This archive report was first published on 5 August 2020.
On August 4, 2020, ArtCaffe, a Kenyan restaurant chain, announced a new initiative called #ARTofthecity, aimed at showcasing the work of local creatives. However, the rewards offered sparked a heated debate on social media, with many creatives expressing their discontent.
According to ArtCaffe, the winner of the contest would receive free daily coffee for a year, an internship, and exposure. However, this offer was met with skepticism by many, who felt that it was not enough to compensate for the artist's work.
One Twitter user, @ElayneOkaya, expressed her disappointment with ArtCaffe's offer, saying, 'Shame on you Artcaffe. No really, shame on you.' She pointed out that the value of free coffee for a year was approximately Kes 91,250, which she felt was not a fair compensation for the artist's work.
Another Twitter user, @EugeneIkua, echoed similar sentiments, saying, 'Stop responding for a minute and understand where people are coming from. Replying with the same generic message isn’t going to solve the issue at hand. With the amount of money y’all make in a year paying for work done should be the bare minimum. Do Better.'
ArtCaffe later changed its terms, offering a monetary incentive and other rewards, including a paid internship, cash prizes, and exposure. However, many creatives still felt that the rewards were not enough, and that ArtCaffe's intentions were not pure.
As one Twitter user, @LOgwalla, pointed out, 'This is good…. However, APOLOGIZE to the artist community. It's like you people only changed this because of public outcry and not because you did something wrong.'
ArtCaffe's attempt to pay creatives with free coffee has sparked a wider debate about the value of art and the compensation that artists deserve. While some may see it as a generous offer, many creatives feel that it is not enough to compensate for their work.
