Creative Date Ideas at The Art Center to Keep the Art of Romance Going Strong After Valentine’s Day

A fancy dinner together by candlelight, the gentle scent of roses wafting from a fresh bouquet… 

It’s easy to use Valentine’s Day as a good excuse to set aside time to deepen your romantic bond with your partner. But when the candles die down and the roses begin to wilt, that doesn’t mean the romance has to wane! Finding regular ways to connect with each other doesn’t always have to be a fancy meal or a mild fire hazard to be special. There are tons of wonderful places to go on memorable dates in the Johns Creek and surrounding areas…

…but this is The Art Center’s blog so we’re going to specifically share the cool stuff we do that would be perfect for couples who want to spend quality time together!

Gallery Receptions (Free Date!)

The Art Center holds 7-8 exhibitions in our primary gallery every year, and almost all of them include an opening or closing reception. The Art Center’s Artist Guild comes out in force to help us put together a lovely evening, complete with wines and an incredible spread of desserts. We go well beyond the usual cheese cubes and small pieces of fruit on toothpicks. Sometimes there’s even cheesecake!

The delicious cheesecake slices provided by Marlies.

We turn the main lights off and let the gallery lights show the artwork at its best, creating ambiance you can enjoy as you sip free wine and examine the pieces. We have had artists exhibiting in our gallery who have also had their work shown at places like MOMA and The High Museum, but our gallery doesn’t require driving to the city and both parking and admission are free! You’ll have the opportunity to see incredible artwork without the price tag or the long drive.

Our receptions are typically held on a Saturday evening from 6:00-7:30 PM. To make it a full date night, you can plan an early light dinner at one of the many delicious restaurants near The Art Center and enjoy free dessert with us afterward… but honestly, there are often so many options for our reception refreshments that many people can make both a meal and a dessert out of the experience, completely free!

And if you do find yourself missing mild fire hazards and spending opportunities, we provide those too!

Weekly Creator’s Circle (Free Date!)

Every week we hold two Creator Circle events. The first is on Thursdays from 5:00-7:00 PM and the second is on Fridays from 1:30-3:30 PM. If you’re looking for an opportunity to make new friends as a couple or simply want a regular place to be able to hang out and create together, we would love to have you join us! You can come once or as many times as you wish, and you do not need to be taking classes or a member of The Art Center to participate.

The Art Center provides some basic supplies to play with, but most of our Creator Circle members bring their own materials and projects. You never know what kind of art people are working on, and it can inspire the two of you to try something new together! Regardless of what art you do, this is a fun free way to spend a few  hours creating as a couple and enjoying a friendly social atmosphere with like-minded creatives.

Special Events at The Art Center

In addition to our regular exhibitions and open studio time, we frequently hold special events. Some are annual, like our Bowls Ceramic Sale and Chili Cook-Off or our Holiday Pop-Up Market, and some are special one-time events, like last year’s Fiber Fair or our upcoming Gala. Most of the events are also free to attend! The best way to keep up with our more unique events at The Art Center is to subscribe to our weekly newsletter or join our group on Meetup. Then potential dates will show up in your inbox, and you can surprise your partner with a fun experience!

One of our special events last year was a field trip to the Southeastern Railway Museum where they took us on a private tour. The date opportunities are wide and varied here!

Classes and Workshops

While our clay studio probably won’t let you recreate the scene from Ghost, learning a new skill together once a week is still a wonderful way to stay connected with your partner. It’s a regularly scheduled date where you get to see each other blossom and grow into a new hobby. Learning something new revitalizes conversation at home, too; you’ll be able to share ideas for your next projects or chat about the cool things you’ve been learning.

“Carving out a weekly date night isn’t just about the ceramics,” says Mallory, one of our clay students here who takes classes with her husband. “It’s about the bond. Life gets messy, but handbuilding things for our home and each other is a therapeutic way to de-stress. It’s the perfect way to stay connected, making every week a date night.”

We offer 4- and 8- week classes here at The Art Center, as well as one day workshops if you want a date with less time commitment. Our Bob Ross workshops are especially good for date nights; they happen fairly regularly and they don’t require you to have any experience or materials, but you get to take home a beautiful piece of work at the end.

We also offer Youth classes, so, if you have kids, you can drop them off for a fun class and enjoy a weekly date night around town!

The happy faces of parents who know their kids are entertained at The Art Center so they can just enjoy a nice, quiet meal together.

Regardless of how you stay connected with your partner, we at The Art Center wish you a wonderful Valentine’s Day!