This mural takes you on a journey from Thiensville to Cedarburg – our first two cafés. You may also notice a mother sitting with her little girl being served by a barista - she is a reflection of our engagement in each of the communities we serve. For us, this reflects the little girl becoming a barista before later finding motherhood. This is not simply a story, but our genesis - a wonderful reality we have experienced every day with our baristas since 1996. "My work explores a fascination with the conventional spaces and objects of the everyday. Satisfaction comes not from the finished painting, but from the process. And paramount to that process is the drawing. I am intrigued by subtle shifts in color, value, texture and how light shapes form and structure. I find it interesting to process and reinterpret a visual observation, into a personal experience." -Dale (mural artist)

Artist-Dale Knaak
Dale, originally from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, moved to Milwaukee after high school to pursue art studies. He spent a decade there honing his skills, earning a degree in Commercial Art, and studying under James Prohl of Atelier Prohl for painting and drawing. During his time in Milwaukee, Dale worked as an Illustrator and later as Art Director for the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. He eventually returned to Sheboygan, working as an Illustrator and Art Director before transitioning to freelance work in 1992. His work is featured in collections including American Family Insurance Corporate Headquarters, Coca-Cola, and University of Wisconsin-Madison Hospitals and Clinics, among others.