The Tropical Room, La Caféothèque de Paris, Paris 4th

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Artist: Rene Shoemaker

Title: The Tropical Room, La Caféothèque de Paris, Paris 4th

Attribution: La Caféothèque de Paris, Paris 4th, Tropical Room, 2024, René D. Shoemaker

Year: 2024

Materials: Hand-painted silk with fiber-reactive dyes

Dimensions: 11.5" x 11.5"

Image Statement: Sitting on the river Seine, with a delightful view of Notre Dame, in a tiny, meandering space sits La Caféothèque de Paris in the 4th Arrondissement of Paris. Only a few blocks away from the grand Hotel de Ville, at the bottom of the Marais district, and across the tiny street from the Cité internationale des Arts, this bustling trailblazer of a coffee shop welcomes us. This spot was the beginning of the good coffee revolution in Paris. Now, as in New York, on every street corner you can find a hip coffee shop—no bigger than a closet—or a shoeshine stand (which some of them actually were!). Thanks to Gloria Montenegro and her husband, this spot was born out of love. A deep love for their home country, Guatemala, a passion for coffee, and compassion and care for the coffee growers who work so hard to provide us with our daily cup of java.