The lucky folks in Chicago have a brand spankingly fresh community-based initiative in the form of a new cafe within the walls of Experimental Station thanks to spearhead Sara Black of the artist group Material Exchange and others.
Backstory's mission is to be a small coffee/tea house and cafe and neighborhood meeting place, a site for social engagement.
"Backstory is an infoshop and used bookshop (offering titles suggested by local artists, activists, environmentalists, educators and religious leaders) all supported by a small cafe serving in the spirit of slow food in Chicago. We are dedicated to conscientious consumerism, transparency, and ethical alternative business practices. We aim to provide a judgment-free zone that will encourage, produce, and facilitate a thoughtful exchange of ideas, respectful discussion, and productive social activity. We are a community-based initiative that aims to provide a convivial space for meeting and function as a resource center for local non-profit initiatives, and neighborhood-based projects. We facilitate the archiving and presentation of promotional materials that will allow a broader audience to access local, social service, cultural, and educational initiatives thereby promoting more actively involved citizenship. In addition to being your neighborhood cafe, we hope be a source for independent media, live music, literary readings, film screenings, round-table discussions, interviews, self-education initiatives, and more. We believe the act of engagement is an end as well as a means to achieve our purpose of growing a more critical consciousness within our community."
Oh how we need a few of these down here in San Antonio. I'd love to be involved with something as smart and cool as Experimental Station and Backstory Cafe.
Hmmmm....
That's Right,
HMK
Thanks to the smart folks at Eyebeam.
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