WHAT IS ARCANA?

 If you wander through one of the lush alleys from Main Street, or simply notice a small, curious door among the urban garden-scape vista from Pettigrew, you might happen upon Arcana. Nestled beneath the imposing Snow Building, Arcana is a private club that evokes the feel of an abandoned turn of the century study, an aging antiquarian library, still rich in atmosphere and frozen in time. Designed with reference to the beauty and mystery of the Rider Waite Tarot deck (Major and Minor Arcana) and the soft curving lines and muted color palate of the Art Nouveau movement, Arcana takes you out of the day-to-day of Durham’s downtown streets and places you in a hidden underworld. There, in the dim lights and warm feel, you’ll find a spot for local beers, herbal libations, eclectic liqueurs, and intimate conversation.

  Lindsey Andrews and Erin Karcher are the creative force behind Arcana. We are two Durham residents who have worked for a long time in Durham restaurants and bars, including classic spots like Joe and Jo’s, The Federal, and Watts Grocery, as well as new downtown favorites like Mateo and Atomic Fern. We have a dream of creating the kind of space we really want to see exist in Durham. The first thing we did was choose the name, which represents the most important aspects of our shared goal. Arcana refers to secret knowledge—the sort that, when shared, creates a community that surrounds it. Arcana also names the two primary suits of the Tarot Deck: the Major and Minor Arcana. Tarot’s history--as a card game, divination tool, and occult practice—represent the aspects of Durham that Arcana hopes to bring together: the fun and pleasure of play, a shared future, and a magical mystery that makes it so special. While Arcana will be designated a “private club” (per North Carolina liquor laws), it is open to all who are of legal age, and will focus on regular programming that supports community events, education, and art. We already have in the works community art exhibits, film screenings, readings, and small-scale theatrical performances. We’re interested in talking to you about the events you would like to have hosted here. More than that, we will pay regular homage to those esoteric forms of knowledge—including Tarot, Rune reading, palmistry, and Ouija, which have proved to be sources of self-knowledge, shared experience, and literary inspiration for us and those around us--through local practitioners we invite to share their knowledge with our patrons.

  And, of course, we’re also a bar. As such, we’ll not only offer local beers, wines, and classic cocktails, but we’ll be true to our name, highlighting the arcana of herbalism through a drink menu designed in collaboration with local herbalists and an extensive collection of liqueurs.

  We think we’ll offer the kind of space you want to be in: cozy, comfortable, interesting, and inspiring. And most of all, we’ll provide a magical ambiance and communal space that simply doesn’t exist in Durham right now.

WHERE IS YOUR MONEY GOING?

In the early Spring of 2015, we settled on a spot for the bar. It began as an empty concrete block office in a downtown basement. Fluorescent lights, industrial grey carpet, and beige everywhere, from ceiling to floor.

Envisioning our project there took a lot…and making it happen took even more. We worked hard to budget and save money to make our dream a reality. Since we settled on the space, we’ve done everything ourselves, from ripping up carpet and grinding the cement floors to painting the ceiling and walls to hand-selecting and moving the furniture and equipment.

Unfortunately, we ran into many delays, and found that somehow, everything cost just a little more than we’d planned. We are currently in the process of building the bar itself and installing our plumbing, two things that we can’t do ourselves. Additionally, there are still quite a few finishing touches to go. We’re almost there, but we need your help! We are seeking a small portion of the overall cost in order to get our doors open.

We love the space we’ve made, and we want you to love the space you help us make, too. Any amount will help.

I DON’T HAVE MUCH MONEY, HOW CAN I HELP?

First of all, spread the word! Even if you can’t contribute, it will help us out if you share the link with your network.

In addition, we’re seeking non-monetary donations of things that fit with the overall theme and décor of the bar. Old sets of encyclopedias, hardback books, book shelves, globes, gilt frames and mirrors, antique knick-knacks… Help us make this a special place, with a piece of you in it.