Art plus a cup of coffee in Sewickley
Like the rest of us, artists are especially glad that 2020 — a year that will live in infamy — is history.
A show with the theme “2020 is Hindsight” is on view at Crazy Mocha in Sewickley through March 1 and features the work of 37 talented local artists.
Kim Garrett, general manager of Ed’s Beans Inc., said she wanted to do “something memorable and different” at the Crazy Mocha located at 417 Walnut St.
“Our store manager in Sewickley suggested updating the artwork to generate foot traffic and continue to engage customers,” she said.
To Garrett, that made sense. “We have space that people are coming in and out of. Why not giving struggling artists some exposure?”
Most of the artwork was made before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Jeff Jarzynka, owner of Zynka Gallery in Sharpsburg, chose the art and displayed it at the coffee shop. Much of it has already sold.
The artwork on display are by Atticus Adams, Mary Dorfner Hay, Josh Mitchell, Travis K. Schwab, Jonathan Shapiro and Mia Tarducci.
Shapiro’s large wood sculptures call to mind the work of longtime Pittsburgh sculptor
Thaddeus Mosley. Tarducci’s paintings are colorful riffs on pill bottles. Her “Buoyant” painting is the kind of work that would likely help anyone through a difficult time.
Garrett said Ali Ayasso, the business development manager for Crazy Mocha/ Kiva Han, worked with Jarzynka a few years ago, helping him prepare for the grand opening of his Sharpsburg gallery in 2019.
The Crazy Mocha exhibition, Ayasso said, came together in three weeks. “It was an all-out sprint,” he said, adding that his interest in art was fueled by visits to museums while living and traveling overseas.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began last March, Crazy Mocha has closed most of its stores and is only operating in Sewickley plus three hospital kiosks — one at UMPC Monroeville and two at the Heritage Valley Hospital system in Sewickleyand Beaver.
Crazy Mocha in Sewickley is operating at 50% capacity so only 25 to 30 people can occupy the space at any given time. In addition, the shop is offering bags of coffee that have specific pieces of artwork on them.