'Art Beyond the Glass' with Chilled 100 Member Elizabeth Mickiewicz

Meet the Chilled 100: Elizabeth Mickiewicz, National Board Member for Art Beyond the Glass, Chicago

Chicago bartender Elizabeth Mickiewicz of Drumbar, Chicago takes the art of mixing drinks to the next level by showcasing artistic talents ‘beyond the glass.’ Helping to implement Art Beyond the Glass, a special event that showcases the artistic pursuits of top bartenders when they are not behind the stick, Elizabeth has provided Chicago bartenders with another creative outlet. What’s more, proceeds go to local art-based charities! Here’s what Elizabeth has to say about this awesome upcoming event.

Elizabeth Mickiewicz, National Board Member for Art Beyond the Glass, Chicago and Chilled 100 Ambassador – Chicago

Tell us about Art Beyond the Glass.

ABTG started five years ago in Los Angeles when our friends Daniel Djang and Zahra Bates were having drinks and discussing the abundance of artistic talent within LA’s bartending community. The event was created as a means to highlight those talents, while also benefiting the local arts community. Each year we choose an arts or culture non-profit within our city to support through donations raised via silent auction, raffle, tickets and art sold during the event. What makes this event so special is that every painting, drawing, photograph, or live performance that is featured is done by a bartender. It’s really cool to see our friends get to showcase the talents we may have only heard about.

What was your inspiration to be a part of this special event?

Before moving to Chicago, I was part of the Los Angeles bar community and was lucky enough to participate in ABTG II and ABTG III. I was totally bummed out when I was unable to attend ABTG IV, and that feeling is what sparked my desire to bring the event to Chicago. I missed being a part of something so original and inspiring, and I knew taking it National was always part of the plan. Laura, Kristina and I jumped at the chance to be the founding Chicago board members.

Tell us about finding bartenders who are also gifted in the arts and music.

This is the really fun part! We get to pester our friends who have told us all about their past lives in the art world and sometimes get them to knock the dust off of their paint sets. Other times it’s people who are currently very active in the arts and bartend on the side. We were even approached by a recent transplant who we had no idea plays the violin!

What would you like others to know about the event?

Art Beyond the Glass is not just an industry event for bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts. We invite everyone from art aficionados to music fans to attend. There is no other event in Chicago that features as many of the city’s top bartenders making you drinks under one roof. Our inaugural event will be held at Fulton Market Kitchen in the West Loop, an ideal space given it is both a restaurant with a prominent bar program and a functional art gallery. The venue features three separate bars throughout the 6,000 sq. ft. space, multiple private dining rooms, a lounge and a main dining room, giving our bartenders ample space to showcase their creativity.

What are your hopes for this year’s event?

For our first year all we can really hope for is a great turnout, a fun party, and to raise as much money possible for ArtReach, a non-profit organization that provides more than 6,000 art experiences per year in ceramics, painting and drawing, recycled art, metalsmithing, textiles, and much more. Their goal is to promote creativity within communities lacking access to the arts, and we want to do our part to help them thrive. It has been really awesome to see how much the LA event has flourished over the past five years and we hope that we can grow each year to be just as strong.

What are your hopes for Art Beyond the Glass in the future?

This is what we hope for the future. To continue taking this event to other cities, shining a spotlight on the artistry of bartenders, and raising as much money as we can for nonprofits across the country.