Cafés collaborating with artists is a win-win combination. Join us as we spotlight more coffee shops hosting community art events.
BY EMILY JOY MENESES
ONLINE EDITOR
Featured photo courtesy of Veronica Velazquez
Last week, we introduced four coffee shops across the U.S. opening up their spaces for community art events. Today, we’re showcasing even more cafés uplifting local artists in order to build community, boost business, and create networks of support within their neighborhoods.
Asteroid Vinyl Cafe
Apart from offering coffee, Inglewood, Calif.’s Asteroid Vinyl Cafe has become a favorite amongst Los Angeles locals for its impressive collection of books, vinyl records, and vintage clothing. The coffee shop also regularly collaborates with local artists, including art organization Coffee Contemporary, a collective dedicated to hosting art events centered around the theme of coffee. Asteroid Vinyl Cafe also regularly hosts local musicians, vendors, and photo walks, serving as a lively hub for the local community.
“(Our) mission is to provide a platform for artists of all mediums,” shares Coffee Contemporary founder Veronica Velazquez. “(Coffee Contemporary) is definitely a fusion of my past job experience (as a barista) but also my overall love for coffee.”
Common Ground Cafe Cooperative
Operating out of Baltimore, Common Ground Cafe Cooperative is a notable establishment for a number of reasons. First, the shop is worker-owned and collectively managed, part of a new wave of Baltimore coffee cooperatives. The shop also features a new local artist every month and regularly hosts “Artists in the Café” days, where featured artists come in to speak with café guests about their work.
The coffee cooperative also recently featured Baltimore artist Naina Gupta, whose eye-catching artwork encapsulates a seamless blend of surrealism and activism.
Mural City Coffee Co.
Since they first opened their doors in 2018, Dothan, Ala.’s Mural City Coffee Co. has been dedicated to both coffee and art—in fact, the shop’s name is inspired by the wall-sized murals that the city of Dothan is known for.
“We host a new local artist every two months on our first floor—six artists a year,” the café writes to Barista Magazine Online. “We’ve (also) collaborated with a local art gallery, which curates all of the local artwork on our second floor.” To this day, the shop continues to serve as a vibrant space for locals to come together to coffee, art events, poetry readings, and more.
Symmetry Coffee Co.
Located in Ocala, Fla., Symmetry Coffee Co. shares with us how they aim to uplift local artists year-round. “We have several artists that are permanent providers for our gallery, and then we circulate through other new and upcoming artists,” the team writes to Barista Magazine Online. “Additionally, we’re (located) in a historic building, and the interior is a work of art in itself.”
Stay Tuned
Next week, we’ll release the third and final installment of this article series, where we’ll showcase three more noteworthy coffee shops dedicating their spaces to uplifting local artists.
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