Nhi Nguyen, a local web and graphic designer, started a monthly event series for Baton Rouge creatives to gather and socialize this summer. After noticing a lack of opportunities for local creatives to get together in a relaxed setting, Nguyen introduced the Baton Rouge Drink & Draw series, where artists and non-artists can meet up at a new location each month for some food, drink and a chance to get their creative juices flowing.
The next event is Tuesday, Aug. 29, at Corporate Brew & Draft (2531 Citiplace Court) from 7-9 p.m. BouillaBabes will be on site with a food pop-up, and Corporate Brew & Draft offers a 20% discount for all Drink & Draw participants. For more information about Nhi Nguyen, upcoming Drink & Draws and her other projects, visit nhi.design.
225 sat down with Nguyen at the July Baton Rouge Drink & Draw event at Unit 7 Studio to discuss how she got the idea for the event and where she sees the series going in the future.
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Tell us a little bit about you.
My name is Nhi Nguyen. I grew up in Baton Rouge for most of my life, and I’m currently working at Catapult Creative Media as a web and graphic designer. In my spare time, I like to hand-letter and do design projects on the side for my shop, where I sell my own products, such as stickers and pins.
What got you interested in doing Drink & Draw here in Baton Rouge?
I started Drink & Draw in the hopes of trying to build more meaningful connections within the creative scene here. I’ve been following Scottie Russell for a while. He’s a hand-lettering artist, and Perspective Collective is his design name. He’s been throwing Drink & Draws for his city in Iowa, and I thought it was a really good idea. There wasn’t anything similar to that [in Baton Rouge], so I wanted to bring it here.
What’s the response to Drink & Draw been like?
Everyone is super positive and excited. I definitely didn’t expect so many people to be interested in something like this, just because it’s really hard to find other creatives in Baton Rouge. I feel like there’s a lot of creatives here, but there’s also not a lot of opportunities and events where we can actually get together and get to know each other on a more personal level.
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Do you have any early plans for future Drink & Draw events?
I’m hoping to jump from different places like bars and studios in Baton Rouge, just to appeal to people that like different sorts of drawing environments. The first Drink & Draw was at Tin Roof and the second at Unit 7 Studio. In the future, I’d like to introduce some drawing prompts or other activities that people can do while they’re here, if they’re not interested in just free sketching. But you don’t have to know how to draw; it’s enough just to come and hang out with other people.
What is your favorite thing about having an event like Drink & Draw in Baton Rouge?
I like being able to meet different people, so it’s really cool to see who comes by. … Drink & Draw just gives us a new way to connect within the creative community without having too much pressure to network in a professional setting. And I think, for a lot of creatives, we tend to be more introverted than extroverted, because you often feel like you work best when you’re isolated. So [the relaxed environment] is something that’s a little bit more comforting, because you can get creative in your own little corner of isolation while being still around other people that feel the same way.
Scenes from a recent Drink & Draw event
Click the photos in the gallery to enlarge.
