This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: It seems to be the new favorite cocktail. Mix in one part drawing or craft-making and one part beer, wine or your favorite mixed drink, and presto: an evening of fun.
Local watering holes and restaurants, an art gallery, a nursery and even a grocery store are encouraging DUIs: drawing under the influence. These events range from bawdy to benign.
More than a dozen locations including a Washington, Mo., senior center and Patrick's in Westport are sites for alcohol-and-art events by Vino van Gogh. Non-van Gogh events include St. Louis’ Tavern of the Arts’ once-a-month figure-drawing, the new Green Door Gallery in Webster Groves and its Art-tini Hour Sept. 6 and Handlebar in The Grove’s Drink ‘n Draw, usually on the first and third Tuesday nights of the month.
Last month, we attended a Handlebar Drink n’ Draw also known as a Sketch ‘n Burlesque. Sponsored by an event-planning outfit called Outrageous Entertainment, it featured burlesque performers Blyre Cpanx and Sofie de Sade, and an Israeli hip-hop artist known as Yis. After each dancer did his or her thing, they struck a pose for 10 minutes as drink-sippers captured their images in pen, pencil and chalk.
The evening was an entertaining one for Shari Meyers, one of about a dozen participants that night.
“To be honest with you, I’ve never been to anything like this before,” Meyers said.
Prizes range from Warsteiner to underwear
It costs nothing to be part of Drink ‘n Draw and you may come away with a prize. Or drink it there -- winning best sketch gets you a free beer. Prizes for most random sketch are often adult toys or gag gifts from the dollar store, including the item Nick Meyers won for his pen-on-paper drawing.
“It’s a pump-up bra,” Meyers observed, examining the package.
It's all in fun, Outrageous Productions' Teya King said: “Everyone has a blast.”
But some participants are serious artists. Robert Jacques, who works with chalk, has won three or four beers for best sketch during his Tuesday nights at Handlebar. The job-seeking graphic artist likes the pressure to produce that Drink ‘n Draw provides.
“It’s hard for me to draw on my own time,” Jacques said. “But if somebody puts something in front of you and says, ‘Draw this,’ you’re sort of forced to focus.”
Dancer Yisrael Moshe Chaim was focused on one thing as the evening began: his first solo performance. Although he’s frequently danced as part of a troupe and choreographed for audiences in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, dancing alone was an eye-opening event.
“It was kind of intimidating but the crowd was very receptive,” he said. “It’s a positive experience, a beautiful non-physical intimacy that’s very rare.”
A word of caution: some performers’ song choices may be offensive, such as the uncensored version of Khia’s “My Neck, My Back” that played at Handelbar the night of the Beacon’s visit. The tune reached number 42 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, but if you’re not familiar with it, you may want to Google the lyrics before you go.
Begonias and books
Nothing offensive about the flowers that are often the subject at Vino van Gogh's art-and-alcohol events. Dandelions, night blooms and ranunculus are the featured flowers in three such gatherings in August. Cicero’s calls its Vino van Gogh nights “Paint, Drink and Be Merry,” according to manager Karen McVickers. The event company makes it easy for the host location.
“They have an instructor come in and tell you what you’ll be painting, and they provide the paint, the brushes, the easels,” McVickers said.
McVickers and other bar and restaurant owners who feature these events hope budding artists will work up an appetite or at least a thirst.
“You can get a glass of wine and eat a little something while you paint,” McVickers said.
Green Door Gallery’s first Art-tini Hour asks guests to bring their own beverages. There’s a refrigerator on hand to keep white wine, sodas, flavored waters or any other drinks chilled. Green Door's upcoming Sept. 6 project involves creating a decorative book with blank pages for journaling or sketching, according to owner Vic Mastis.
"We provide a light dinner,” Mastis said. “You bring your own drink, and go home with a finished book,” Mastis said.
