ArtBar is a series of free pop-up art studios in the DC Metro area (DC, MD, VA). I established this during the summer of 2023, but the idea steamed from my ten year-old self standing in front of the painting section at my local art store with a hard-earned eight dollars and thirty seven cents in my hand (that I had gotten from selling bookmarks at school). That was when I had first realized good art supplies cost a crap ton of money, and that established businesses did not take hand-drawn, freshly laminated, sailor moon bookmarks as a form of payment.
From then on, I relied on book fair scented erasers, a few pencils I found on the floor at school (mechanical if I got lucky), and a Q-tip to guide my fifth grade self along my art journey for the next 6 years. I have no regrets; floor pencils are inarguably the best there is. But as I get older, improve, and explore new mediums, I begin to disapprove the idea of money restricting an aspiring artists growth, experience, and opportunity to find themselves in different mediums.
Art classes, studios, and proper art supplies are most often pricy and considered a luxury, leading to some artists not being able to achieve their greatest artistic ability through experimenting with mediums and interacting with other artists. ArtBar's goal is to alleviate this financial burden among young artists while crafting a connection/network among them by holding pop-up art studios that are 100% free to attend with free art supplies — and prizes in free-to-enter raffles !
We hope to bring teenage artists in the area together, forming a creative space, and allowing them to express their passion for art without any financial burdens.