There is a very real and profound intersection between the art world and craft beer. I feel like it doesn’t even need to be said anymore that making craft beer is an art form, that the similarities between envisioning, designing and building a beer and, say, a painting or sculpture are too prevalent to ignore. One needs to look no further than the Craft Brew Doodle Crew to see this intersection first hand.
When founder Aaron Scamihorn (Creative Proprietor of Ronlewhorn Industries) came across a New York-based collective called Drink & Draw, where artists of all ilks came together to work on pieces of art at local breweries, he wanted to jump in.
“I wanted to attend a session, but really I wanted to collaborate with other artists on projects more,” Scamihorn explained to me over some Mikkeller’s at Carmel’s Pint Room. “I wanted to do something like what Drink & Draw had going, but it was very professional. I wanted something more interactive and more fun for everyone involved.”
That desire for an interactive experience gave birth to the Craft Brew Doodle Crew, which is best described as a musical chair-style experience: some of Indianapolis’ most talented graphic designers, illustrators, and comic artists gather at Indiana City Brewing, each beginning (or continuing) work on a piece of art along a theme decided on earlier in the night. Each artist contributes in their own prefered style (pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.), and, after approximately 10 minutes, passes their work one space to the right for the person next to them to work on.
The CBDC gatherings serve as a fun and challenging outlet, as well as a creative exercise for the artists involved. “It’s an outlet that stretches your brain, like a big puzzle,” Scamihorn says. “Continually picking up new projects in such a short timeframe challenges you creatively. It keeps our minds fresh.”
The Craft Brew Doodle Crew is perfect example of the intersection between beer and art, where creative people give birth to breweries, which then foster and bring out the best in the creative people that drink their beers and hang out there. Scamihorn agrees, saying that there’s more that links the two outside of just “creativity.”
“It revolves around passion – it’s the whole idea of creation and passion that connects the two. Everything that goes into creating these pieces of art is inspiring. It’s like walking into an art gallery when you enter a brewery and see all their tap handles lined up. Some force of creative energy and time and effort went into creating those beers just like we use in creating our art.”
But what I saw that night was a collection of truly talented people, sharing great beers while putting their skills on display for themselves along with anyone who might have been perplexed at what they were doing in that corner of the brewery. Each artist worked in their prefered medium, finalizing pieces that had been collaborated on in previous meetings by adding color, lines, and shadows, while we told stories, drank our pints, and laughed throughout the evening.
That this kind of thing would take place in a brewery is almost a given, right?
Scamihorn has been offered multiple times to monetize the Craft Brew Doodle Crew, gladly turning each offer down.
“That’s not what CBDC is about. It’s about passion, creativity, and community.”
And the Craft Brew Doodle Crew wants that community to grow – amateur and professional artists that are interested in joining a session are encouraged to contact the group through their website; if you’re interested in observing a session and seeing the Crew in action, their next meeting at Indiana City Brewing will be Thursday, April 16.
Whether you believe that art imitates life, or rather life imitates art, you can’t help but admit that art and craft beer belong together. Look no further thant the Craft Brew Doodle Crew for your proof.
