What do you get when you cross a passion for art with a love for Italian espresso? The CIBO Galleria, which was was launched last night at CIBO Espresso Hutt Street, officially joining SALA festivities for the month of August.
Art and coffee came together for the CIBO Galleria, an initiative created in 2010, which enables South Australian artists to showcase their work in a public forum.
The event was launched by Nick Mitzevich, Director of the Art Gallery of South Australia, who says that coffee and art are a nice fit.
“Art shouldn't be the domain of just galleries, public galleries serve a great role,” he says.
“The fabric of a city is always enhanced by the passion of the people that live in that city.”
The ethos behind CIBO Galleria and SALA Festival go hand in hand. Both promote and celebrate South Australian artists and aim to extend audiences across the state.
Nick says that 60,000 people see the art that is dispalyed in CIBO’s across Adelaide and on the CIBO cups.
“I wish I had 60,000 visitors a week, and for an artist that's certainally an extraordinary access to an audience.”
The competition calls for CIBO Espresso customers to vote for their favourite artwork by visiting www.ciboespresso.com.au/galleria.
Just by voting, three lucky customers will be selected to win 365 free coffees – free coffee for a year!
Winners of the People’s Choice Award will be awarded up to $3,000 toward their professional development.
The Peoples Choice winners will then enter the draw to win the grand prize of $10,000, judged by industry professionals.
Nick says that artists and art play an important role in society.
“More and more we live in a world that's full of a kind of media spin and competing interests, but I always say that what will endure (are) the ideas of one persons imagination and how their hands translate that for the world to see.”
“I think artists more and more have a critical role in the way that we see the world and it's great that CIBO can open up the eyes of so many of their customers.”
The event also marks the release of the environmentally friendly CIBO takeaway cups, which feature the artwork ‘Dusk’ by last years winning artist Eileen Lubiana.
Nick says he hopes art does change peoples lives, even if it's only in the smallest ways.
“It makes people stop and think and one persons imagination is something really special to hold.”
CIBO Galleria is a non profit event, and focuses solely on promoting and showcasing exhibiting artists.
CIBO Espresso director, Roberto Cardone felt "CIBO could do more to help the South Australian art scene, and by giving emerging artists a leg up we feel we can really make a difference to their passion, motivation and success in the art world".
"We see so many artists leaving the state to pursue their profession, and CIBO Galleria will hopefully motivate artists to stay and develop their career here," Roberto says.
CIBO doesn't charge commission on the artworks they sell in their cafes which Nick says encourages young artists to have a voice.
“It’s a great platform to encourage artists to exhibit their work for the first time," says Nick.
"Artisits struggle to have a voice in our society because generally they rely on comercial galleries or artist run spaces and I think it's a really very comenndable attitude that CIBO has to promote art and the cultural life of this city,” he says.
“Adelaide is a city that really embraces its culture and what better way of encountering it than on 60,000 coffee cups a week."
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