Art of Nails Atelier & The Cure Speakeasy bring personalized manicures, pedicures and self-care to downtown Gunnison – Gunnison Country Times
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Art of Nails Atelier & The Cure Speakeasy bring personalized manicures, pedicures and self-care to downtown Gunnison
Posted
Thursday,July 16, 202612:33 pm
By Louellen Coker
Gunnison has a new place to be pampered. Art of Nails Atelier & The Cure Speakeasy quietly opened in June and will celebrate its grand opening Saturday, July 18, from 3 to 8 p.m. at 123 W. Tomichi Ave., Suite 5, inside the building many longtime locals still know as the Mall. Guests can register to win a free manicure or pedicure, and the celebration will include food and drinks. Everyone is invited to stop in and visit the space, styled after the flapper era. It’s the kind of Gatsby-inspired setting where guests will find owner and nail technician Theressa Marez Hoots leaning into the theme herself. Some of her own artwork, created separately from the shop’s decor, will also be on display around the shop.
Behind the shop is a Gunnison local who’s called the valley home for 37 years. She grew up in Kansas, where she met her husband, Dale, who grew up in Fairplay. The two moved back to Colorado when Dale was transferred to the Salida area through his work with Greeley Gas Company, now Atmos Energy. A year later, they put down roots in Gunnison.
Hoots has spent more than three decades in customer-facing work, including stretches in real estate, airlines, travel, and the ski industry, most recently as a recruiter for Vail Resorts. Along the way, she noticed locals regularly driving to Montrose or Grand Junction to get their nails done
“I saw a need and found a way to step in,” Hoots said. “I’m excited to use the customer service skills that I have developed over the years in a direct and personal manner.”
After years of doing nails for family and friends, Hoots completed her nail technician training at Technical College of the Rockies in Delta and obtained her state license. She said her studies gave her more than a certificate. They taught her the reasoning behind the craft, not just which products to use, but when and why to use them
“Many clients request acrylics because they believe they’re the strongest choice,” Hoots said. “But depending on their lifestyle and the condition of their nails, another product may actually be a better fit.”
She calls her approach a prescriptive manicure or pedicure, the same idea behind the shop’s own tagline: elevated, personalized, self-care nail services. With more than 300 color options on hand, she looks at what a client’s hands or feet actually need, whether that’s wear from hiking, skin worn down by Gunnison’s dry, high-altitude climate, or dry cuticles from ski boots come winter. She uses steam during pedicures to help combat that dryness
Her client base already ranges from an 11-year-old getting her first manicure to a 94-year-old regular, along with brides, second homeowners, and longtime locals who are relieved not to have to make the drive out of town anymore
Hoots is also a longtime multimedia artist, a fact reflected in the shop’s name. She works in resin and acrylic paint and won a People’s Choice award for a large buffalo piece she showed at the Montrose Art Center. She’s done henna tattoos and face painting at festivals for 25 years, including stops in Crested Butte, Leadville, Bailey and Pueblo
The Cure Speakeasy, the second half of the shop’s name, plays on the words manicure and pedicure and draws on the self-expression Hoots associates with the 1920s. She has spent time refurbishing antique furniture and fixtures to build the atmosphere. Guests will enjoy the ambiance complete with a tufted black leather chair, a hammered copper basin sink, and vintage lamps and side tables stacked with old books, down to a mural honoring her husband’s grandfather and a door built from reclaimed materials. Down the line, once the space is fully renovated and the proper liquor licensing is in place, she hopes to offer occasional beverage pairings for special events.
For now, Hoots is focused on doing right by the clients she already has as she grows her clientele. She works solo by choice
“I like to offer a private and personal experience,” she said. “It’s more relaxing when you can give and they can receive that one-on-one attention.”
Art of Nails Atelier & The Cure Speakeasy is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with occasional flexibility for special events. Appointments can be booked online or by phone. Art of Nails Atelier is also on Instagram
