The Art Cafe

The Art Cafe Logo

Basic Information

Address: 217 Shoppers Alley Davison MI 48423
Phone Number: 248-210-0862
Director: Cora Smilkovich

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The Art Cafe
The Art Cafe
The Art Cafe

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Additional Information

Causes Served: Art by Emerging and established artists, outreach, Native Art, disabled artists
Clearances Required: Yes
Background Check: Yes
Population Served: Artists, young adults, at-risk youth, Native Americans, and the general public.
Ages for Volunteer: 14 and over (under 18 needs parent consent in writing)
Hours of Service: varies
Minimum Hours Required: varies
Days of Service: varies on 5 days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Mission Statement:

The Art Cafe's mission is to be a creative outlet for both able bodied and outsider artists to develop, maintain and facilitate art/media projects with an outreach component. The concept is to establish and facilitate a series of grants to be rewarded to members of the local artistic community for the creation of new works. Furthermore, The Art Cafe focuses on providing a liaison between established artists and emerging artists so as to foster a mentor/protégé inter-relationship and raise awareness of Native arts and crafts.

Philosophy/Belief Statement:

The Art Cafe is unique because it offers the best aspects of existing art centers, art museums, and galleries and place it into a more integrated and accessible environment while increasing creativity, raising cultural awareness of current art trends and emerging voices in the arts.

Program History:

The Art Café was founded by a group of artists in December 2003 to establish a more lively arts presence in our community, offer accessible art resources to the public and replicate this project in future satellite offices and programs. Our Word Theatre Program is designed to fill the gap in the various art and music related activities that are available to the kids and young adults by providing art related activities and community based outreach programs; and increase job skills for youth.

The Art Café opened up a leased property in June 2004 to host workshops, performances, wireless internet access and an artist studio space for creating art. Our art center is unique because our plan is to offer the best aspects of existing art centers, art museums, and galleries and place it into a more integrated and accessible environment while increasing creativity, raising cultural awareness of current art trends and emerging voices in the arts. Serving local artists is our priority, but we desire to help artists at the state, national and international level so we can improve the quality of life for artists of all backgrounds. Our programs seek to provide support services which include a safe art space haven to artists, at-risk youth, Native Americans, and the general public. We believe that showing art created by Native Americans is important to gain a better understanding of how the appropriation of art forms impacts the survival, the history of art form and our American culture. Some of the artists whose works are being displayed either have a disability or can be termed outsider artists.

Events:

Annual art exhibit (ongoing), Community Technology Project, Special shows, Community Beautification.

Additional Information:

Programs:

Our Word Theatre Program is designed to fill the gap in the various art and music related activities that are available to the kids and young adults by providing art related activities, job skills and community based outreach.

Community Technology Program allows members to have access to wireless technology and graphic art software. Artists are allowed to exhibit their art for up to a year in our Annual Exhibit Program. Our Community Beautification Project was created to beautify our center and the local community.

We are implementing our new green jobs training program called, 'Harmonia'.