Arts & Craft Beer: ArtsWestchester adds New York brews to exhibitions

Visitors to select ArtsWestchester events this year will be treated to an additional type of artistry: craft beer.

In an effort to bridge their respective followings and attract a younger, millennial demographic, ArtsWestchester has partnered with beer supplier Half Time Beverage to launch Arts & Craft Beer Fest, a series of 12 events where patrons can sip on New York-brewed craft beer while perusing works of art or taking in a show.

“It occurred to us that if we could partner with the craft beer industry that we might be able to serve our customers, our arts patrons, with a more unique experience than perhaps the usual art events,” ArtsWestchester CEO Janet T. Langsam said.

So far this year, Arts & Craft Beer Fest events have included musical performances, ArtsWestchester”™s ArtsBash fundraiser and the closing reception of the exhibition, “SHE.”

While many of ArtsWestchester”™s previous events served selections of wine, Langsam said bringing in craft beer will make them more experiential for those in attendance.

“This is a little different,” Langsam said. “It”™s more of a curated pairing.”

A pairing that works, Langsam said, because the arts and craft beer industries share not only a common customer profile, but also a similar theme.

“Craft beer is an art in our mind,” Langsam said.

And the initiative seems to be working. Of the four Arts & Craft Beer Fest events held so far, ArtsWestchester”™s gallery director Kathleen Reckling said, “We definitely saw a much more diverse crowd with many younger millennial-aged or younger Gen-X visitors.”

Langsam said the program, which will continue through November, is funded through a grant from New York State”™s Taste NY initiative.

Alan Daniels, president of Half Time, said that the partnership places a focus on serving beer from brewers in Westchester and the surrounding counties and has the added benefit of introducing patrons to local brews they may not have tried otherwise.

Langsam hopes to grow the Arts & Craft Beer Fest initiative by reaching out to more affiliates and partners, along with expanding samplings offered to include specialty, locally-produced foods.

For more information or to view upcoming Arts & Craft Beer Fest events, visit artswestchester.org.