A local business is celebrating after they were recognized by Tourism Nanaimo for their impact on arts and culture in the city.
Amy Ferris is the owner of White Rabbit Coffee Co. and the recipient of the award which was elected by voters on social media as a crowd choice award.
Ferris says she’s humbled by the votes, and this shows how rich the arts and culture community is in the city and the positive impact White Rabbit Coffee is having on promoting local talent.
“It was grateful to receive so many kind words from our community who has seen us grow both our coffee shop and our restaurant over the last five years,” she says. “It has really been an opportunity for us to bring our passion for arts and culture to Nanaimo and help build a better community.”
The shop offers a venue where artists can showcase their work on a rotating basis and according to Ferris this is completely no cost for the artists, and in return, they [artists] get to have a venue to show off their talent and promote themselves.
“We take no commission on the artwork that is sold, but we do provide a platform for people to share their art,” she says. “Currently, we have a very long waitlist because our program has grown quite a lot.
“Also, through our restaurant, we offer a very low-cost venue for musicians and performers to utilize our space.”
Photo credit: Supplied
She says while supporting local talent is high on her list, and the reason why they won the award, there’s hope with the recognition White Rabbit Coffee has earned it helps draw people into Nanaimo and stimulate the conversation around what the city has to offer.
“There are a lot of things going on in this city, and Nanaimo is a place you want to spend your time in,” Ferris says. “By creating spaces and encouraging people to continue to celebrate each other, we’re hoping to build the community further.”
White Rabbit Coffee showcases 12 artists a year and has plans to host another four once their space opens for Artwalk.
