Inside from the cold, tables full of art supplies fill the wide, open space of Zone 3’s large studio space. Warm from the music, laughter, and people, there is a comfort and openness here that weaves its way around the seating, the make-shift bar, and the soon-to-be empty pizza boxes. With food, drinks, and great company, Brighton’s Zone 3 invites guests to unleash their inner artists at their weekly Drinking and Drawing event.
Each Wednesday, attendees are invited to craft together and enjoy food and drinks, all for free. Guests are offered prompts and ideas to work on a kind of project each week, with plenty of room for creativity. Each “Drinking and Drawing” event highlights a new local visual artist. The event on Feb. 12 featured Katiana Rodriguez, a queer Afro-Latinx illustrator from New York City.
“My art was printed on newsprints, and it was all around Allston-Brighton at different locations. They contacted me again about a month ago and asked me to run this awesome event,” Rodriguez said.
Having now moved to Allston-Brighton, Rodriguez believes free and accessible events like this ensure art is available for everyone. Drinking and Drawing is only one of the events that Zone 3 offers. The Harvard-backed initiative strives to activate Western Ave with creative programs, events, retail experiments, and public art, according to their website.
Zone 3 has been behind several other projects, including Art Scrim, which turns construction barriers into temporary art galleries, and Art in Print, where collectable artwork of local artists are placed in newspaper bins and can be purchased for 25 cents. The latter of which was Rodriguez’s introduction to the Drinking and Drawing program.
Each week, the event provides supplies for attendees to create pieces of art. This past week, guests were invited to create Valentine’s Day cards using markers, colored pencils, and paper crafting materials.
With a makeshift bar setup, and pizza provided around halfway through the event, people are invited to eat and drink while they create. The large table seating encourages guests to connect and socialize while they craft, offering not only a chance to make friends, but to share artistic perspectives.
“Allston-Brighton is quite diverse in people’s backgrounds and their creative endeavors, and also ethically and socially,” said Rodriguez. “I just find so many people want to make art accessible and they want to make art available. There’s a huge, huge focus on community and building communities.”
Rodriguez also touched on the importance of free events like Drinking and Drawing, as they open creative opportunities for all members of Allston-Brighton and beyond, regardless of economic status.
“There’s a lot of diversity economically in Allston-Brighton. From families and folks that are working full-time, to college students, to creatives who freelance. So any opportunity to have a designated space to eat, drink, interact, and connect about art is super, super impactful.”Zone 3 organizes a
Drinking and Drawing event each week on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 8:00 pm. The event is free but requires a reservation on their website. Upcoming featured artists include Austin Ickes (Feb. 26) and Non Issue Studio (Mar. 5).
