Continued from Page 4
projects focus on supporting artists, pro-
viding gathering spaces and creating social
experiences that don’t revolve around
drinking alcohol.
The Grotto Experience Bar
Before Carr opened the store in 2019,
the space was a storage room.
“There was a leak, because many
places downtown here leak ... I thought,
‘I love this place and I’ve put a lot into it,
so where would a place be that leaking is
OK?’” Carr said.
Though the leak has since been fixed,
that’s how the Grotto was born. With
builder’s foam and paint, the space was
transformed: trees climb from floor to ceil-
ing and gray rocks lead toward the Grotto
at the back of the store, with a trompe
l’oeil mural of a cavern stretching into
darkness.
Imagine heading out to the bar on a
weekend night, but instead of drinks on
the menu, an “experience tender” shows
you a list of mysterious experiences to
choose from. That’s where the Grotto
Experience Bar comes in.
Photos by Caitlin Seyfried
“We have about 40 different expe-
riences that we play. A lot are what
ABOVE: A variety of stickers and other unique art is available to buy in the store. BELOW LEFT: The shop features one-of-a-kind clothes. BELOW
RIGHT: ‘Kosmic Karen’ greets visitors.
would be called social practice art,” Carr
said. “We’re going to have one called
‘ego-birthing’ where we create an ego for
you. You leave with it and you make a
commitment concerning this ego that you
have in your possession. It takes a half-
hour to make it and we interact with you to
make it very specifically for you.”
The idea behind the bar formed when
Carr’s son, Harper Carr, would sing for
customers while working in the shop. It
turned into a bit and soon they started pro-
viding a menu of songs and performances
to choose from.
Many menu options are also intended to
be silly or slightly alter your perceptions.
“What I’m trying to get more into is pro-
viding experiences that are fun, but don’t
necessarily involve alcohol,” Carr said.
Enter the Portal
Walk into the shop, turn left towards the
Grotto, pass the Experience Bar, and then…
“This is going to open up into a secret pas-
sage that goes to the space next door, which
will be a ‘speakeasy’ that we call the Por-
tal,” Carr said.
It’s a square room, eccentrically
designed, with one blood-red wall featuring
a large black painted keyhole.
“We can’t have a bar down here, obvi-
ously. What we plan to do is have a monthly
event where we might get a liquor license
just for temporary events,” Carr said.
The space will host performances, gath-
erings and interactive art. The Portal is open
during the Astoria Second Saturday Art
Walks.
Beyond the Portal, a larger room cur-
rently doubling as Carr’s studio is swim-
ming with sculptures and supplies. The
space, dubbed “the LAB,” is a spot for
building workshops. Work that’s in prog-
ress is displayed in windows for visitors to
see.
Large tentacles emerge from the floor
behind one window, part of an installation
piece Carr is building.
“Nothing’s finished here. I’m a very
show-your-work kind of person. Every-
thing’s half-finished,” Carr said.
The space will also feature murals from
rotating artists.
Building art culture
Wanting to support local art, Carr cre-
ated a micro-grant project in late 2019.
The program awards local artists grants
of $300. Artists can apply for the grants at
weirdsistersfreakboutique.com
Carr recently crafted a new plan to
fundraise for the micro-grant — she sells
donated clothes at the shop.
“Astoria has a lot of community, but
sometimes it’s harder for people who are
a little alternative to find that community,”
said Carr said. “I wanted to be the funkiest
place in town. I’m pretty sure I’m close to
the funkiest place in town.”
THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2021 // 5