Art / art
Baristas Coffee Collective stands up for local artists
When it comes to promoting your business, anything is possible if you have imagination. Niki Groom, a Bristolian illustrator, found a great way of promotion that works both for her as an artist and the independent coffee shop, Baristas Coffee Collective.
Niki has collaborated with fashion and beauty brands such us Clinique, Boden, Accessorize, and magazines like Instyle or Cosmopolitan, but has now turned her creativity towards the shop-cum-gallery on Victoria Street.
Due to construction on the street, the facade of the cafe has been temporarily covered by a black wall, and sometimes the builders need to divert the traffic, which makes it inaccessible to the public.
is needed now More than ever
That’s when Niki, close friend of George Martin, the owner of the cafe, came up with an idea: covering the big window that they have on the front with a nice drawing to catch the attention of the passers-by. But she gave it a twist, as the drawing is not just beautiful: it tells the story of the place.
“It’s quite a story! I met George’s wife when I was 12. We went to the same school, and we’ve been good friends since them,” Niki explains. “She used to work nearby this coffee shop and met George when coming for her coffee, who not so long after that become a good friend of mine, Now they are married and have beautiful twins.”
In the drawing, we see the family on a fancy car travelling over the Clifton Suspension Bridge, and the illustrator, Niki, traveling in a hot air balloon – a real symbol of Bristol. A list of the local suppliers who stock the coffee shop is also written up on the window, to show that the business is all about local support.
Niki decided to go even further, and create a social media contest, with the best entry winning a mysterious piece of her art, valued at £100. Using the hashtag #BaristasMagpie, people are sharing pictures of themselves with the window’s illustration on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Niki thinks that Bristol can get more creative, and wants to encourage more local business to support Bristolian artists to work together. “There are lots of empty shop windows in Broadmead and on Park Street,” Niki says. “They could be decorated with these kind of drawings, promoting local business and artists at the same time. It would be of touristic interest as well.” Niki upholds that this could represent an interesting opportunity to the city, making the whole area look more appealing and promoting its artistic collective.
Find out more about Niki’s project at www.missmagpiefashionspy.com and follow Baristas Coffee Collective via Twitter: @BaristasBristol.
Read more: Bristol’s best baristas get their brew on
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