Mushroom Café
The Mushroom Cafe serves delicious wraps, paninis, great coffee and teas, local kombucha, desserts featuring vegan and gluten-free options, and more. Treat your eyes to the Mushroom Cafe mural with contributions by:
Muralists
Mycelium, the neurological network of nature, infuses habitats with interlacing mosaics of information-sharing membranes, aware and reacting to change, with a collective intent for the long-term health of the host environment. In constant molecular communication with its surroundings, fungus in nature devises diverse enzymatic and chemical responses to complex challenges.
— Paul Stamets, American mycologist, author, advocate of bioremediation, expert on medicinal fungi.
During renovation of the 1862 Visionary Victorian at CoSM, now called Grey House, The Mushroom Cafe became a feature of the transformed floor plan, proposed by CoSM Head Builder, Brian James. Eliminate one of the two foyer bathrooms and combine it with a utility room to create a unique, mushroom-shaped cafe. CoSM NYC, open in Manhattan from 2004-2009, had no cafe. The Grey’s seized this opportunity to create The Mushroom Cafe. Lenny Hart and Joey Styles beautifully built and tiled the Cafe Bar.
Mushroom Cafe floor plan
Mushroom stools by Tim Mundy
Artists invited to create an original work in the Mushroom Cafe were selected in light of their demonstrated accomplishment as artists, their ability to find their way to CoSM, their willingness to contribute their mural, their richness of imagination, their demonstrated technical proficiency and reliability. Some of the contributors are included in this book.
Burgandy Viscosi, exquisite painter of Seattle, became the second muralist in the cafe. Burgundy balanced Joness’ wall by laying excellent ground work, too large to complete in one visit. Collaboration commenced with a visit by Adam Scott Miller (Australia), Chris Dyer (Montreal) and subsequent revisits by Burgandy herself.
Amanda Sage compatibly joined a third section by integrating a train-filled landscape.
Randal Roberts and Morgan Mandala collaborated in a seamless explosion of wall-to-wall nighttime florals & paisleys around the doors Alex Grey designed.
David Heskin & Aloria Weaver jammed together to highlight two conjoined scenes within the mushroom world of CoSM Land.
Artists invited to create an original work in the Mushroom Cafe were selected in light of their demonstrated accomplishment as artists, their ability to find their way to CoSM, their willingness to contribute their mural, their richness of imagination, their demonstrated technical proficiency and reliability.
"Like mycelial networks of the Mushroom Kingdom interconnected throughout Planet Earth, so are the painters of this Visionary Artist Family. Each artist contributed a unique style and expression to honor the ancient intelligence of our Fungi Friends."
– Caren Charles, former Mushroom Cafe Manager, Artist, current CoSM Program Coordinator
"The Mushroom Cafe murals and cuisine integrates mycelial connectedness, community, nourishment and unique beauty — food for the soul."
– Grace Solkinson, former Mushroom Cafe Manager & Baker, current CoSM Product Manager/Media Team
"The Mushroom Café is a one-of-a-kind mycelial experience honoring our fungal ancestors with a menu that highlights tasty, health-bringing mushrooms."
— Kaitlyn Cronin — Mushroom Cafe Manager, 2020
Kaitlyn, Mushroom Cafe Manager, 2020
Nature herself is the greatest artist, visionary, and entheogen all rolled into one. All art originating in an artist’s mind is Visionary. The term “visionary” is used to identify art of an imaginative and often spiritual nature. The Mushroom Cafe is a tiny grotto filled with fleeting visions from warped and twisted minds.
— Mark Henson, artist, MAGI, Mushroom Cafe muralist
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