a selection of pastries will add a touch of the hospitality for which Jesse has become known.
Marigold describes itself as "a curated studio rooted in craft, culture, and the art of making," offering hands-on workshops, global textiles, and fine crafts. Jesse's inspiration comes in part from years spent sourcing textiles, studying traditional techniques, and exploring markets and cultures in Mexico, India, Morocco, and elsewhere.
Art has always been part of Jesse's life, even when the demands of running restaurants left little time to pursue it. "My grandfather was an inventor and a painter. My mom is a professional artist. It's in my genes." Jesse's artistic interests are wide-ranging but Marigold will focus primarily on textiles and fiber arts — felting, weaving, spinning, quilting, and a technique known as slow stitching, which emphasizes hand sewing, creativity, and the meditative pleasure of working with fabric and thread.
"I have a fabric problem," Jesse admits with a laugh, describing a family tradition that stretches back generations. Her grandmother collected fabric and maintained a sewing room filled with it from floor to ceiling. Both her grandmother and mother made much of the family's clothing.
Jesse hopes to pass some of those skills along, particularly to younger generations. "I really want to teach sewing to the younger generation," she says. "Because it's kind of a lost art. And it is useful." She envisions helping young people learn to alter, repair, and redesign their own clothing, both as a form of creative expression and a practical skill. "Hemming a pair of pants is something that everybody should know how to do!"
But Jesse's ambitions for Marigold extend beyond teaching artistic techniques. "The collective part is essentially to create a gathering space - and a community space," she explains. Jesse is especially interested in connecting with women of her own generation, while welcoming people of all ages. "You can come sit in our garden," she says. "You don't need to buy anything. You can just exist and sit there and enjoy your day."
For those inspired to make something, Jesse plans to offer small art kits with projects that can be completed in an hour or so, perhaps while enjoying conversation with friends. Jesse also envisions Friday evenings featuring live music, cocktails, small bites, and informal "happy hour crafts." She has retained her liquor license, and there is even the possibility that her husband, Edson, will bring the Never Blue food truck to Marigold on occasion.
What's Happening Around the Marigold Table
Marigold’s October Classes
Perhaps the clearest way to understand what Jesse has in mind for Marigold is to look at its October workshop calendar.
The offerings include Raw Silk Relic Bracelet, Art Doll Series I: Grumpy Mushroom, Sacred Meditation Scroll, Embellished Slow-Stitch Mountain Landscape, Colorful Felt Plant Making, and Design, Machine-Sew & Hand-Embellish Your Own Travel Altar.
The workshops are designed for beginners as well as experienced artists, with an emphasis on creativity, experimentation, and the pleasure of making something by hand. Jesse prefers keeping classes small, generally with no more than 10 participants, to encourage personal attention and conversation.
The month concludes on Halloween with The Crow Show Trinket Swap, a cocktail-style evening of music, tarot readings, Halloween-inspired food, crafts, and an exchange of small handmade, vintage, useful, or simply intriguing treasures. Guests are encouraged to dress for the occasion, with prizes for the best-dressed crow, the best trinket, and even the best crow call.
The Meaning Behind Marigold
For those familiar with Jesse's previous ventures - Never Blue, Blue Ruby, and Ruby de Noche - the name Marigold represents a colorful departure. And that is intentional. "Color has always been something that has been a part of my life," Jesse says. "With the change, I decided it was a good time to go in a different direction."
The marigold also carries personal meaning rooted in her family and travels. "My husband is Mexican and the marigold is very significant in the Mexican culture," she explains. "In Morocco, the marigold is very significant from a spiritual aspect. When I traveled to India, marigolds were everywhere. It felt like an entire continent growing marigolds." Ultimately, the name reflects the international influences that have shaped her artistic interests, along with a desire to create something distinctly her own.
Building Marigold has not happened overnight. Jesse has written candidly about the sawdust, unfinished projects, stacked supplies, garden beds, long days, and uncertainty that have accompanied the transformation. "The work I'm doing now is planting seeds, not harvesting," she wrote recently.
It's a philosophy that reflects both her patience with this new undertaking and a changing definition of success. After decades spent satisfying customers, managing employees, and meeting the demands of running businesses, Jesse is ready to devote more of her energy to something that brings her joy. "I want to do something that I enjoy," she says, "so I can share with people my joy and realizing that you don't have to kill yourself to be happy."
And while Jesse doesn't know exactly where this newest venture will lead, she seems to be enjoying the journey.
Or, as she wrote in a recent blog post, with her characteristic wry sense of humor:
"Well. Here we are. I've been a chef, a restaurant owner, a caterer, a mom, a textile artist, and approximately one thousand other things — and somehow the logical next step was to build an art collective in the Blue Ridge Mountains and start a blog about it. Perfectly normal."
Learn more about Marigold Art Collective at marigoldartcollective.com
See upcoming workshops here.
Location:
2702 C Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock, NC 28792
(In Flat Rock Square)
828-666-0686
