We will have art from four local artists on display all weekend! No admission fee to view the art on the cafe side. If you’d like to visit the cats in our lounge, you can make a reservation here. Shauri E Gonzalez Artist Bio/Description: Cats appear in my work as quiet muses of autonomy, softness, and subtle rebellion. I create cat art to capture the feeling of living alongside them; the softness, the mischief, the comfort. Through my art, I hope viewers see their own companions reflected back at them and feel that familiar love we share for the cats who choose us. Or perhaps fall in love with cats themselves, as my depictions place cats in tender, aesthetic home spaces to highlight their charm and individuality. Another reason I draw cats is to allow me to explore feminism in a way I have not seen explored before, gentle and sweet. The exploration of one’s interests and reclaiming softness. Similarly, returning to pink often symbolizes healing and making peace with parts of oneself that were previously suppressed. I use cats as my art theme to feel intimate and cozy. Cats are both rooted in softness and self-possession and the quiet strength of simply being. Cats do not perform for approval. They rest when they want to rest. They ask for affection on their own terms. They observe before they act. There is something profoundly feminist in that. In my drawings, cats are soft but sovereign. They represent rest without guilt, affection without submission, beauty without apology. They remind us that femininity does not have to be loud to be powerful but can be quiet, watchful, and unwavering like a cat. Katie Khau Artist Bio/Description: Katie Khau is a visual artist and graphic designer based in Champaign, IL. She does graphic design for museum exhibits at Taylor Studios and does freelance art and design for board games. Katie is on the board of CUDO and co-chair of the CUDO Plays board game design competition. EKAH Artist Bio/Description: I am a visual artist originally from Seoul, South Korea. My family and I immigrated to New York City where I spent most of my formative years. My work visually tells stories using both traditional and modern tools—drawing, animation, digital media, optical illusions, and interactive art. The worlds I create are often inhabited by characters and environments that range from surreal to absurd. and dystopian or beautiful. Influenced by my multicultural upbringing, my work evolves through curiosity for the unknown and tendency to challenge expectations. I embrace all media, remaining agnostic to tools and styles. Sydney Bruner Artist Bio/Description: Sydney Bruner is an artist based out of Champaign, IL. She primarily uses acrylic and oil paint. Her artwork focuses on topics of nature, nostalgia, pop culture, feminism, and introspection. She enjoys working with bright colors, glitter, rhinestones, and iridescent materials.
