Renaissance Art Cafe brings ‘paint and sip’ downtown

ALBANY — Over the last few months, downtown Albany has seen slow but steady growth around its downtown Riverfront Park.

Families are drawn to the park and the nearby Flint RiverQuarium, especially during the summertime. Pretoria Fields, Albany’s first craft brewery, always draws a crowd. But what is perhaps most exciting about the resurgence of downtown Albany are the businesses claiming the empty spots along Front Street and Pine Avenue.

For those looking for a therapeutic experience out of the southwest Georgia heat and something that people of all ages can enjoy, Femi Anderson has taken her own skill set and turned it into something that everyone can enjoy.

Renaissance Art Cafe was begun in 2007 as a multipurpose art service that offered graphic design, consultation and more, but four years ago, Paint and Party expanded Renaissance Art Cafe’s business model with a “paint and sip” service. Paint and Party was a mobile painting party business that reached out from Americus to Thomasville. But with having to rely on the availability of other venues, Anderson saw a need for her own space.

Renaissance Art Cafe moved to Front Street with a front-row seat to Riverfront Park. It’s in comfortable walking distance from the park, the RiverQuarium, the brewery and only a block or two from many of downtown Albany’s restaurants.

Paint and Party is usually an evening event for adults to have painting parties, but with school out for the summer, Renaissance Art Cafe is open at 1 p.m. with several stations already prepared for kids to come in and have fun with their parents’ supervision. Adults are welcome to drop by, too. The classic Paint and Sip is still Anderson’s focal point though.

“The whole concept itself is to have fun,” the Renaissance Art Cafe owner said. “It’s not a class; you don’t have to have any artistic experience. But we do allow you to start something and finish it.”

The first things you see when you walk in the door are the paintings displayed on the walls to give guests an idea of what they can expect to create.

Anderson and her assistant pre-sketch paintings for the party guests so that the guests can simply sit back, relax, and enjoy creating art with their friends and family. Guests can bring their own food and drinks, and all of the art supplies are provided by Renaissance Art Cafe. Beer and wine are allowed at adult-only parties.

Walk-ins are welcome, with paint and tabletop easels ready to go. Parties and individual seats can be booked on the business website by clicking on the calendar. Guests are asked and encouraged to tell Renaissance Art Cafe what it is that they want to paint to allow enough time for preparation to offer the most relaxing experience for the guests. Some examples of past pieces are flowers, desert sunsets and Eiffel Towers.

In August, Renaissance Art Cafe will utilize its space to become an art gallery to showcase local artists in solo exhibits as a part of Anderson’s nonprofit, Renaissance Connection. The only requirement Renaissance Art Cafe and Renaissance Connection require for artists to showcase their work is by taking a workshop that teaches marketing, pricing and exposure. This in turn brings revenue for the artists’ reception and marketing. More information will be available on a later date.

Renaissance Art Cafe is located at 123 N. Front St. in Albany. Call (229) 869-3830 or visit their website for more information and bookings: www.renaissanceartcafe.com.

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