Gwyneth Leech

NLE Lab Gathering Place

The No Longer Empty Café: Wall of Cup Drawings (2010 – 2013)
Mixed media on upcycled paper coffee cups

No Longer Empty Café builds on Gwyneth Leech’s tradition of transforming vacant spaces into communal art-making spots. Through the gesture of gathering, drawing on, and displaying throw-away coffee cups,

Leech invited the public to both observe and participate. She believes this to be “both meditative and a social lubricant, bringing people back to the present moment” in a city where chain coffee shops are increasingly dominated by laptops, tablets, and cell phones. Leech was present on West 8th street drawing in the space to create cups specific to the surrounding neighborhood. She had empty cups on hand for visitors to turn into art and take with them.