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The basics of Urbana Cafe in the lobby of the Contemporary Arts Center
Cincinnatians now have an extra reason to visit the Contemporary Arts Center, since Urbana Cafe has a new home in the lobby of the museum.
Before the new opening in the CAC lobby on April 6, Urbana operated in the Atlas Building on Walnut Street, which is being redeveloped into apartments.
Carolyn Hefner, the CAC chief of external affairs, said in a news release that the partnership allows Urbana to continue its business uninterrupted and offers perks for museum members as they get discounts on food and drinks.
“CAC has always seen itself as a living room for the city – a place where art, ideas, and people come together,” Hefner said. “Partnering with Urbana strengthens that vision by bringing new daily energy into the building, inviting people to start their day here, stay awhile, stop by during the day, and discover something unexpected.”
The center, which opened in 2003, was the first American art museum designed by a woman, Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid. Project designers described the south facade of the center along Sixth Street as an “undulating, translucent skin, through which passersby see into the life” of the center.
Museum officials hope Urbana’s move inside the life of the center will make the space “active, accessible, and creative” throughout the day and into the evening.
Urbana will be in the CAC lobby through the summer of 2027. It’s open seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Grab coffee in the lobby of the Contemporary Arts Center | Going In
Reporting by Erin Glynn, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect




