A few months ago, some friends came over to have an art date. I had just come across a great find at Goodwill—an entire box full of decorative papers—mulberry, marbled, rice, exquisite Shizen screenprinted sheets, Yuzen Chiyogami and an assortment of unusual embossed scraps. Collage was the name of the game. Everyone sorted through what they wanted to work with, while I provided some tools and other materials. We were pretty well set, and everyone got started, except me. Experience had long told me that there needs to be someone who can be the gofer when a need for something arises. So I settled on the tall bar stool and watched while the artists cut, tore, arranged, glued and otherwise interacted with their stuff. The conversation went from how amazing the papers were to what everyone was doing with their lives. And eventually this topic came to me.

“So, what are you going to do with your life?” Anne asked me. I had no answer. A few months before, my job at a local elementary school had ended, and now I was trying to figure out what would be next. But it turns out I didn’t need answer (at least not then), because Ellie asked if I had any printmaking supplies, just as Lily asked about gel crayons, and Mary needed embossing tools. I jumped off the stool and gathered up the supplies, glad to escape that ever present question.

“You know,” I said, as I handed out the supplies, “I’ve often thought I’m essentially a waitress. People place their orders, and I deliver them. Only, I serve art.”

There was a momentary pause as the meaning of this statement sunk in. I repeated it. “Oh. I serve art. Oh wow! I like that! I DO serve art! That’s my mission statement! Hey! Maybe I should open up an art cafe, and we can serve art projects!” There was a spontaneous burst of chatter, full of ideas, philosophical discourse about being in the service of art and, of course, puns.

“And we can have menus…”

“…to satisfy your palette!”

The laughter and brainstorming went on from there, and the idea rolled around in my head for several days. After a time, as brilliant as it was, it just didn’t seem to be feasible. It was complex. How do you know how many projects to prep, would you really make enough to pay rent, how could you ever possibly plan for something like this? Not that those kinds of questions should stop one from trying out a great idea, but after a while, the art café was put on the back burner.

That is, until just a few weeks ago, when I got an email from a former student, Mia Stroutsos, who had an idea. Mia is a high school student with a verve for life and a heart as big as the ocean. She was in my kindergarten arts program the first year I taught at Sacajawea School (1998-99), and attended every Anti-Boredom Summer Day Camp I held, until we stopped a few years ago. She started as a camper, and then became a junior counselor and was finally a counselor the last year of camp. And she had an idea. Mia wanted to do some kind of fundraiser for Haiti.

I immediately thought of the Art Café. Mia loved the idea, so we called up Ellie Cross, who had been at the art date when the whole idea came up. Ellie & Mia knew each other from doing camp together for so many years. Ellie was also a Kindergarten Arts student, (Wedgwood, 1989-90) and a longtime ABSDC camper and counselor. Today she is an artist, teacher, traveler, writer and philosopher extraordinaire, not to mention the genius behind our “menu”! (see Ellie’s webpage/blog here). Together we started to work on creating the Art Café as a fundraising venue for UNICEF,s relief efforts in Haiti.

Today, we are launching the venture with this announcement. The date for our first Art Café is March 20th. We will have two “servings”:

6 – 7:30pm (Children ages 6 and up welcome when accompanied by an adult)
or 8 – 9:30pm (Adults and students, ages 15 and up).

Our suggested donation is $15.00 per person, but of course we would welcome more.

You will find our “Menu” here, and an RSVP form here. We probably haven’t worked out all the kinks, but we are ready for the adventure, and hope you will join us for a colorful, creative and meaningful evening, as we serve art, and humanity!

More about Haiti

It’s been over a month after the massive Jan 12th earthquake in Haiti and funding is still desperately needed to alleviate the widespread destruction. Children are a vital party of the emergency, as nearly 40 per cent of the population is under the age of 14, according to a recent UNICEF newsline update. In addition to basic health and nutritional survival issues, Haiti’s education system has been crippled with the destruction of approximately 5,000 schools, and half of the school-going population affected. All proceeds from The Art Café will be donated to UNICEF, to help sustain their relief efforts in Haiti.

For more information about The Art Café, call (206) 522-1187, or email us at information at roaringmouse.org