MORTON − One of the village's newest businesses caters to the creative crowd.

Muse is a co-working facility that has rooms for photographers, artists, musicians and entrepreneurs, plus an art gallery, a photo studio, and an old truck and old motorcycle in a courtyard that can be used for photo shoots.

There's also a kitchen with a refrigerator and microwave.

Paintings by local artists hang on the walls and are for sale. There are books for sale.

Acclaimed local author Camron Johnson teaches art classes there. Also an artist, his work has been featured in comics, books and trading cards.

Muse, owned and co-founded by Katie and Ben VandenBerg, is located in the former Buckman Photography building at 71 E. Queenwood Road.

The VandenBergs operate their businesses out of Muse. Katie VandenBerg does divorce coaching and Ben VandenBerg is a former educator turned metal artist. Together, they own and manage properties.

Katie VandenBerg's ceramic work and her husband's metal work are on display at Muse and for sale.

"We were looking for a landing spot for our businesses, and I learned about a vacant building late at night on a real estate website," Katie VandenBerg said. "I was so thankful I came across it.

"Ben needed a big space for his metal work that can be messy. This building had that space."

The "messy" space includes a shower.

The VandenBergs bought the Buckman Photography building and neighboring Agape Counseling building at 75 E. Queenwood Road on Feb. 9.

Work began the next day on renovations to the photography building.

Muse is filled, thanks to social media posts about the available rooms. Katie VandenBerg said the rooms were filled in a week, before Muse's June 24 grand opening.

From the archives:Remote work is so popular that this Morton business is running out of room

These businesses are operating there:

* Timber Rose Photography.

* B. Richelle Photography.

* Pretty Face Photography.

* Focused Forward Divorce Coaching.

* Layne Pflum Message Therapy.

* Rose Hubbard (artist).

* Ben VandenBerg (artist).

Timber Rose Photography and B. Richelle Photography share a room.

Those who rent rooms have access to them 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can rent the photo studio at a discounted rate.

The photo studio and art gallery can be rented by the public. The photo studio is available hourly, for two hours, half a day or a whole day.

Photography colleagues Lindsay Ford of Minier (Timber Rose Photography) and Briana Sims of North Pekin (B. Richelle Photography) love their room at Muse.

They previously were operating out of their homes and sometimes had to get work done at coffee shops.

"I'm much more focused working at Muse than I was working at a coffee shop," Sims said.

Ford and Sims frequently work together shooting a wedding.

"We work well as a team," Sims said. "Clients like us. Lindsay is very reliable."

It was Ford who got the ball rolling toward renting space at Muse with her friend and fellow photographer.

"I saw a post on Facebook about Muse and tagged Briana on it," Ford said. "We talked about possibly renting rooms there, and eventually decided we could go in together on a room.

"I'll admit I was scared at first because of the cost of renting a room, but then I thought, I have nothing to lose.

"It's been an amazing experience so far. Katie and Ben (VandenBerg) are so supportive."

Ford specializes in wedding, family and high school senior photos. Sims is a wedding, family and boudoir photographer.

Muse − a word that refers to a person who is the source of inspiration for an artist − is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and by appointment. The website is musemorton.com.

Steve Stein can be reached at (248) 224-2616 or stevestein21@yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpartanSteve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Morton co-working space has rooms for creativity