How many people are there in and around Ann Arbor that love both fine art and the chance to meet new people while supporting contemporary fine art? Probably more than will be able to fit in the Ann Arbor Arts Center for their 2026 Social.
This fund-raising event costs $75 per person to get in and includes refreshments and unique opportunities to connect with art.
“The A2AC Social features four different immersive art experiences, Attendees will have the opportunity to make a clay ornament, make a self portrait, try their hand at metal smithing, and contribute to a mural,” A2AC Executive Director Jenn Queen said. “Of course, attendees can also opt out and just enjoy the bites and beverages, but getting to experience art in a social setting is a fun and different way to spend an evening. This year’s bites are sponsored by Knight’s and our drink sponsors are Mammoth Distilling and TeaHaus. Many attendees make the A2AC Social part of a bigger evening downtown, too, with some getting drinks and bites before or after, making it a great night out in downtown Ann Arbor.”
The event is divided neatly into four sessions. At each station you will be guided by a different artist – jeweler Nina Dimambro, inter-disciplinary and pattern-focused collaborative artist Olivia Guterson, Deanne Neiburger from the A2AC Ceramic Studio, and illustrator and sketch artist Sarah Nisbett.
“In so many ways, A2AC is foundational to my creative practice as it is one of the first places I shared my art publicly and truly the first time I had the opportunity to witness how my art could bring people together. [What I’m talking about is] Intermural, which was a collaborative, community-centered exhibition and mural experience I had the honor of being a part of back in 2017. I’m so honored to be part of A2AC Social! I’m really looking forward to sharing my practice and ultimately co-creating a mural that tells the story of people gathering for an evening, sharing space and making something meaningful together. We need more art in our lives, and we need more ways of creating side by side so we can imagine and build new visions together,” Guterson told Current via email. “For my portion of the 2026 A2AC Social, I will be offering an opportunity for our community to come together and create a mural that reflects who we are and also what we share. I’ll speak about how patterns have guided my creative journey and how they hold deeply personal stories while still being a universal language. Together, we will transform the walls in our space into a visual expression of our time, drawing and sharing stories.”
You’ll be assigned to one of four groups of 25 people each once you get in. Then after a brief greeting and explanation of the evening’s proceedings from A2AC staff, you’ll be placed with one of the four artists, who will teach you to make art using their specific techniques for about 20 minutes. Then you’ll transition to another artist and repeat the process until you’ve made something with each artist.
This event is for adults 21 and older. The two hour long event starts at 5pm on Friday, March 6. The A2AC asked on its website for attendees to remember that not all of the food and drinks will necessarily be gluten free.
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This is a major part of what keeps the non-profit A2AC in the black, financially.
“Unlike the A2AC Artini, a pub crawl throughout downtown Ann Arbor, or our Gala where ticket price can be limiting in terms of who can attend, the A2AC Social is an accessible, intimate experience where we invite the public into our studios to experience our mission first-hand. I am not an artist at all and can be intimidated by the creative process. I understand well that feeling of art maybe not being my thing and being unsure about attending an event where art is the main activity, but the opportunity to spend creative time supporting a nonprofit that’s been supporting our community for nearly 120 years is a pretty cool reason to pick up a paintbrush or play with some clay,” Queen explains. “The bottom line is every dollar we raise at the A2AC Social is used to pay working artists and support our mission; generous food and beverage sponsors make it so we don’t spend money wining and dining attendees, and our generous presenting sponsor, Bank of Ann Arbor, ensures we don’t have to spend a ton of money on event supplies, too.”
Queen shared other ways the public can be a part of the A2AC community. “Check out our calendar online and attend an exhibition opening to meet working artists who are sharing their creativity in our spaces,” Queen said. “If you aren’t interested in committing to a class, attend a date night or family workshop, where the time commitment is a few hours versus few weeks. Every purchase at the A2AC Shop or Gallery supports a working artist as well as the A2AC. Certainly, people can also click donate now on our website and make a direct donation to the A2AC. Truly, every dollar has impact.”
The Ann Arbor Arts Center is a three story brick building in between the Beer Grotto and old West Side Book Shop on the south side of West Liberty Street. And even if you can’t attend Friday’s social gathering, you can still sign up for art classes, rent studio space if you’re already an established artist, or simply browse the for-sale art for free from 10am to 7pm., Mondays through Saturdays, and from 11am to 5pm on Sundays.
Drew Saunders is a freelance business and environmental journalist who grew up just outside of Ann Arbor. He covers local business developments, embraces his foodie side with reviews restaurants, obsesses over Michigan's environmental state, loves movies, and feels spoiled by the music he gets to review for Ann Arbor!
