Founded in September 2008, artnewscafe bulletin is one of the oldest and long-term projects of Open Arts Foundation. It started with an informative purpose, selecting and listing art shows, events and open calls in Bulgaria and around the world. Between 2010 and 2013, the bulletin, supported by the foundation America for Bulgaria and the National Fund for Culture, starts to print its monthly selections and to distribute them in several Bulgarian cities – Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Bourgas, Rousse and Veliko Tarnovo. The printed edition is designed by Studio Punkt and an original cover devoted to the work of a single artist is added to every edition.
In 2015, receiving the continuous support of the National Fund for Culture, artnewscafe bulletin evolves as a platform for critic literature in the contemporary art field open to young critics and art historians. Every year, a new team of authors joins the bulletin, selected through an open call (August – September). In 2018, after 10 years of mentoring young critics, the editor-in-chief Svetla Petkova steps down to pursue new projects leaving the position to Desislava Mileva, who after an year as an young author, also worked as editor in charge of the monthly art guide.
Being one of the bulletin’s main features since the beginning, the monthly art guide offers a selection of exhibitions and events in several sections: local news, on the Balkans, around the world, art career and art talks. But as an independent platform for art criticism, the bulletin also publishes in-depth articles in sections such as ‘art review’ (reviews of new shows), ‘interview’ (with artists, curators and collectors), ‘reflections’ (analysis and investigations on important subjects in the contemporary art world) and ‘collectors forum’ (the only column in Bulgaria focused on the contemporary art collectors worldwide).
The bulletin is named after artnewscafe, the first coffee shop in Plovdiv with a library offering access to a variety of international art magazines and publications such as Artforum, Frieze, Art Review and many others. Situated just next to SARIEV Contemporary gallery, artnewscafe rapidly becomes a busy meeting spot for young artists, creatives and free-lancers.
The logo of artnewscafe was created by the Bulgarian artist Nedko Solakov.
In 2013, for its 50th edition, artnewscafe bulletin receives as a gift its own mobile application for android and iPhone. The application, upgraded to a new version in 2018, is free to download and use. It offers quick and easy access to every show and event listed in the bulletin monthly art guide, a personalized list for favorite exhibitions and the possibility to access old editions.