Venus Re-Arising
December 5, 2008
Today at 4pm I scurried over to the Venus for the official ribbon-cutting and the opening of the new cafe. It was a small crowd, many more officials than customers in that moment, and after the speeches I scurried back to the bookstore to straighten shelves and prepare for the Holiday Stroll.
The new version of the Venus is simply beautiful – the space is filled with light and color – the displays are lovely – and there is plenty of room for all our friends, old and new! I will get some pictures over the next few days to show you – but meanwhile – here’s the new wonderful logo:
After work, I had dinner with Brandi, Maria, and Lindy at the Metals Bank Sportsbar. On the one hand, it was nice to have someone else cook and clean for me … on the other hand – there were too many people, too much distraction, too many tv screens scattered all over the room.
I left before everyone else to go downstairs to hang at the Venus. Figuring it would be quieter and cozier. Cozy, yes – but oh – it was filled to the brim with people. It was SO exciting to have so many people waiting in line for coffee, sitting at the tables scattered throughout the two rooms, chatting with one another, looking at the artwork hanging on the walls, browsing through the new selections of coffees and teas. It was wonderful to see glenn smiling at each person who walked in the door – so proud of what everyone has accomplished. It was wonderful to see Jennifer smiling through her exhaustion. It was wonderful to see Holt and Kellie and Dan hustling behind the coffee bar filling drink order after drink order.
I’ve had the great good fortune to be part of a number of start-up businesses – from the software company that I worked at in the early 80s in Cambridge, to the shopping center and Farmer’s Market in Lenox, to the new high school in lower Manhattan, and now – the re-emergence of the Venus Rising Coffee House. The success of this evening is just the beginning of what we’re all working toward at the arts foundation. I am so grateful to be a part of it.
