Past Gatherings
Art Cafe has been gathering since 2019. Here are a few recent ones.
Tending Our Shared Gardens
Inspired by the ecological writing of Robin Wall Kimmerer, we reflected on how community and land are part of the same living story. In the spirit of reciprocity, we explored the gardens we carry inside us and the ones we hope to grow together, for ourselves, our neighbours, and the wider ecological family.
First individually, and then in pairs, we created art in response to the question: What grows when we imagine a space meant to nourish us?
As each person placed their art into the circle, they offered a word or phrase. Together, those words became a poem, written by all of us.
The Art of Becoming
We sat with the words I am the person I dream of becoming and brought them to life through fabric and textiles. Each person left with something entirely their own.
I made the small figure pictured below. My words for her are: well rested, surrounded by community, and loves deep. These are things I'm cultivating this year, my own markers of success.
My hope was for everyone to make an object to keep at home, a reminder of their own becoming. A shared theme surfaced as we talked: the journey itself matters more than any destination.
The evening was full of soft magic, ease, and flow.
Seasons Within the Circle
We explored the circle as a symbol of connection, interdependence, and the cycles of life. We drew on circle traditions from many cultures, including mandalas in Buddhism and Hinduism, Celtic knotwork, and circular community designs across Africa.
With one hand on our heart and one on our belly, we asked: What season am I in right now? What is beginning, and what is ending?
We let images, sensations, and feelings come rather than searching for right answers. Each person then made art from nature objects (dried leaves, shells, and stones) representing where they've been, where they are, and where they're going. One by one, we placed our pieces on a shared mandala and spoke about why we placed them where we did.
The circle felt held: a living one, full of story, reflection, and connection.
