Ever since that day in 1555 when the first coffeehouse opened in the Ottoman Empire (specifically in Istanbul) artists, writers, thinkers, doers, revolutionaries, and people who need a community space to gather, coffeehouses have been their meeting place for conversations (Gertrude Stein and Picasso’s regular Paris coffeehouse Les Deaux Magot and beatnik cafes) that have become catalysts for change (The Women’s Coffeehouse Collective in Greenwich Village), for movements (Indian Coffeehouse Movement), for thoughtful action, and maybe most importantly, for comfort and community.
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Visual art is also a powerful magnet for community, attracting and fostering diversity, empathy and vitality. Here's the deal though, sometimes, the art world can feel intimidating or exclusive...and nothing provides solace like a kind person welcoming you with a specially made warm (or comforting cold) beverage, inviting you to not dash out, but to linger, hang out or bring your laptop to work amongst cutting-edge original works of art. Not so scary.
Why Catalyst?
Good Coffee
We take pride in handcrafting exceptionally delicious beverages for the enjoyment of our community. Our menu features a carefully curated rotation of coffee, tea and espresso drinks from select local (think Mississippi Mud Coffee Roasters, Blueprint Coffee, and Big Heart Tea) and occasionally a featured national roaster to bring Saint Louis to the coffee world and the coffee world to Saint Louis.
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Since 2013, first through a collaboration with Chris Ruess and Mississippi Mud Coffee Roasters, Art Saint Louis has welcomed coffee lovers, the art community and greater Saint Louis area residents and visitors to gather in downtown Saint Louis over coffee, tea and art.
As Chris Ruess says (a local painter himself), “Savoring a cup of coffee is not unlike enjoying a work of art. You have to slow down and live with it a little.
In 2016 Art Saint Louis purchased the coffeehouse operation and made some changes, recognizing the deep connection between community and historically, the coffeehouse as a catalyst for so much, from intellectual conversations and a meeting place for performance art, for a date, to meet a neighbor, or a place to quietly sit in cozy comfort, or even to plan change.Catalyst Coffee Bar (CCB) was born. Every drink made, every dollar spent at our CCB Monday-Friday, 8-4, and Saturday 9-3, supports the work of Saint Louis artists and our organization’s original artistic programming, exhibitions and community that we’ve been building for nearly four decades
