The Art Happy Hour on April 8 was terrifically successful. Thanks in part by an endorsement from the Secrets of the City folks, the event was attended by about 50 or so of our region’s finest lovers of either A) Art, B) Happy Hour, or, in this case, C) Polish food and/or trivia. (I didn’t poll the group, so I’m not sure which of these three was the bigger draw…)

A little bit more about item C): As part of the Bedlam Theatre’s Dyngus Day celebrations, Jim, the Bedlam’s fabulous kitchen guru, whipped up a buffet of wonderful Polish food. And that, plus the Bedlam’s special Happy Hour price for Zywiec (just $3 per), made for extremely good spirits all around.

The Polish Art Trivia contest meanwhile, graciously sponsored by mnartists.org, proved to be a tad challenging. Still, three teams rose from the pack in the end. They are, along with the prizes they won (all donated by mnartists.org):

3rd place: The Herbert Stemple Brigade (won: $4 off passes to Walker Art Center)

2nd place: Triage (won: Copies of What Light: A Poetry Anthology from mnartists.org)

and

1st place (and reigning Art Trivia champions): Rich’s Group (won: mnartists.org tshirts)

Now, anyone itching to knock the juggernaut Rich off his throne, should be advised that at the next Art Happy Hour, at the Bedlam on May 13, there will be a full version of Art Trivia. And we guarantee the topics for each of the three Art Trivia rounds will be less obscure (than Polish art), even as the prizes are as fabulous as ever!

Art Happy Hour on May 13 will run from 4 to 7 pm at the Bedlam Theatre (as always), and Art Trivia will start at 6 pm. All comers are welcome.

Here are pictures from Art Happy Hour at the Bedlam this past Wednesday. Hope to see you!

All righty! All you Joe Plumbers and Jane Sixpacks, it’s AHH!fficial:

Art Happy Hour! 4 will take place this Sunday, October 19, at 9 pm at the Red Stag Supper Club in NE Mpls. In the best tradition of happy hour, our event coincides with the Red Stag’s Artist Industry Night (two-for-one rails, taps, and select wine).

Here’s a map to the joint:

I’ll be there a little early–before 9 pm–wearing my traditional Art Happy Hour garb (to help folks find the group), the Wally the Walnut hat.

See you there!

Greetings to all you Happy Hourians out there! Back to work after a long lazy weekend with nothing to do–what could be better? … Except maybe some news about Art Happy Hour!

Here are a few happy tidbits to add to your happy post-Memorial Day Tuesday joy!

1. After a long and hard-fought race, we have, at last, a clear winnAHH! That is, Art Happy Hour!3 will take place at Clubhouse Jaeger - Thursday, June 5, 4 to 8 pm. (Jaeger got 10 votes out of 31, followed close behind by the Lexington with 8 votes, and Nick & Eddie with 7). Mark your calendars and plot your Google maps, and come to the Art Happy Hour! And stay tuned to AHH! for information in the next week or two for information on how to find your fellow denAHH!zens on the day of the event…

2. The Admin of AHH! is pleased to announce the formation of a new Twin Cities-based visual arts blog on the Rakemag site. Called The Thousandth Word, it’ll include the musings, critiques, and other writings of a group of six arts writers who collectively have dubbed themselves “The Vicious Circle.” You can visit the first shot-over-the-bow post (by your very own L’admin d’AHH!) here.

3. Finally, the Admin of AHH! is also pleased to announce he’ll be visiting in the coming week, of all places, Mars. And, believe or not, once there he’ll meet up with Douglas Fogle, the former Walker curator who left Minneapolis for Mars in 2005. (Watch for L’admin to post an interview with Fogle and a review of the show jointly on The Thousandth Word and AHH! some time in the new month!)

In the meantime, did you know that the U.S. could have established a 500-person colony on Mars with the money it’s spent so far on the War in Iraq?

Welp, the polls have closed, and we have a winner in the AHH!2 poll.

Capturing 62% of the vote, Grumpy’s downtown (on Monday, March 24, 5 to 9 pm) is the locale for Art Happy Hour 2.

Thanks to all who voted. More details about the event will follow in a few days.

Fais chier! See you soon at the Art Happy Hour!

Well well well. In a heartbreakingly squeaky election, The Independent-Uptown has taken the race—by a scant one vote over late-contender Grumpy’s-Mpls—in the first ever Art Happy Hour! poll. Final results can be found here. Congrats to the victor(s), and thanks to all of you who voted!

Just so you know, the venue has been contacted. Art Happy Hour! has been given semi-official blessing by a semi-surly staffer, who said, quote, “We should have no problem handling thirty people or so for happy hour.” One note,* however: There may be a small controversy over the duration of the happy hour, as Mr. Semi-Surly contradicted the information on the Independent’s website, saying the Weds. happy hour only goes to 7 pm.

Still, here are the pertinent details for your inaugural Art Happy Hour!

What: The inaugural Art Happy Hour!
Where: The Independent–Uptown, Calhoun Square Mall, 2nd floor, 3001 Hennepin Ave., Mpls
When: Wednesday, February 13, 4 to 7 (or maybe 9) pm

Any and all lovers of Art and Happy Hour in Minnesota are invited to come to the inaugural Art Happy Hour!
Details about how to find fellow members of the Art Happy Hour! Tribe will follow (in a future post).