Miriam Woodward (right) with friend Max Montalbano. 
Woodward was the 7000th participant at Art After Dark.

When Miriam Woodward walked into the Art After Dark event on Feb. 18 with a friend, she was looking forward to an evening of art, crafting, and hanging out. When she checked into the event, she learned she was the 7,000th participant at Art After Dark.

Art After Dark is a Late Night Miami program organized by the Office of Residence Life with Miami Activities and Programming (MAP) and the National Art Education Association (NAEA).

Participants at Art After Dark choose from a variety of arts and crafts including Chinese calligraphy, Myaamia ribbonwork, paint-your-own-pottery, origami, Bob Ross pastel landscapes, fuse beads, book binding, beads and threads, sculpture, crochet and knitting, coloring, watercolor pencils, and collage. Participants also enjoy live, acoustic music and gourmet popcorn.

First offered in 2016, organizers have tracked attendance for each event.

“We weren’t sure if we were going to get to 7,000 because participation in the spring is typically lower than the fall,” said Amy Bielicki, resident director in Hillcrest Hall and Art After Dark planning committee member.

The planning committee enjoys the event each year. “I love getting to talk with other students about creating art in their daily lives,” said Reilly Powers, social media manager for NAEA and Art After Dark planning committee member. “This event gives them that opportunity.”

Art After Dark has grown to be an event students look forward to each semester.

“This is my favorite event at Miami,” said Senior Ames Radwan. “I went my first semester in 2019. I did fuse beads for three hours. It always gives me a chance to get my hands dirty. I just don’t take the time for myself to craft. Art After Dark gives me that chance every semester.”

Dozens of volunteers from Residence Life, MAP, NAEA, the Miami Art Museum, ART195, the Native American Student Association, and more help to facilitate all of the crafts.

This semester’s Art After Dark was emceed by second-year student, Monica Gay. It featured performances by Megan Haarlammert, Lillian Davis, Mallory Nelson, Jack Weber, Jordan Mtui, Kyle Davis and Alex Kauble.

Woodward is a second-year architecture major from West Chester, Ohio. For being the 7,000th participant at Art After Dark, she was given a set of art supplies.

Ames Radwan (left), senior in the BA/MA linguistics program, with friend Lauren Kuenker from Indiana State University show off their collages. 

Finance major Jack Weber (left) from Richmond, Indiana and English and creative writing major Jordan Mtui (right) from South Africa performed.