ArtJamz is unique, social art studio that provides a full menu for fun night or daytime painting session with easels, canvases, paint, brushes, inspiration, instructors, and libations. Our DC Area Moms Blog team was itching for a fun time to hang out and ArtJamz completely fit the bill! They provided the perfect space to get creative, socialize and let loose (without kids crawling around us for the night). The staff is wonderful and ready to answer any questions with a smile on their face. Their goal is to help guests unleash their inner artist and our group embraced that opportunity! My painting is now hanging over my daughter’s bed.
ArtJamz Location and Space
ArtJamz has two locations, one in Arlington, VA and one in the heart of Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. Our contributor event was in Dupont and some of us were worried about parking on a Saturday night, but none of us had any issues finding closeby parking. Of course, the red line of the Metro is right there too! Right when you walk into the Dupont location, you are greeted by upbeat music and a view of guest-artists painting on their canvases. The top level has an open concept with a handy full bar at the back. Dupont Circle is vibrant, eclectic, and youthful and the ArtJamz at this location exemplifies those attributes. For moms used to dealing with meals, dishes, school schedules, and spit-up, it was a welcome reminder of our pre-kid days; and, we were around other adults doing the same thing. All of us need nights like this!
As you enter, on the right, you see stairs leading to the lower level artist lounge that is also an open concept for hosting events and birthday parties. Our event was downstairs with easels set up for each of us with a canvas, brushes, and paints. We chose to do the Freestyle Class which allowed each of us to paint what we wanted. If you are hosting an event, you can set your own mood by pre-selecting your own playlist on Spotify too. The staff is incredibly helpful and guided us when we had questions, like when we needed some artistic direction on how to make a shadow or which paint brush to use. We all had a great time and we were artists and didn’t realize it! ArtJamz also offers Guided Paint Classes with specific instruction for everyone. They also offer Private Events, Special Events, and Pop-Ups. Pop-ups are basically events that are held outside of the studio, and some are even free.
Also, they have a second location called ArtJamz Underground Studio in Arlington. It is located within the Crystal City Shops. Parking is free in the garage on 20th Street right before Crystal Drive by the wine shop on the weekends and after 4 pm on weekdays. Be sure to check them out!
Kidz at ArtJamz
One of my favorite things that ArtJamz offers is Kidz Graffiti Parties which are normally on Saturday Mornings (Adult ones are typically on the first Friday Night of the month at the Dupont Location). This is not spray-paint graffiti with fumes, but rather an opportunity for kids to paint on their walls. Yes, kids get to go to ArtJamz and just paint on the walls! Imagine the freedom and memories being created when kids can simply let loose and do something they can’t normally do at home!
I am planning to take our kids to one of their Sunday or Saturday All Ages Sessions. This session provides an hour and a half of free art time with paint and brushes provided. Be sure to save 20% when you schedule your child’s All Ages Session online. Additionally, you can purchase a canvas online too for a reasonable cost and your kid gets to proudly bring home their own art. They make art time easy for the parents who aren’t the most artistic! Please note they do not store art at the studio, so be prepared to take your painting with you (they do have blowdryers to help speed the drying process along!). Catch us at one of the upcoming $10 Kidz Graffiti Parties on Sunday, October 21st or 28th at 12:30 pm. You can’t beat painting on the walls for $10 for an hour!
ArtJamz Birthday Parties!
It is no surprise that ArtJamz offers birthday parties since it is a wonderful lounge to gather kids of all ages. Especially in the cold of winter or the heat of the summer! Birthday Parties are held on the lower level (conveniently also where the bathroom is!). ArtJamz Birthday Parties covers it all with custom catering, drinks, artist beret and mustache, ArtJamz sticker, and canvas. Plus cake-pops from Baked by Yael (which are always nut-free and Kosher and right across the street from the National Zoo). At the Birthday Party, kids paint a Picasso Painting. There is a sample painting and they make it unique by adding stick-on eyes, noses, ears, and mouths to a blank face. It’s pretty funny. Kind of like pin the tail on the donkey, but with facial features.
At our event, one of our contributors decided to host her daughter’s birthday on the spot. It is understandable. It really is a pretty magical, whimsical place that helps you feed your inner artist. We genuinely had a great time trying to create art that we would be proud of and I’d say we accomplished it. ArtJamz will be a new place on our rotations of kid outings. Be sure to check it out and mention DC Moms Blog when you go.
Big thanks to ArtJamz for hosting our Contributor Night. We are so thankful for the time and space that allowed us to paint and enjoy one another’s company.
