Spring Break
Restaurants combine food, art
JENNIFER PAXTON
Issue date: 9/11/07 Section: Variety
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Some Athens establishments have bridged the gap between the art gallery and the restaurant, making local artwork more accessible to the average customer.
"Part of our whole mission behind this is to really raise awareness of how great the arts scene is here," said Seth Hendershot, general manager of the Jittery Joe's at Five Points.
"We just want to get people into art, and it helps us because we have cool stuff on the walls for people to look at when they're here," he said.
A series of Athfest-inspired paintings by artist Josh Stainthorp are on display now, keeping Joe's regulars both cultured and caffeinated.
The coffeehouse will feature one artist each month, he said. The next display will debut Monday, featuring a combined show by artists Genevieve Swinford and Dana Joe Cooley.
Cooley specializes in shadowboxes and painting, while Swinford concentrates on woodwork paintings.
"They're going to go all out for this one," Hendershot said.
Other popular coffee hot spots in Athens support local artists as well, including Espresso Royale and Hot Corner.
Photography by William Cary Whitley has complemented the walls of Hot Corner since June 16. The former University student also has photos up at Mercury Lounge.
He encourages local artists to take advantage of what these locations can offer.
"Just walk into the places and ask them who is responsible for the artwork on the walls - usually they have somebody who is in charge of that," he said.
Displaying artwork in a location other than a gallery may seem unconventional at first, but pursuing it can be beneficial for local artists and consumers alike.
"The more you get your name out there, the better," said Maggie Smith, a senior majoring in painting and drawing from Marietta.
Her paintings have been on display at Transmetropolitan for about a month, she said.
Much to her surprise, one painting received far more publicity by serving as a colorful backdrop for an Aug. 22 Flagpole cover.
Steve Wang, a fifth-year student from Augusta majoring in photography, has enjoyed similar success with his "portraits with a fashion slant" at The Grit, and previously with work shown at J. Scott Salon.
For patrons considering a purchase of the artwork, the price tags may seem high, but remember the phrase "starving artists" exists for a reason.
"They're trying to make a career out of it, and the best way to do that is to keep prices reasonable," said Jittery Joe's Seth Hendershot.
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