"God runs this place," a high school kid from DeKalb says, chuckling as he tosses a cigarette across the parking lot of First Trinity Community Center. Sunday night's yoga class, live music and "totally awesome vegetarian buffet" have worn him out. He's heading home, but is kind enough to correct himself first: Spoon, an avid art fan and caterer, runs the weekly show here known as The Orphanage.

Inside the center, strings of red patio lights line a dim stairwell, punctuated at the top by more music, local artistry and the strong smell of food and coffee. The main room, a makeshift cafe spattered with green and red mesh across the ceiling, occupies the second floor. Stained glass windows are covered in red cloth; the cloth in turn covered in paintings, drawings and graphics of five featured artists. Curious eyes gaze up from their coffee mugs to stare at new visitors before turning back to the lone man crooning as he plays the piano by the stage. They ease into the plush seats and hunch forward in wooden chairs under dried-out trees decorated with special themes. The show goes on.

The Orphanage stays true to Spoon's initial goal of leaving participants with a whimsical sense for the evening. Every Sunday, from 7 p.m.-1 a.m., a suggested $10 donation allows the curious into an artistic sharing space. Featuring artists from Chicago to Venezuela, one never knows what sort of creative medium to expect. One week brings body painting or henna tattoos, while another features a seasoned harpsichordist or environmentally conscious bands dressed in bunny suits.

Centerstage Reviewer: Nola Akiwowo