The Art of the Coffee House

Coffee houses and art. Normally, that combination conjures up a bunch of people in black berets, sipping cappucinos and talking about how the existentialism of their art reflects the existentialism of their existence. Not too consistent with the reality of triple skinny lattes to go, but still there you are. Something about the walls of a really great coffee house really cries out to be decorated by the latest up and coming local artist.

I work at Perks. Journalistic integrity requires I disclose this. And it also explains why I spend so much time thinking about this sort of thing. All those hours of standing behind the counter, staring at the back wall where the art hangs have me contemplating what makes truly great coffee house art, and what role it plays in our fair city.

Perks switches things up on a fairly regular basis, every few months or so, and right now their art wall evokes the bucolic, with oil paintings of doe eyed cows and goats and tree dotted landscapes of local artist Andrea Tomasovsky. Pretty mild fare, as far as art goes, but the bold colors and brush strokes are striking. All employee loyalty aside, I'd have to say Perks does pretty well in meeting all the art in a coffee house requirements.

Yes, there are requirements.

Coffee houses, and restaurants, and any other establishment that sells art, do great things, not only for the artist who wants to display their work, but also for their patrons, who get a little something out of the ordinary every time they glance around them. So coffee house art, I venture to say, has to strike a balance between the needs of these two groups. It must be interesting, sure--no snooze-fest hotel room seascapes, please--but it must also, ahem, lean towards the middle. Just as no true art (or coffee house) aficionado wants to have to spend his or her time gazing at generic prints of coffee cups, no ordinary cup-of-joer wants to eat their morning muffin while looking at Piss Christ. The goal of a coffee house art show is to please the eye, and reflect the local art scene.