Tucked along a busy Midtown Sacramento street, a hidden gem is emerging, promising a vibrant, creative safe space for community building, connection and creative expression to thrive. The Jacquelyn, the beautiful brainchild of artist Maren Conrad, is more than just a modern private social club — it’s a haven, a sanctuary, and a living tribute to a dear friend’s legacy.
The club’s namesake, Jacquelyn Anderson, was Maren’s close friend, a talented digital photographer, and a beacon of light to all who knew her. Tragically, Jackie succumbed to cancer at the heart of the pandemic.
“They say — actually, it was John F. Kennedy’s dad that said — the best way through grief is doing the work of the person you lost,” Conrad recalls about the last days of her dear friend, who passed at the height of the pandemic, separated from most of her family for everyone’s safety. “So in that vein, during this most disconnected time, I wrote her a love letter and I told her that she wasn’t done creating and she’d create through my hands for the rest of my life. This is my fulfillment of that promise.”
That all-too-familiar feeling of longing for connection — something so many of us felt during the pandemic — fueled Conrad through the creation process when forming the foundation of the Jacquelyn.
When entering through the floor-to-ceiling glass doors of The Jacquelyn, you can’t help but feel connected to another era. The era when Gertrude Stein hosted Fitzgerald, Joyce and Picasso to discuss everything from politics to art in all its forms. The inspiration of creating culture-altering connections coupled with the homage to Jackie is infused into every inch of the space.
But these choices aren’t just to create an aesthetic that inspires an Instagram post. It is designed with purpose. Conrad, who is renowned for creating interactive murals that require community engagement to be viewed properly, infused the club with the same philosophy.
“I’m most excited about our Members,” she says. “In my studio, with my team, we could imagine all this programming and all these things we wanted to do, but we’ve always known that this club would only be worth its membership. The fact that we’re majority minority, the fact that we’re 75% women-based membership, and the fact that they’re mostly people I don’t know? That’s so exciting to me. I didn’t realize how ready I was to meet fascinating strangers. I think this club is partially me — and partially the world — opening back up to each other in this really intentional way.”
“I’m most excited about
our Members. … The fact that we’re majority minority, the fact that we’re 75% female-based membership, and the fact that they’re mostly people I don’t know? That’s so exciting to me.”— Maren Conrad, CEO
Not only is the membership 75% women-based, The Jacquelyn is an innovation built and run by an amazing team of women leaders. Women who came together on a mission fueled by intention and big-picture vision. Conrad, Chief Program Officer Mary Daffin and Chief Operating Officer Elizabeth Wood envision The Jacquelyn not just as a social club, but as a catalyst — one that will spark positive change by giving people from all walks of life the opportunity to learn about each other, from each other, and connect with each other over common interests and goals for the future.
You can book a private tour of the space and learn about becoming a Member through their website.
