Nestled in Sangolda, the newly opened Meraki Art Cafe serves up a different kind of experience, with a menu of art activities for visitors to try their hand at
CHRISTINE MACHADO | NT BUZZ
The little purple door leading into the space hints at the beginning of a memorable adventure. And as you step inside the refurbished old house in Sangolda, now home to Meraki Art Cafe, you are not disappointed.
“The rooms are divided into a paint room, a craft room and a pottery room. But it’s not limited to that. You can sit at a table in the paint room with a group of friends and each can be doing a different activity. The division is more in terms of storage of the necessary materials,” says founder, Isha Kher.
There are currently 15 activities to choose from. The paint room for instance, includes options like painting on canvases, bookmarks, tote bags and pouches. Visitors can also work with different mediums such as oil pastels and watercolours.
In the pottery room, participants can try their hand at the potter’s wheel or sign up for underglaze pottery painting. “Whatever you paint on, we will fire the piece afterwards. The piece you receive will be something you can use in daily life. For example, you can paint your coffee mug. And it’s all microwavable,” explains Kher.
Other options include building a miniature from blocks and solving a murder mystery, while a collection of puzzles is expected to be
added soon.
But for Kher, who founded Meraki Experiences three years ago offering weekend workshops, having an art cafe wasn’t on the menu at first.
“I began Meraki Experiences as a part-time thing to keep me busy on the weekends alongside my studies. But it just grew from there. I think this was because people wanted to do something different on the weekends and meet new people, and we were offering that,” says Kher.
However, as the workshops were limited to weekends, Kher began receiving requests from people looking for something they could do during the week. “Also, with workshops, some people are hesitant to join other groups. They have different preferences. And Goa also does need more third spaces,” she says.
A conversation with the owner of Yaki Zushi revealed that a space was available next to the restaurant, giving Kher the opportunity to turn the idea into a permanent space.
“When I first saw the premises, it was just red and black walls. I knew I wanted it to be all about art and I spent a lot of time on Pinterest just planning out how I wanted each room to be,” says Kher, who worked with Vismith Studios on the interiors and furniture, while artist Vaibhav Salgaonkar handled
the illustrations.
The cafe also promotes local artists and businesses by stocking their products across the rooms. “I put out an open call for two days calling out to artists who would like to showcase their works. It was more of a first come, first served basis and we got a really good response,” says Kher.
But getting the space ready in time was not without its challenges. “Also, since we were working with an old house and it being on the ground floor brought its own set of problems,” shares Kher.
While some may question the need to visit an art cafe when they can create at home, Kher believes the setting makes a difference. “I think it’s the same reason why we go to an office to work. You need to have a creative setup with all the right materials to let your creativity out,” she says, adding that visitors can pick what they need from a shelf and settle in with good music and food.
For those trying an activity for the first time, Kher says the staff can provide assistance. “When you order from the menu of art experiences, our team will bring you everything you need, stationery, canvases, easels. We also have a QR code with some reference images,” says Kher. She adds that the staff can assist visitors when needed but the idea and execution is left to them.
An in-house cafe is managed by Yaki Zushi, which is also the partner in the initiative.
Kher emphasises that Meraki Experiences and the Meraki Art Cafe will remain separate entities. “With Meraki Experiences we have workshops around the state and this makes it more accessible for people who live further away from the cafe location,” she says.
And the art cafe, she says, is a very open space. “I think the space should help a lot of people to be more creative,” she says. “Ultimately, I want this to be way to help you unwind from the stresses of daily life.”
