Events & Exhibitions
Café Art in Spitalfields Market
Café Art has been holding pop up event and exhibitions, by and for people who have experienced homelessness, since 2013.
One of our goals is to connect people who have experienced homelessness with the wider community and we found that holding an exhibition is a great way of getting people together.
We usually hold exhibition openings - where it is the annual This Is Where I Live international art exchange exhibition, the Art Competition Exhibition opening or a smaller exhibition opening in a cafe or restaurant.
Café Art has been given the art market in Spitalfields E1 market, London since 2013.
During the week we have given individual pods to art groups run by homeless charities in London and to individual artists who have been or are currently homeless.
Spitalfields have also let us launch the annual MyLondon Photo Project Exhibition in the market - this has usually been in September or October, after letting us exhibit the photos earlier in the year before the calendar is printed.
Every year we have been given a table and a space to sell the MyLondon calendars - providing employment for our vendors who sell the calendar like the Big Issue - earning 50% of the sale price.
In 2020 we weren't able to sell in the market which was closed because of Covid-19 but we were able to give part of the online sales income from calendars to the vendors who would normally have sold them.
Michael, James and Geraldine sit in one of the pods provided by Spitalfields E1 market. The market is covered but temporary and we set up and take down every day for a week in September or October.
This is Brazilian artist Ricardo Negro who painted some a beautiful mural in the Qbic Hotel, London, for Cafe Art. The Qbic stores Café Art's calendars, paintings and photographs. You can visit the hotel and see an exhibition of photographs from the MyLondon project - and of course this fantastic mural!
Photographer David Fussell speaks to Jen Burnham from St Mungo's at the opening of one of our exhibitions. This one was hosted by the Old Diorama Arts Centre, near Warren Street.