Digital art in the cafe

Windsor cafe and bar owners are letting local artists showcase their work to promote the local art scene.

There are almost 30 different establishments in Windsor that support local art. From restaurants to cafes, bars and actual art galleries most are willing to let you display your art. Milk on University Ave., Green Bean Café on Wyandotte St., and Phog lounge on University Ave, are some that support the local art scene.  Art in the Green Bean Café spans multiple styles and mediums. It features artists who have had years of art experience and those who have just started experimenting with art. Some people have more recognition than others but everyone has a chance to showcase and sell their work in a public area.

Local artists, Ashley Ann Mentley and Brittni Ann Carey have displayed their art in the Green Bean Café to show off their pieces. For Mentley, it is her first time having her art displayed.

“Art is entirely new to me, even just within the past year new to me. So the fact that it’s just hanging in a coffee shop is very very new,” said Mentley. “It’s a big thing, a ‘my parents are proud of me’ sort of thing”

Mentley works part-time at the Green Bean Cafe. “I said to my boss one day, I make art too is there any way that I can hang it on the wall and he was super, super excited and said ‘yeah of course you can hang it,’” said Mentley. “I showed him what I had and he was really excited because my stuff is a bit more colorful and bigger than the other stuff he had there.”

There is a wide range of different styles in art. Ranging from traditional to New Age, drawing, carpentry, ceramic, electronic, film, lights and more. Within those styles, there can be more than one medium, such as brush, paint, chalk, oil paint, pen and ink. Carey is one local artist who likes to use different mediums and styles.

“I go through cycles. Sometimes I’ll write for a couple weeks then do art for a couple weeks,” said Carey. “I like everything but I’m not good at everything, I tend to focus on the like just ink and paper. Sometimes I’ll do acrylic work, but ink is probably my favorite,” said Carey. “I’ve been interested in art since I was young. I was exposed early on to just create things for fun and then I had some mentors growing up who really just encouraged me to paint or make pottery or work with mixed media,”

To learn more about local artists, find an art teacher, or find a local art gallery, visit the websites below.