The Importance Of Coffee Shop Shows

One of my first coffee shop shows! Cafe Javasti, in Maple Leaf

The Importance Of Small Shows In Coffee Shops

The first 7 years of my professional art career have consisted of shows in coffee shops, tea houses, and one time a tax office. These shows were local to my studio, were viewed by my friends and family, and almost no one outside of people I knew bought the paintings I presented there.

When you are a beginner artist, the first things you are worried about is making good art. At some point you get the courage and desire to show you work. Almost every beginner artist I know has tried to get into galleries and gift shops first thing, was (rightfully) rejected from such places. Discouraged, they finally dug around till they found a local café that would accept them. Myself included.

Small shows in coffee shops are blessings to the emerging artist. You learn so much about marketing, the physicality of hanging a show, and getting a following of people to SHOW UP. What a perfect place to make mistakes than a coffee shop.

Shall I tell you how my first 'solo show' in a coffee shop went?

I had 15 paintings: half had wires on the back, two were still wet with oil paint, 3 were properly framed, one with a rip down the side, and a final one that was frankly unfinished. Something I did right: they all had a cohesive theme.

I showed up to the venue, a coffee shop down the street from my house, midday when the shop was packed. Big mistake. I had to wait for tables to be cleared one at a time so I could hang my work on the wall above it. I was in the way, none of the work was lined up properly, and I forgot to make labels or have an artist statement printed.

I think it took me a week to properly hang the show. Thankfully, no one cared that it wasn't done right. The lights weren't cast correctly, my sticker labels (hand written and sloppy) were peeling off the wall, and one time a painting fell off because the wire on the back wasn't attached securely.

Bless that coffee shop for giving me a chance. And bless them for inviting me back the next year.

Showing your work is a great feat for an artist! And like anything, you need to practice. Have a lot of shows! As many as you can get! Practice having shows by hanging work at tea houses and coffee shops and other places where people aren't there for the art.

Once you have a dozen of these done you'll get the confidence to go for bigger fish, and your art will have improved naturally throughout the years.

Small shows are great for many reasons:

1. You get to put them on your resume. No one knows that "Cactus Canyon" isn't a gallery but is in fact a coffee shop in Seattle. You look established with more shows on your CV!

2. You learn HOW to have a show. Getting the mighty checklist of all the little things needed for a show down and practiced is fantastic experience. (my Mighty Checklist below)

3. Learning how to have an 'Opening'. My first show I personally invited 20 people to come to a coffee shop and 3 people showed up. Now I'm better at marketing and networking, I can rely on a bigger turn out for my openings.

4. You get to see your work in a literal new light. Once your show is hung up, go hang out there. See if people are noticing the work or not. See how some pieces look good together and some do not. Self evaluation is magic for growth.

Don't let people knock you for hanging work in Coffee shops and the like. These small local places are big stepping stones for the artist and will help you further your art career.

Click below for the Mighty Coffee Shop Checklist!