CAFÉ Y VINO
PROBLEM:
How might an artsy tourist like myself give back to the local economy, by employing my painting abilities and limited resources, during a two month stay?
SOLUTION SUMMARY:
Tableaus, painted in cafés and wine bars using coffee and wine. Then, sold in a local gallery with proceeds benefitting the establishment of which it was painted in.
BACKGROUND:
It all started when I was in an empty wine bar sketching on a napkin. Sounds cliché, but I promise it’s true!
To pass the time, I sketched the bartender, he saw it and he liked it! A few days later I went back only to find my sketch was hung up behind the bar. In that moment, I recognized value in my little sketches. I began to improve them, while keeping the rough and spontaneous nature of them.
DEVELOPMENT:
I continued to paint more and experiment more with what was available.
I visited a new cafe every day and a new wine bar every night, drawing a scene each time. I painted with the wine/espresso native to the shop I was in, gaining the interest of local shop owners.
With each scene, I got a little bit better, and was soon recognized by a local art director who offered me a position at a gallery called OpenGallery in Palermo, Buenos Aires to showcase and sell four pieces of my artwork. I selected paintings that I loved from businesses where I connected with the business owners.
I titled each painting to match the name and address of the café/wine bar with the intention that proceeds would from sales would be go directly to the business owner to help maintain their shop during this severe period of inflation.
Los Lagos de Palermo
Café MIGUEL
El Mercadito Chacras
Gris Gris Bar de Escucha
RESULTS:
All four paintings sold for a total of 140,000 ARS
The proceeds of my painting all went to benefit the location to which they were painted in. Each location received 35,000 ARS. At this time, minimum wage for workers in Buenos Aires was $1,920 ARS per hour so this donation was quite impactful.