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A Living Archive interview with Steve Bushman.
Bushman joined forces with the artist-run space The Foundry on Southwest Boulevard to open his coffee house, Java Gaia, in 1991. Bushman's vision was of live music, art, poetry, and gourmet coffee all in one venue in Kansas City, which had been lacking this kind of environment for over a decade since the Vanguard had closed. Java Gaia was an iconic destination for the KC bohemians until it flooded in the summer of 1993.
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Java Gaia: Dream into a Legacy
Java Gaia was a dream come true for Kansas City artist Steve Bushman.
During a stint living in Los Angeles, Bushman fell in love with its coffeehouse culture. Returning to Kansas City after this time on the West Coast, he was determined to create a similar venue in Kansas City. Bushman took a job at Nature’s Own. A co-worker’s boyfriend happened to have an arts venue on the Westside that desired a coffee shop. Bushman quickly joined forces with The Foundry artists to open Java Gaia on Southwest Boulevard, January 1st, 1992.
At the time, Kansas City had one coffee shop, in Westport, but Java Gaia was the first coffee bar with an espresso machine in over a decade. It quickly became a legendary bohemian hangout. The venue served vegetarian meals, coffee, and tea, while hosting frequent curated art events, poetry readings, and live music, 24/7. Unfortunately, as Bushman’s Java Gaia was about to expand the Foundry was completely flooded on July, 9th 1993.
Images above by and courtesy of Kurt Von Schlemmer.
Fliers below courtesy of Steve Bushman.
