Imagine: you sit down, get a menu, but instead of dishes, there are creative activities on it. Clay modeling, lino printing, painting. You choose what appeals to you, the materials come naturally to your table, and two hours later the cafe cleans everything up neatly. That's The Art Cafe, a place in the Baarsjes where art is as common as a cup of coffee.
Behind the concept are Anne and Julia, two friends with a clear idea: to make people curious about creativity again. Not the threshold of a course or the seriousness of a studio, but just walking in and getting started. They started as a pop-up in Sarphatipark, tested out the concept there and then moved to a permanent location. In addition to the open sessions, they bring in professional artists for guided workshops. One of them is Shacyz, also known as Sjachi, designer, illustrator and creative entrepreneur with eighteen years of experience and founder of Shhh Amsterdam. She teaches a doodle and ink flow workshop, among other things.
The space works with tables per guest or group, set up for independent creative work. No gallery atmosphere, no white walls you carefully walk past. You just sit at a table with your materials in front of you. The Art Menu is the centerpiece: a list of activities from which you choose as you would otherwise choose a dish. Two hours is the time, and that turns out to be just enough for most people to really sink into something without it becoming a day job.
You don't order a dish but a creative activity, and two hours later the café cleans everything up nicely.
The Art Cafe began as a pop-up in Sarphatipark and has now found its permanent home in the Baarsjes. That neighborhood suits it well: a mix of people who live, work and hang out there, with enough space for a place that is just a little bit different. You don't have to bring anything, you don't have to know anything. You just order something from the menu.