Walking into an art gallery can be intimidating. The atmosphere often has an air of over-sophistication that repels many college students. The steep price tags usually don’t extend a warm invitation either. But viewing art doesn’t have to be off-putting. Many coffee shops in downtown Lawrence provide a relaxed, easy-going environment to view art.

 Downtown coffee houses such as Milton’s, La Prima Tazza and the Bourgeois Pig display local art year-round. Most shows last four to six weeks and showcase a range of media, including photography, screen printing and painting. Many coffee houses even have “art directors,” such as Michaela Ayers, 2008 graduate and employee at Milton’s, 920 Massachusetts St. Ayers finds artists by scoping out other stores around town, but she usually doesn’t have to look very hard for artists. “People know that we show art, so a lot of them just come to us,” she says.

Ayers’ main objective in displaying local art is to create a sense of community. By promoting art in a space where people enjoy being and feel relaxed in, coffee shops involve everyone in the art experience. She particularly tries to show student art whenever possible, although this is sometimes difficult. “Undergraduates and recent graduates often don’t have a huge body of work yet,” Ayers says.

 Many students, though, still consider coffee shops a prime location for getting their start. For instance, Emily Johnson, a Lawrence High junior, recently closed her second photography show at La Prima Tazza, 638 Massachusetts St. “It’s amazing that they would give someone like me an opportunity,” Johnson says. Her latest show highlighted two photo collections — one a series of portraits and the other a series of photos of her friend’s scoliosis scar.

 Being able to put a solo show on her resume, though, isn’t the only reason Johnson, a self-proclaimed La Prima Tazza regular, appreciates the alternative art venue. To her, displaying art in a coffee shop is much more personal.

 “People know it’s my art, and when I come in to get coffee, they ask me questions about it and engage with the art,” she says. “It becomes a social event. You don’t need to go to gallery to be artistic.”

 The intimate setting of coffee house art exhibitions attracts Chase Bray, Kansas City, Kan., senior, because coffee shops create a more accessible atmosphere to learn about and appreciate art. “A coffee shop is some place quick where you can go and get a drink and be surrounded by art,” Bray, who is a painter himself, says. Coffee shops also introduce viewers to new artists and provide venues for them to continually show their art. “There are a lot of artists around town who I know because they show at the Pig or Henry’s,” Bray says. “I probably wouldn’t know them otherwise.”

 Along with introducing new artists, coffee shops also boast innovative, edgy pieces of art. Many galleries turn away more progressive works because “abstract art” doesn’t sell, Brett Allen, a painter and 2004 graduate, says. Allen shows at coffee shops frequently because they are open-minded about art. “I’m not going to change myself from what I’m doing just to show at a gallery,” Allen says. Most downtown coffee houses don’t take a commission from art sales, so Allen and other artists don’t sacrifice their point of view to make a profit.

 For some people, displaying art in coffee shops lessens the profession, says Molly Murphy, a local artist and Bourgeois Pig employee. But art shows don’t have to be so serious. “I did a show at a tattoo parlor, and it was probably one of the most fun shows I’ve done,” Murphy says. “Alternative venues give you that chance to have fun.”

 So the next time you head downtown for your mid-afternoon caffeine fix, take a minute to enjoy the art around you. Who knows — you might even work up the courage to visit an art gallery next.