Creating Masterpieces: The Relationship Between Art and Beer

March 1, 2014 By Don Tse

Sidebar: Brewers Supporting Artists

Realizing that not all art comes in liquid and fermented form, breweries across the globe are embracing artists, helping foster talent and expanding customers’ horizons. Here are a few doing their part to fuel creativity.

In June 2013, Founders Brewing Co. of Grand Rapids, MI, introduced a new beer, Inspired Artist Black IPA, with proceeds going to ArtPrize, an art competition that covers three square miles of downtown Grand Rapids. But the new beer is not merely a token gesture among many other community support initiatives. Inspired Artist Black IPA is the first beer of a five-year annual commitment made by Founders to ArtPrize.

A lot of brewery taprooms hang local art on the walls, but Phillips Brewing Co. of Victoria, British Columbia, takes it one step further. It formally rotates the work of a local artist through the brewery tasting room and throws an opening reception in support.

Likewise, Steam Whistle Brewing of Toronto hosts monthly art exhibitions in its gallery at the brewery. Local talent is featured, and no rent or commission is charged to the artists.

Collective Arts Brewing, also of the Toronto area, was founded in 2013 and continually calls for artists to submit work via its website. Selected works are featured on Collective Arts’ bottle labels, artists are paid for use of their work, and the brewery then promotes the artist through social media and events.

The movement to support the arts is not limited to breweries in North America, though. Little Creatures Brewing of Fremantle, Australia, is the title sponsor of the Fremantle Arts Centre Print Award, supporting contemporary printmaking in Australia.

Even Asahi Breweries, headquartered in Tokyo, established the Asahi Beer Arts Foundation in 1989 to support arts of all kinds. It opened a museum in 1996, has organized festivals and the Asahi Beer Art Awards since 2003.