Creative Cafe

[Vanya Lamunyon]

Sharein personal stories, how we can overcome balancing our many roles in life, where we can find inspiration, how we can interact with each other and with Mother Nature. In a lively cafe atmosphere creative women will meet, have some relaxed chat, friendship and a glass of wine.

I paint everyday and every piece is a puzzle to be solved and another step forwards in trying to find my voice. I want to shout about the energy and power that comes from sharing the ocean. When I lived and worked in the West of Ireland and swam with wild dolphins and seals they were my muses. Now, back in my home place, it is the friends and community I swim and surf with.

The majority of my work is figurative and based around family and the local community that gravitate towards the ocean. As an avid swimmer and surfer I am trying to capture the emotion or shared experience behind these activities rather than the physical action.

I never look for an image to paint. I am compelled to paint a moment, an emotion, a connection. I consistently take random photographs, when I am out surfing, swimming or with my family, with no preconceived composition or concept but which I may use later as tools to bring a concept together. Using that compulsion and these loose images I begin the process with preliminary sketches to build a composition. I love the concept of making the viewer look and look again.

I am Lesley Dixon, a visionary, sand artist, published author, teacher aide and Mother of 3 children and 2 grandchildren. I am so thrilled to have this opportunity to share my art practice and my connection with Mother Earth and the sacred.

Catherine Drea is a visual artist, writer and published author who lives and works in rural County Waterford. Catherine writes a column called As I see it, for the Waterford News and Star and blogs on www.foxglovelane.com Along with three friends she is a founder of the Creative Cafes and this is the first time she has been a participant and not a facilitator! Catherine published her first book Solace-life, loss and the healing power of nature last year.

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A new, local, youth-led cafe in the Central District is offering customers more than just a cup of coffee. Creative Cafe, located on the first floor of the historic Washington Hall, greets customers with a swell of warmth from freshly brewed coffee and soft R&B music that fills the space. During their usual coffee runs, Seattleties may be used to the pristine and superficial appearance that conglomerate cafes throughout the city convey. However, Creative Cafe intends to create a home away from home for each customer who walks through its doors.

The cafe is operated by Creative Justice, a youth arts and restorative justice organization, in the hopes of creating a robust communal space for individuals of all ages within the Black and African diaspora of Seattle. Creative Justice partnered with Black Power Unlimited (BPU), which prioritizes physical spaces for BIPOC communities and manages the first floor of Washington Hall. BPU leases the space to Creative Justice to operate Creative Cafe.

The historic landmark was built in 1908 and operated as a venue space for significant cultural performances and events throughout the years. In 2009, Historic Seattle, with the support of 4Culture, was able to save the building from being demolished. It is now a home for organizations like Creative Justice. The building holds the laughter, steps and memories of many people from all walks of life and is being used to create new memories by a community seeking such a space.

Along with dismantling harmful workplace practices, Creative Cafe is mindful of how it sources its coffee. Through 10 hours of labor each day, coffee farmers receive only on average between 7% to 10% of the retail prices from the coffee they grow. However, Creative Cafe is looking to change that by receiving its coffee from Fulcrum Coffee Roasters; its connection to coffee farmers was the reason why Creative Justice and the cafe wanted to work with Fulcrum.

These third places foster another opportunity for community members to discuss matters that directly affect them such as politics, health and safety. Third places offer an immediate sanctuary for community members who want to create change for themselves.

This is something Creative Cafe is looking to cultivate for the Central District. In October 2023, there was a shooting outside of the A 4 Apple Daycare Learning Center that forced staff and children to hunker down. Then in December, on the heels of two back-to-back shootings, there was a robbery outside of Garfield High School and two people were shot in the neighborhood the same week. According to Bash, Creative Justice was approached by elders within the community who were advocating for a safe space for community members to turn to in the midst of these horrific shootings.

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Hiroshi Sugimoto is one of my favorite artists/photographers. When I was in Tokyo, I was fortunate enough to meet with him at the cafe that he designed in the trendy neighborhood of Omotesando. This was his first such project, and he designed these special chairs inspired by his photographic series depicting mathematical sculptures. So I thought it would be interesting to turn the tables (no pun intended), and take a photo inspired by how he had translated that inspiration into a chair design. It was a fun idea, but also a daunting one to accomplish given that he is probably one of the most successful photographers today.

Come get creative! Explore your artistic side by delving into a variety of different artistic experiences. Learn stamp-making and mono-prints, mixed media art journaling, zines, collage and more with fellow art lovers. All levels welcome. For ages 12-17.

The cafe, which opened on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, is a joint effort between Washington Hall-based nonprofits Creative Justice, an arts-based restorative justice organization, and Black Power Unlimited, which preserves the historical building and advocates for local Black, brown and Indigenous communities.

Until her untimely death in August 2020, Habte worked to make Cypher Cafe an all-ages home for artists, educators and activists of color to gather over food, express themselves creatively and collaborate in pursuit of social justice.

Four young baristas are currently part of the 18-month fellowship, which began in January. In addition to making espresso drinks, the baristas receive training on workplace leadership and labor rights. With mentorship from Blas Alfaro, of local wholesaler Fulcrum Coffee Roasters, fellows also learn how to ethically source and roast coffee beans and repair espresso machines.

Creative Cafe continues the community-building legacy Habte cultivated at Cypher and Hidmo, where she honed her vision of empowering people to dismantle oppression by building bonds with their neighbors via food, art and music.

Before working at Creative Cafe, Pearson earned minimum wage as a fast food worker. Now, she earns $25 per hour, can take paid time off and has health insurance. She enjoys joking around with her colleagues and spending time in the cafe that she helped design.

Inside the shop, Pearson and her co-workers curate playlists of neo-soul music that fill the historical walls, and customers lounge with cups of coffee on a comfy leather couch. Nearby, there is a lodge room for rehearsals or dinners and a robust library of books highlighting the works of Black authors.

January- XenArts will be leading an accessible movement-based session, exploring creative movement techniques that help improve balance, strength and self-expression! Any movement activity can be seated or standing, and will be tailored to you.

March: Poet Helen Vine will lead two sessions using poetry as a freeform vehicle for self-expression and storytelling. Through quick-writes, prompts and writing techniques, you will produce a series of poems of your own.

Creative Caf sessions are relaxed, and suitable for all experience levels and movement abilities. Spaces are accessible step free, and movement activities can be seated, or standing. If you would like to discuss how we can best accommodate you, please get in touch: sam....@norwichtheatre.org

Columbus, Ohio's Premiere Documentary Photographer. Devon Albeit Photography specializes in naturally and honestly capturing the heart of your family, business, or event with a candid, photojournalistic approach.

As a Columbus, Ohio family and small business photographer, as well as a former 3rd grade teacher, I feel at home photographing events where I can float around and capture kids being kids. I also have a history with Piccadilly, so I enjoy a chance to promote and engage with the local business. I met with the owner, Allyson Morena, before she opened the space, and her energy and passion was evident from the first minute. I ended up teaching art classes in the space for awhile, and I've also regularly visited the play cafe with my own children. It always works out well as there are plenty of spaces and activities available for kids of various ages, plus there are tables scattered around where I can sit and work (with delicious beverage and food options to keep everyone happy). Allyson and her staff gear their service toward both making the experience as easy as possible for parents as well as safe and fun for the kids. I'd recommend checking out the space, located in the lovely Bexley, if you haven't already done so. And, please enjoy a handful of photos from the morning.

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