During my time as an assistant manager at the downtown location of Madcap Coffee Company in Grand Rapids, MI, I noticed a distinct lack of art in the space. Something needed to be done about those blank walls. So I took the initiative and spearheaded the ideation, development, and implementation of an art program for the space. 

Many cafes take a traditional gallery approach to showcasing artists’ work on the walls with art on picture frames hanging on wires, with the artists’ work rotating every month or so. However, I wanted to take a different approach, one that showcased the artists’ work for a longer period of time and also celebrated the distinctive architecture of the space.

With all this in mind, I developed a vinyl mural installation program. Its semi-permanent nature allows the mural to be up for a longer period of time while also being able to be skinned from the wall easily to allow for new work to be shown. Izzy Nunez’s piece, “Omotenashi” (pictured),  was the first to showcase in this form at the space and is currently on display. Izzy Nunez is a multi-talented graphic designer and printmaker. You can find more of her work here.