Meet Saul Martinez. Celebrating a love for art and supporting his own vibrant cultural heritage power, the beating of Saul’s heart. Saul is a part-time substitute teacher in the Pasco School District, teaching various mediums of art to youth in his very own community.
Inspired by his students' love of art, paired with a desire to spread his own personal passion for artistic expression, Saul created a community gathering place akin to a public art museum for coffee lovers in Pasco called Café Con Arte.
It is easy to see the running themes of heart, passion, love, and compassion woven into the tapestry that is Saul’s artistic oasis. Café Con Arte is a hub for creativity, expression, and collaborative community. Previously, Café Con Arte sat as a drab and dilapidated decaying furniture store, reminiscent of the industrial and manufacturing focus once prominent throughout Pasco’s small business collective.
Located directly across the street from the Pasco Outdoor Farmer’s Market—re imagined in Saul’s sight—the café now acts as a showcase for local artists, rotating the aesthetics both inside and outside with paintings, sculptures, and other mediums highlighting these artists’ works, and offering their efforts for purchase. Further illustrating his desire to foster artistic exploration, within the café, two French doors lead to a small room where Saul has created a classroom to host art lessons for local children, completely free of charge. Dedication to his community is truly at the heart of Café Con Arte and Saul’s mission of giving back.
In an area thirsting for cultural and creative outlets, Saul’s café had provided the space for promotion of personal expression, and an amazing cup of coffee exquisitely curated and crafted as the art on the walls.
The Community Reinvestment Fund has awarded Saul a micro grant that will allow for further expansion of services within his café, as he has begun selling food items, taking on new staff, providing training opportunities for inexperienced job seekers, and offering open mic nights to local poets and musicians to further support the arts in the community of Pasco.
Career Path Services is humbled to support members of the community, like Saul, in continuing to improve and enhance inclusion, celebration of cultural, and a dedication to growing the small business community.
ADDRESS
CONTACT
EMAIL: cafeconartetc@gmail.com
TEL: 509.380.0216
WEB: www.cafeconarte.org/
HOURS
MONDAY CLOSED
TUESDAY 8am-12pm
WED 8am-12pm
THURS 8am-4pm
FRIDAY 8am-8pm
SATURDAY 8am-8pm
SUNDAY 8am-3pm
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