Upside Down is a coffee, art, and community space located in Westwood Village right across the street from UCLA.
We live in an age of anxiety – both chronic and clinical; both systemic and psychological. In 2023, it is assumed that all people must simply learn to live with low-grade anxiety. Accessing our inner worlds to address this reality can feel elusive and daunting. And yet, art holds the capacity to elucidate truth about our emotional well-being, expressing what we fail to articulate in conversation and even what we do not admit to ourselves. Artists often assume the role of prophet. They do not allow us to insulate ourselves from the tragedies of our societal problems. They put pressure on the ways we avoid our aches through the distraction of entertainment, pathological busyness, or the convenience of technology. This collection of artists present their faith-filled struggle with our epidemic of anxiety, inviting us to examine our coping mechanisms of choice with curiosity and contemplation. What can we learn from these artists about the uniquely human quest for peace? A live recording from the Peace, Be Still art reception. Hear from four artists (Janna Christian, Jonathan Puls, Krystyny Vandenberg, and Eden DeLaVara) about their artistic process and the way that they grapple with our age of anxiety. Visit upsidedown.com/peace-be-still for more resources, podcast episodes, and articles.
Meet our resident tall barista, Ben Bergen! Hear him and Kyle geek out about Star Wars as well as learn about his favorite Trader Joe's items. He shares about his love for stories, the meaning of his tattoo, and more... Come say hi to him behind the bar, share your life with him, and order his favorite drink: the honey cinnamon cortado!
Introducing one of our coolest baristas, Leia! Hear about how her passion for baking started as well as her favorite music artists. She shares about how making playlists is one of her love languages, and find out which starch Leia would choose between flour or potatoes to eat for the rest of her life! Come say hi to her the next time you're in the cafe!
Peace, Mental Health, & the College Experience Part 2 Upside Down hosted a panel of mental health professionals to talk about how to live peace-filled, meaningful lives during one of the most challenging seasons of life. Part 2 of this two part podcast includes a Q&A about strategies for daily mindfulness, what stability in our lives should look like, and how to talk about anxiety to people in different generations. Panelists: Miriam Koenig - Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist here in Los Angeles specializing in individual, couples, and family psychotherapy Stacy Kesten - UCLA Certified Mindfulness Facilitator, has practiced meditation for 8 years and has extensive personal and professional training in mindfulness Hope Phillips - Associate Marriage and Family Therapist in Los Angeles, a certified Level Two Restoration Therapist Visit upsidedown.com/peace-be-still for more resources, podcasts, and articles.
Peace, Mental Health, & the College Experience Part 1 Upside Down hosted a panel of mental health professionals to talk about how to live peace-filled, meaningful lives during one of the most challenging seasons of life. Part 1 of this two part podcast includes an introduction to our panelists, tips and strategies for anxiety, and a mindfulness exercise to try wherever you are! Panelists: Miriam Koenig - Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist here in Los Angeles specializing in individual, couples, and family psychotherapy Stacy Kesten - UCLA Certified Mindfulness Facilitator, has practiced meditation for 8 years and has extensive personal and professional training in mindfulness Hope Phillips - Associate Marriage and Family Therapist in Los Angeles, a certified Level Two Restoration Therapist Visit upsidedown.com/peace-be-still for more resources, podcasts, and articles.
Next up on our podcast is our barista trainer extraordinaire guru, Alisa Jeffus! Hear about her secret to reading more than 50 books a year, her many sourdough recipes, and her love for Harry Potter. Come by to talk about her favorite coffee, what she's currently reading, or ask her for some sourdough starter~
Next on our Meet the Team series is one of our coolest baristas, Justin! Learn more about Justin's cycling stories, his coffee journey, and all the musical instruments that he can play.
On this episode, Isaac and Kyle interview Lizzy Cohen about her paintings displayed in our latest art show called "Home".
Meet one of our most enthusiastic baristas, Grace! Hear about her favorite drink (it's one of our fall seasonals!) as well as her love for dogs and her favorite hiking spot. She'd love to hear about what's going on in your life too, so say hi to her when you see her in the cafe~
Next on our “Meet the Team” series is one of our baristas, Jaci! Learn about her favorite drink at Upside Down, her journey in becoming a doctor, and her love for literature, history, and Target. It's her birthday week, so come by to say hi, and chat about any of those things when you see her behind the bar!
Meet Natalie, one of our most fashionable barista's on our team and hear her talk on this episode about her love for coffee, movies, and more. Natalie is moving out of state after this week so make sure to show her some love behind the bar this week!
Ever wonder who our podcast host is? Well, now is your chance to get to learn a bit more about Kyle! Hear him talk about his love for Lord of the Rings, various gadgets, and the Dodgers. And hopefully, you can relate and chat with him about any of these things when you see him in the cafe!
Upside Down Director Isaac Brickner interviews Amy Martin, at her exhibition: FLOW.
On this episode we celebrate and say farewell to Sarah Wang. One of our rockstar baristas who transitioned out of Upside Down earlier this year to focus on her studies at UCLA.
It's almost impossible to avoid facing choice anxiety in a world with no limits. What is the “antidote” for this? Explore this topic with us in this episode and to read more, check out our blog at upsidedown.com/blog
Upside Down Director Isaac Brickner interview UCLA Student Max Huang about his photographs displayed in our latest art installation called "Woven".
We talk to a licensed therapist about hysteria related to our present times living through a global pandemic.
Kyle and Melissa interview Victor Atkins, the artist whose work is currently displayed at the Upside Down Cafe.
The Upside Down team chats with artist Wendy Widell Wolf regarding her upcoming art exhibition "History of Trees".
UCLA Cello Performance student Caleb Yang performed at the Upside Down Cafe. On this episode you can listen to the audio from the performance and a brief interview with Caleb about his journey to become a Cellist.
On this episode we introduce Upside Down baristas Sarah and Grace. We also dive into a discussion about liminal space, and the unique elements that seasons of growth bring into our lives.
Artistic Director Melissa Moskowitz shares about the inspiration behind our new art exhibition "Tribe".
An interview with the artists behind Hairline Fracture, Shelby and Ian Montelongo
In this episode, we interview Upside Down director Isaac Brickner, to ask him about why we built a coffee shop, art gallery, and community space called Upside Down.
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