Café Des Artistes

Café Des Artistes
Oil on panel
6x6 inches

A small study of the facade of the building that once housed the Café Des Artistes. This building on West 67th Street was designed to house artists with living spaces facing south and studio spaces facing north. Oh, to have affordable buildings like that in Manhattan available to working artists today! The apartments are very pricey these days and I'm pretty sure there are not many artists living in the building as was first envisioned when it was built. The cafe on the ground floor provided meals to the residents and later became an upscale dining spot for the public. Renowned artist Howard Chandler Christy, a resident, painted the murals that hung in the cafe. I did have an opportunity to eat at the cafe during Restaurant Week several years ago, before it closed in 2009.

The facade of the buildings features images of artists, a subject close to my heart.