Coffeehouse Nights provide art, coffee, free food

Coffee. It wakes students up in the morning, keeps them up at night and supposedly cures those hangovers. So why not brew up another venue for this stimulant?

The IU Art Museum will host Coffeehouse Nights from 7 to 9 p.m. the next three Thursdays so students can socialize, browse the art collections and taste coffee samples from around the world.

“The event is very informal,” said Joanna Davis, IU Art Museum special events manager. “Visitors are encouraged to move through the event at their own pace. It is free-flowing.”

The first night features a gallery filled with art of the beat generation and poetry readings from four Bloomington poets. While the poets read original works and recognizable beat pieces, attendees can browse the gallery.

“The exhibit is specifically for Coffeehouse Nights,” said Emily Powell, marketing and corporate sponsorship manager for the IU Art Museum.

Each night will offer a different theme, so students are welcome to attend all three nights.

On Sept. 11, there will be African art with live African drumming by Kwesi Brown, an IU instructor. On Sept. 18, the theme of the night will be Japanese street scenes paired with traditional Japanese folk songs sung by local artist Molly Jeon.

Although the African art is always on exhibit, the Japanese street scenes are what the IU Art Museum calls a new, in-gallery feature and is specifically on display for Coffeehouse Nights, Powell said.

The flavor for each night will not only come from the art but also from the selection of coffee from across the globe. The free coffee tasting is provided by the IU Art Museum’s Angles Café and Gift Shop.

The coffee offerings includes Branford Point from South America, Kaldi’s Groovin’ Goat from Latin America, Papua New Guinea from New Guinea and Decaf Mexican Santa Anita from Mexico.  

“My favorite is Branford Point,” said Murat Candiler, manager of Angles Café and Gift Shop. “I like the flavor combinations and the darker, more intense coffees.”

Yet the cafe is trying to offer a selection of coffees that will please everyone.

“We have a lot of customers that like Papua New Guinea,” Candiler said. “It is a medium roast that is more fruity.”

All four of the coffees featured at Coffeehouse Nights are organic and from Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Company, a small company on the East Coast that specializes in organic and fair trade coffees.

To complete the event, Bloomingfoods will provide free deserts for each night.
Davis said Coffeehouse Nights, along with other special events hosted at the IU Art Museum, are designed specifically to benefit students.

“We want students to discover the Art Museum,” Candiler said. “It is a hidden secret.”
In addition to exploring new exhibits at the museum, the museum is helpful when it comes to academics.

“It gives them an insight into a resource that they can use later down the road,” Davis said.

Candiler said students often come back to the museum after graduation and are disappointed they did not take the time to explore it. Coffeehouse Nights will create a relaxing evening where students don’t have to worry about classes, he said. It will be a carefree night full of entertainment, art and, of course, coffee, he said.

“We will have Coffeehouse Nights again in January,” Powell said. “It is a kickoff to each semester.”