Inside the D.C. supper club introducing young adults to art galleries
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Photo: Courtesy of Roxy Kaplan
A new art-centric dinner series is bringing young Washingtonians together while also introducing them to the local gallery scene.
The big picture: This comes as more people are looking for ways to beat loneliness and connect IRL.
State of play: Ōnder Ōns is a monthly supper club hosted in a series of art galleries across D.C.
- The founder, Roxy Kaplan, launched it last fall after encountering two issues: Other young people her age wanted ways to meet new people, and they also weren’t engaging with the local art scene.
What they’re saying: ”What’s a non-intimidating way to get people in their 20s and early 30s into galleries?,” says Kaplan, who studied art history at George Washington University and now lives in West End. “And I figured dinner parties sound lovely. Who doesn’t want to go to a dinner party?”
- No need to be an art expert to attend: Most people are interested in finding new friends or potential dates, says Kaplan, who estimates about 95% of attendees come solo.
- And many leave with a new appreciation for art: ”Maybe next time they pass that gallery, they'll walk in because they're familiar with it now, and it's not this intimidating, unknown space.”
How it works: Potential guests can request to attend the event by sending Kaplan their Instagram handle and info about themselves. Kaplan then curates the guest list to around 30 people in the 22-35 age range with creative interests.
- Tickets are around $90, and include a cocktail, a catered dinner, a vinyl DJ and “pretty much unlimited wine,” says Kaplan, who tries to tie the tablescape to the surrounding art.
- Past gallery sites have included names like Hamiltonian Artists, Addison Ripley Fine Art, and Long View Gallery.
Fun fact: Ōnder Ōns is a Dutch phrase that means “between us or among us,” says Kaplan — it’s a nod to the community she’s building, and also her mom, a Dutch artist.
If you go: The next dinner event will be Sept. 3 at Studio Gallery in Dupont Circle.