Hungry for Art

Art is often showcased and appreciated only in galleries, museums and other "official" artistic places like artisan studios. Acknowledging that art is all around us, Bloomington restaurants offer their wall space as a community canvas to further student and townie art expression.\nNever mind framed prints of Matisse, Monet or Picasso to attract customer dollars. Local eateries such as Tutto Bene, Lennie's Restaurant and Michael's Uptown Café and Bakery offer local artists the opportunity to exhibit their artwork in their business space for display-only or selling purposes. \nAlthough different local businesses fill their walls with art for different purposes, the common thread tying all local eateries displaying local art is a love for the Bloomington artisan community.\n"I'm an art advocate and I'm interested in people experiencing art," said Bloomington resident Marci Widen, owner of Tutto Bene Wine Café & More. "The more people who experience it, the more people will appreciate it. People may not like the art they see but at least they are experiencing it by us introducing it to them in a different way. Some of our customers order a glass of wine and walk around to look at the art. Sometimes I see two or three people staring at a painting and talking about it, which is great."\nWiden, who is also a board member for the Bloomington Area Arts Council, said she has about 200 works of Bloomington-affiliated artisan expression mixed throughout her café and wine bar. Art takes many forms, from oil paintings and sculptures to photographs and table centerpieces. She said her customers have enjoyed her public art display so much she has added an art gallery to showcase additional community artwork because her café was busting at the seams with paint, frames and twigs. \n"I want to support the local art community as well as the new and emerging artists. I'm hoping people will start purchasing art, especially if they love it," Widen said. "A lot of people come here and say 'I love that but that won't fit in any room in my home' -- they categorize art and try to put into a box. I have piece in my house I liked so much I made it the focal point of the room: it's the first thing you notice when they enter and the last thing you see when you leave. You can put a piece of art in a spot and make the room around it." \nWiden said the artwork she displays is contracted for consignment, which means that she gets a percentage of the sale based on a contractual negotiation between her and the artist. She said some of the artists represented in her café and gallery have received commissions based on their work, but others have sold a piece or two to help pay the bills needed for artisan survival.\nWith loose talk floating around the community about Bloomington metamorphosing into an "art destination" like the historic art-town of Nashville in Brown County, local restaurants and other businesses small and large can stake their claim on exhibiting local artwork for the betterment of all local artisans.\nBloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan proposed a town "art district" in May that includes boutiques, entertaining shows, festival streets, an arts row, a B-Line trail, a youth area and opportunities for new art development including artisan living and working space.\nBloomington resident Michael Layman, manager of Lennie's Restaurant, said his restaurant is willing to do their fair share of promoting local artisans to the greater Bloomington community and beyond. He said Lennie's hosted a Bloomington North and South High School art show during the spring that drew rave reviews and increased restaurant foot traffic.\n"We certainly try to help the community out, not just with local artists, but with the Hoosier Hills Food Bank and the Community Kitchen as well. Why not? Why would we go anywhere else?" Layman said. "We have many different local art pieces and our customers come in and look at it while they're here. From the feedback we get people seem to love it."\nLennie's does not sell the artist's artwork to their customers, but they do offer the artisan information so interested art patrons can negotiate with the artist for their favorite works. Layman said his restaurant has enough wall space for about 20 art pieces, but as their current display proves -- one photography work divided into about 25 pieces -- the available space is dependent upon the size and shape of the artwork.\n"Art is more pleasing to look at for our customers," Layman said. "It would be pretty generic to walk into a restaurant and for the walls to be plain. The art provides a tone to the overall décor that is more of an uplifting atmosphere -- bright colors and things such as that. The benefit for the artist is a lot of community exposure."\nNot all emerging local artisan work is pleasing to the highbrow eye, so few galleries and museums take risks in filling their space with artwork that more then likely will not sell.\nBecause a local artisan with no official space to exhibit their artwork is like a fisherman who catches a 50-pound catfish with a stick and yarn, some local businesses are more then happy to provide the space needed for the Bloomington art scene to shine in otherwise "unofficial" places. \nBloomington resident Jared Cartmell, front house manager of Michael's Uptown Café & Bakery, said his restaurant caters to community artwork that is less wild and more conservative to the customer eye. He said his father, Michael, often chooses art for display like paintings or photographs that are of a jazzier theme.\n"It's good to continually change the environment, to let customers see new things," Cartmell said. "It's a very diverse community in Bloomington, and I think different perspectives are something a lot of people want to see in this town. We enjoy giving people an opportunity to show what they've created to a large number of people. It's exposure for someone who is trying to get something done because we are all trying to get something done."\nCartmell said his restaurant can hold 15 to 25 works of art, depending on how large or the combination of pieces. He said a recent limestone-wall hanging show was a success, based on the number of smiling customer faces and requests for the artist's information. \nMichael's Uptown Café & Bakery has a waiting list of community artists a couple months long wishing to display their work, and the restaurant leaves any sales for the customer to negotiate with the particular artist. He said his customers seem to really enjoy a mixed media art show combing different art mediums.\nBloomington resident Teresa Miller, who was spotted eating breakfast at the local art scene when she visits local restaurants because she is interested in art, and she likes to see what local artisans have created.\n"I like the art and it's good for the artist too," she said between scribbles in a crossword puzzle. "It enriches the quality of life for the residents and people who go to the business." \nHaving graduated with a major in painting from the University of Louisville, Widen said she both sympathizes with the plight of student artists hoping to spread word of their art skill and emphasizes with the art tastes of community members more inclined to appreciate works by art masters like Da Vinvi and Van Gogh. She said she also offers art space for musical, theatrical and other art performances.\n"I don't like to turn anyone away because everybody wants a chance to display their art, but that's not always feasible," Widen said. "I think a lot of restaurants have been supportive of the arts community and that's a good thing. It would be great if more businesses could catch on and try something different. We are constantly looking for new ways to celebrate the arts in one form or another. It's a fun thing to display art, and it's great to walk in and say to your customers 'there is a piece here and there is a piece there."