Greetings, all, and welcome to 2009 — where changes are afoot, a restless sense of possibility fills the land, and you’re all destined to attend the new and improved version of Art Happy Hour!

As you may (or may not know), Art Happy Hour! was birthed — by mild-mannered art critic, art lover and all-around nice guy Michael Fallon — in a dark time during what turned out to be a dark year, January of 2008. Over the course of the year, as moods deteriorated as quickly as the economy, Art Happy Hour! took place four times — in four different venues and at four different times of the week. The idea for the first year was, in order to optimize the eventual convenience and appeal of the event to everyone, experimentation — trying different things to see what worked best for the most people. The results, even discounting the fact that AHH!3 took place while severe storms, tornadoes, and flash floods ripped through the Cities, were admittedly uneven, although the events were always fun.

And we kept trying.

And with that I’d like to offer a hearty thank you to all of you who voted in the latest poll and who sent your helpful suggestions about the AHH!’s format. We here at AHH!HQ have taken into account all of your suggestions and have come to the several conclusions, which will have a bearing on the format of AHH!5 (scheduled to take place some time in the next 2-3 months or so):

1. Most people favor a more regular time and venue for their (art) happy hours.
2. Most people seem really to dislike the poll function on this site.
3. Most people like the idea of including, as part of Art Happy Hour, some sort of extra bonus material/event.

So there you have it, the results in a nut-shell. I’m going to get to work to try to find a venue for our little social experiment, and once I do I’ll get back to you with all the juicy, Art-Happy details. Until then, keep in touch!