Have you ever heard or visited the cafe named Monet in Jigok Community Center? Everyone in POSTECH has heard of it but slides by it. People are indifferent to it because of their busy lives. As Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, we can guess that the cafe Monet is related to arts. Visitors of Monet, including Postechians, can appreciate works of art and recover their peace of mind.
History of Monet
In the past, the present position of Monet (the first floor in Jigok Community Center) was occupied by a book store. As internet developed, the university authorities judged that book store was not needed anymore and then they wanted to provide a place for Postechians to relax. Since the book store was changed to a rest area, however, that place has become a playground for children and has become over-crowded with visitors. Therefore, another innovation was needed and this was the beginning of the cafe Monet. As POSTECH is a science and technology specialized university, members of POSTECH couldn’t easily appreciate works of art in those days. To quench their thirst for art, the cafe Monet was opened in 2010. Since then, people have enjoyed   artworks while having a cup of coffee.
Management of Monet
The cafe Monet is the only gallery in Korea that is open all year. A new exhibition is displayed every two weeks. The program has been organized not to exhibit similar genres continuously. Not every work submitted can be exhibited; the director evaluates the quality of works and decides what to display. There is no venue rental fee for exhibition and no special consideration to artists. However, the cafe Monet gives priority to works of artists who have attended POSTECH.
Reputation of Monet
The cafe Monet is a popular place where lovers come on dates. Some Postechians look forward to having a date when they become lovers. It is also well-known for foreign students. They, for example, showered the manager with questions after the exhibition on calligraphy. In addition, even though the cafe Monet is far from some galleries in Insa-dong, where famous galleries are located, quite a few artists who work there recognize it. Artists who work in Daegu, Yeongcheon, and Gyeongju seek to exhibit their works in the cafe Monet.
Plan of Monet
The cafe Monet will make efforts to grow at pace with the reputation of POSTECH. In 2015, an appraisal board will appraise and carefully select works of art to be exhibited to improve the quality of the works in the cafe Monet. The cafe Monet welcomes works from the clubs, such as Guerbois (a visual arts club of POSTECH), if their works are fully qualified. It is growing into a great cultural art space that can be enjoyed along with a cup of coffee.