The Review

Issue date: 4/24/07 Section: Mosaic

Media Credit: Josh Baumann Brett Black's art is now on display at Central Perk on Main Street. [Click to enlarge]

Visitors stepping into Central Perk on Main Street usually have one goal in mind - to fulfill their daily caffeine requirements. Once customers turn away from the register, coffee safely in hand, observant eyes are usually drawn to the bright canvases scattered across the establishment. It is then that the coffee shop's other service becomes apparent - a quaint art gallery.

Central Perk's owner, Emad Salaitah, says he and his wife have always intended for the shop to serve a dual purpose.

"We started out in California, and had a coffee shop/art gallery there for 20 years," Salaitah says. "So then we carried the idea over to Delaware."

The artists who display their work are usually Newark residents and some students, he says. Each artist is allotted a month to display his or her art and can arrange the work in any way on the walls.

While sipping white chocolate mocha lattes and munching on scones, students can get a taste of the up-and-coming artists in the area.

Central Perk regular Kristin Huxta, a junior at the university, says she has always noticed the changing art on the walls.

"I think it adds a really nice feel to the place," Huxta says. "I'm an art history major, so I really appreciate their attempt to make a dent in the art world and help out amateur artists."

Huxta says she likes the eclectic vibe of Central Perk. "I always get my coffee there because it's a really relaxed place. The art is interesting, there's big tables to sit and do work at, and most importantly, they have great bagels."

The Salaitahs don't charge the artists to use their space, but if they do sell any pieces, they keep a percent of the profit.

In the case of this month's artist, Brett Black, pieces range from $50 to $350 per piece. Black, 36, and a resident of McLean, Va., learned of Central Perk's art gallery upon visiting his friends in Newark. He signed up and waited - and waited.

"We have a waiting list that ranges from one to two years," Salaitah says.

Continued...

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