by Daniel Johnson
January 27, 2025
Kyra Watkins, whose art is featured at L’Atelier Yaffe, said that she feels a sense of community at the coffee shop.
George Ivan Fochive, a former MLS player and league champion with the Portland Timbers, has deepened his roots in the city he adopted during his playing days by opening a coffee shop hereL’Atelier Yaffe.
According to KATU, Fochive is collaborating with TED Portland, which allows him to give local artists in the city a platform to display their artwork.
The coffee shop’s name is a combination of French and Hebrew terms that guide the shop’s principles. L’Atelier, which translates to “the studio” in French, and Yaffe, a Hebrew word that means “beautiful.”
“L’Atelier Yaffe seeks to transcend the ordinary by crafting an environment that unites art and a celebration of diverse talents over a good drink or food pairing,” Fochive told What Now Portland ahead of the shop’s 2024 opening. “Originally, I was contemplating opening a different type of establishment, but that evolved to opening a space set to embrace the power of the art of shaping perspectives and fostering connections after inspiration from my travels.”
Recently, Fochive told KATU, that his upbringing deeply—”Where I grew up,” he said, “art was strongly emphasized in school”—shaped his love of art.
Kyra Watkins, whose art is featured at L’Atelier Yaffe, said that she feels a sense of community and appreciates the exposure Fochive creates for her work.
“It feels good to have my work in a storefront, in the window, somewhere public where people can see it,” she said. “I’m always honored when the community supports me in ways that help amplify art’s role in our lives.”
According to the shop’s website, the mission of the space is to create an environment where patrons feel comfortable creating meaningful conversations and connections among the denizens of Portland.
“We aim to create an environment that nurtures community and creativity and encourages interdisciplinary collaboration,” the website states. “We are dedicated to showcasing the diverse and innovative works of established and emerging artists while connecting individuals through the transformative power of visual arts.”
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