The magical, tacky insides of the OBAMA.
The magical, tacky insides of the OBAMA. ASK

For a much-needed getaway from the cloud of awful that is Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, pay OBAMA a visit—the Official Bad Art Museum of Art, a small, salon-style gallery housed inside the University District's Cafe Racer.

The museum, which first opened during the run-up to the 2008 election, has a frequently-rotating selection of kitschy artwork on display. Current displays include a reclining nude with a mile-long leg (possibly a terrible tribute to Manet's Olympia) and Puppy Slut, a poster of a young boy holding two Yorkies. New pieces are dropped off every couple of months, says Nick Anderson who has managed Café Racer’s bar for the past decade.

“Somebody just kind of shows up and says, 'Hey, I hear you guys like really terrible art. Guess what I have!'" he said. "And you're like, ‘You're right. Jim Morrison's nipple is not placed well. It's horrible!'”

And no, the name won't change once the current administration comes to a close.

"We will not be changing the name of OBAMA, no matter who wins the election. Neither TRUMP (Tacky Room of Ugly Museum Pieces) nor HILLARY (Hackneyed Illustrations and Lousy Likenesses of Art & Reproductions for Yahoos) would be acceptable to the management," said museum co-founder Marlow Harris. "We would have considered BERNIE (Banal Examples of Rare and Nonsensical Illustrations and Exhibits)!"

Someone with an art car gave me this one. I think she forgot to draw the nipples in? said Marlow Harris, co-founder of the OBAMA.
"Someone with an art car gave me this one. I think she forgot to draw the nipples in?" said Marlow Harris, co-founder of the OBAMA. ASK

The OBAMA wasn't intended to become a long-term thing. Harris and cafe owner Kurt Geissel said they didn't think anyone would even come to their tiny exhibit.

The OBAMA was an opportunity for Café Racer to involve the community in the on-goings of the coffee-bar hybrid, said Geisel.

"It's nice because it evolves," he said. "It's harder than you think to find 'bad art.' Art is something that's emotional. If it's just crass, you turn away and don't think about it. [You want to say]: 'Wow, someone was motivated to paint that event though they have no talent.'"

According to Harris, who conceptualized the gallery with her husband, Jo David, and Geissel, the museum is always open to display new, terrible pieces. But there are some guidelines, she said.

“We don't want to put kids' stuff in here. It's not bad, it's just naïve," said Harris. "And we prefer to have no paint by numbers stuff because those are inherently bad. It's just a bad idea."

A struggling cafe

Harris and Anderson, the bar manager, hope that the OBAMA's influx of new bad art will bring more people to Café Racer, which has struggled financially in recent months. In March, the Seattle Department of Transportation began repaving Roosevelt Way Northeast, which blocked street parking for customers, said Anderson. As a result, he said, the cafe has lost business and has had to reduce employees' hours.

"I just want this place to be here for people," said Harris. "Before, it was for fun. But since [the shooting] in 2012, I've realized that people really need it, to come and sit with friends."

For Harris, the OBAMA isn't just about the art. It's about bringing people to Café Racer and fostering a tight-knit community. Because of this, Harris said she encourages friends to have work meetings or family gatherings at the cafe.

If they just want to come to ogle bad art, Harris said, "Admission's just the price of a beer."