“Frankly, what goes better with art than beer?!”

We’re ushering in this cooler season with a new local fave. Back by popular demand, Automobile Alley’s Art of Beer at Oklahoma Contemporary hits Campbell Art Park this Saturday, Oct. 22!

A person is holding two koozies. One is yellow and has 'Art of Beer' printed in a blue circle. The other is red and has 'Automobile Alley' printed in red in a white circle, forming a circle with the words.

“This is our second iteration of Art of Beer. It came out of a lucky situation post-COVID,” says Jaime Thompson, director of education. “Auto Alley had a little bit of extra money for some type of event in 2021. We never expected to be able to do it more than once – it was just a one-time thing. It was a great way to celebrate the breweries in the district and for us to be tied in.”

More than 600 people attended the September 2021 event, and the Automobile Alley board was all in. The two organizations decided to collaborate again on a fall 2022 program.

Kids and adults alike are sitting a table with a blue tablecloth. There are boxes and cups of markers and pencils on the table. Everyone is art-making.

“This second round, we wanted to make sure it not only tied into Auto Alley but a little bit closer to the arts center, too. We’ve moved everything closer to the main building and into the central part of the park, focusing it around Gonzalo Lebrija’s sculpture.”

This year’s Art of Beer offers something for everyone. The free, family-friendly event will run from 12-6 p.m. celebrating community, art and brewing with art-making, beer sipping, food truck eating, exhibition exploring, live music watching, artisan shopping, game playing and more.

District breweries will provide refreshing and seasonal brews all afternoon, including sips from Prairie Artisan Ales, Twisted Spike, Vanessa House and Skydance Brewing. And you can’t have beer without some tasty treats. Café Contemporary will have an outdoor pop-up slinging coffee and baked goods, as well as food-on-wheels from OKC’s Psycho Taco and Big Biang Theory noodles.

“We wanted to make sure there was something for everyone, even those under 21!” Thompson says. “One of my favorite elements: Artist Lumen Miramontes made this gorgeous mural on our moveable wall. And the best part? Our visitors get to finish it!”

The Art of Beer mural will have paint-by-color instructions on one side, allowing visitors to complete Lumen’s design, while the back side of the mural wall is open for free-for-all painting. Painting not your thing? Visitors can create festive fall seed mosaics, including some of the grains used to make the very bevs guests will be drinking.

Attendees can also craft paper car sculptures, a la Lebrija, a perfect opportunity to bring a piece of Campbell Art Park home. Creatives and wanna-be graphic designers can mockup DIY bev labels for all, a playful nod to all different types of art. Plus, live performances will be happening all day, featuring local talents like DJ Nymasis, Chloe Beth, Cody Anderson, Computer Girl and Foxburrows, keeping the afternoon and into the evening stocked with lively tunes.

A bunch of darkly glazed ceramic mugs sit on a table outside

Opportunities to both win and purchase prizes and pieces will be aplenty! Play our custom-made Plinko board for prizes ranging from stickers and magnets to exhibition catalogues and Auto Alley business gift cards. While Plinko can put a little freebie in your pocket, the artisan market will have handmade works and crafts, perfect for the holidays. Studio School instructors David Stevens, Liv Egan and Marissa Childers, plus Studio School Coordinator Emily Farris, will have ceramics up for grabs, ranging from mugs to spooky-themed pieces. Local artists Chris VanDyne, Brian Bossworth, Hannah Alexander, Carter Hannah, Hope Egan, Hector and Melissa Cobos, Ty, with Bookish and Meg Bradley, too, will offer ceramics and other mediums, including 2-D art, fiber, painting and literary.

“We wanted to include artists who directly work with us through the Studios, renters, camp instructors and assistants, as well as local creators,” explains Thompson. “You’ll see everything from gorgeous ceramics to crochet and fiber pieces. This is a really unique opportunity.”

Join us and Auto Alley for a festive October afternoon. Attendance is free and all are welcome. Cheers, friends, and we’ll see you Saturday!

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Art of Beer 2022 public progams art-making games beer Campbell Art Park La casa que nos inventamos