Listen Here
By: Taylor Christensen
christensent@findlay.edu
@taychristensen1
You might see anthropomorphic animal art when walking into a local downtown Findlay coffee shop
As soon as you walk into Coffee Amici in downtown Findlay you are greeted with the faces of various dogs, cats, and other pets that have been carefully painted by Judy Fields. She is the artist behind these art pieces and is selling them at Coffee Amici.
This coffee shop lies in the center of downtown Findlay and gives the community a space where they can share their art, music abilities, or enjoy a hot cup of coffee and relax. The shops overall goal is to create a safe space for members of the community to sit down and relax. One way they do this is by having artists from around Findlay or the surrounding area sell their art at the shop.
“We wanted Coffee Amici to be a safe gathering place, and we wanted art to be a part of that,” says John Calvelage, the owner of Coffee Amici. “A lot of people find that to be a calming experience looking at art, it allows them to sit out of their busy hectic days.”
At the moment, Field’s work is being showcased. There are around forty pieces of artwork on display that are open for customers to purchase. Ranging from fifteen to forty dollars, there’s an option for any budget looking to buy art.
But the dogs and cats placed on the wall are no ordinary animal portraits. They each have an interesting twist that makes each piece unique. If you look closely, you may see a kitty lighting up a cigarette, or a dog drinking a glass of wine.
The inspiration behind Field’s pieces stems from her observations of other work, “I get ideas from looking through art on the internet, in stores, or museums, just soaking it all in,” Fields says. “Then, I think how I can make this more interesting, and that’s when I add a cigarette.”
Her work expresses the idea of creating art that is interesting for everyone, and she is constantly brainstorming on ways to make her work different each time she sits down to paint.
Fields has been an artist since high school but was not as involved in the art community as she is now. She got pushed back into the industry when she was faced with some hard times, that helped her revisit her love for the arts.
Fields does not only sell her art at Coffee Amici, she also sells it on Facebook, where she mentions that it does not sell as well. “Getting it out there physically in a place where they can see it sells a lot better than it does online.”
The art displayed at the shop provides the community with a happy, colorful atmosphere at Coffee Amici. University of Findlay student Gracie Glaser is an avid customer at this spot.
“I’m an animal lover, and the art that [Coffee] Amici sells puts a huge smile on my face. I’ve actually been thinking of buying a painting soon.” Glaser mentions. “I love the fact that Coffee Amici is giving smaller artists a place where they can sell their work, you usually don’t see many small artists being represented.”
Often times, artists will come to Coffee Amici and offer their art to be displayed. Each month features a different artist. According to Calvelage, “we feel it is a way to contribute to the community, to be able to create art that other people can enjoy is a unique skill. It’s really awesome to see different artists work being displayed each month,” he says.
To be featured as an artist at the shop, there are a few guidelines. The art must be family friendly and non-offensive, says Calvelage. People who are interested in the opportunity to have art displayed at Coffee Amici are encouraged to walk in and ask! Calvelage is happy to help out anyone interested.
