coffee. tea. books. community.
Art & Artist Space
local. feminist. transgressive.
a community gallery committed to featuring local, feminist and transgressive art and artist.
Ollie Montas de Oca
Pronouns: Any.
I’m a Dominican gnc creature who is into painting, tattooing, skateboarding, bicycles, and music along with a bunch of other stuff.
@roly.poly.ollie
tattoo handle: @gaypokes
All art is for sale on a sliding scale. Please email Ollie at limontesdeoca95@gmail.com.
About the Exhibit...
Exhibit Runs November 3 - January 4, 2020
The exhibit is about simply representing a community that doesn’t often get represented. Qtpoc folks just chillin, sitting, posing, laughing, like being allowed to be seen as beautiful people, you know? I use ridiculously tiny brushes and a fascination to detail and the abstract to bring out the complexities in beauty, hoping the viewer takes in the painting not only as a whole, but its process as well.
Why I Create...
My motivation to create comes from a need to yell and scream metaphorically in mediums that parts of me feel comfortable doing so. I don’t feel as connected to communicating verbally as I do communicating in other ways. I think it’s important to remember that for myself, especially when I’m processing something.
"Feminist Hand Embroideries
by Monserrat Vargas"
Pronouns: she/her/hers
I am a craftivist and teacher. In recent years, I’ve been enchanted by fiber arts, especially hand embroidery. I explore the contemporary female+immigrant perspective, highlighting the importance of talking about mental health in the Hispanic community. I truly enjoy creating craftivist workshops with/for women to explore theater, visual art, and crafts (usually while we drink a cup of tea)
"There’s an opportunity for healing together when we start talking about what these phrases really mean to each other. And I hope they resonate with you."
About the Exhibit...
Exhibit Runs: 1 October - 2 November 2019.
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I started embroidering quotes as gifts for family and friends. I love to hear and repeat these phrases to myself because they reframe my vision and experiences. With them, I carry my past, leave my present, and envision my future. I feel honored when someone connects with the embroidery and is willing to take them or give it to someone. Being at Café con Libros kind of closes the circle, it’s the perfect venue to showcase them.
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Why I Create...
It’s very common to find self-care quotes or phrases of mental health awareness, but there are not many for Spanish or for bilingual speakers. Also, I love the saying “doing all this healing to be a wise grandmother, to my divine grandchildren, that will live out of the cycle that I broke for them”, and that’s what motives me: breaking bad cycles by embroidering words that uplift us and make us re-evaluate our traditions for future generations. I think that many feminist artists and writers are changing the generational narrative. By shifting and embracing difficult words and quotes, we can give even painful phrases a positive approach.
"You can visit my Etsy Store, you can go to Café con Libros to purchase the exclusive items that are there. You can see a glimpse of my work on Instagram by using the hashtag #MontserratVargasEmbroidery."
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