"Some very generous creatives have come up with a cracking campaign as an anonymous pro bono offer of support," Ms Bowen told WAtoday on Monday. "They have come up with a coaster protest and our supporters are now wallpapering our walls." The coaster protest has created a stir on social media with its #savepicabar hashtag complementing an online petition that has almost 12,000 signatures of support to keep PICA Bar open. Ms Bowen said several bar operators in Northbridge had also supported the campaign by having the coasters in their venues for patrons to sign, including No Mafia, Los Bravos, Sauma, Connections, The Standard, The Bird and Chi Cho. Cowaramup Brewing Company were one of several WA breweries to support PICA Bar.

South Fremantle Brewing, regional microbreweriews Black Brewing Co and Cowaramup Brewing Company - whose support included the comment "let's fight for craft beer" - and major WA wine distributor Off The Vine have also joined thousands of loyal patrons in Perth backing the campaign. Local supporter Michael Mueller was one of those desperate for the government to offer the current owners first crack at the new lease so PICA Bar can remain open. "Easily the best artistic installation ever seen in this entire building," he wrote. The wall of coasters at PICA Bar that have gone up in recent days. While nearby bars around them have closed, PICA has kept things moving at its own steady beat while acting as a hub for the majority of Perth's arts community based in the adjacent PICA building.

Ms Bowen told WAtoday that while PICA Bar continued to thrive in challening market conditions, almost 20 bars nearby had recently shut their doors, including Dominion League, Cyril Mason’s, Meat Candy, De Ja Vu, The Shed, Beaufort Local, Butchers Arms, Comet Pizza, Greenhouse, The Terrace Hotel and Ku De Ta. "And so many on the market for basically nothing because they’re shot birds," Ms Bowen said. Mr Buckley and Ms Bowen first agreed to a month-by-month sublease in 2012 on the understanding they would be offered a 10-year fixed sublease once PICA received a fixed lease from the government, which it never did. While PICA would now get a fixed sublease via new leasees the Perth Theatre Trust, it would not cover the bar area, but Culture and Arts Minister David Templeman told WAtoday last Wednesday his priority was to ensure any tenant provided a vibrant offering to help the strategic Cultural Centre remain relevant. "My overarching concern is to ensure that the Perth Cultural Centre remains activated, particularly as the new museum comes online and the art gallery rooftop is activated as per our election commitment," he said.

“I am aware of PICA Bar’s history and the strong community interest, and am currently considering options in relation to the ongoing activation of the space." Ms Bowen said they had worked incredibly hard to contribute to the Perth Cultural Centre and were not looking for a "free kick" but instead the chance to build on what they had created through a fixed, long-term lease. "I would not be surprised if there would be a whole lot more interest in that space now that we've built something in it, extended the licence and created a business, than there was in 2012 when it actually was quite scary to run a business in the Perth Cultural Centre and it was unprofitable to start with," she told 6PR's Gareth Parker last week. Mr Buckley said he was disappointed the government was putting the bar back onto the market. "People who've been in this game for a hell of a lot longer than us say that it's the worst hospitality conditions they've ever seen," he said.