ZU Gallery will celebrate “Christmas Eve Eve” as it attempts to draw Cortez residents to its Main Street space, licensed to serve wine and beer a month ago.
Many places in Cortez were closed or closed early Thursday, but Jody Jahrling, gallery owner, thought the “in-between” day leading up to Christmas Day was perfect for hosting an event to bring the community together and instill Christmas cheer.
The gallery is staying open until 10 p.m., and the band Zarfha will perform at the free event from 7 to 9 p.m.
The blended venue, which has evolved as a community gathering space from its Sept. 1 opening, is a Main Street first, Jahrling said.
“This never existed before – a community space where you're selling art on one end, taking pictures on this end, and then stuff happening in the in between,” she said.
This will be the second event where drinks will be served.
“The point is to get people through the door to experience what we have here and ideally, to possibly get them to buy from some of our local artists,” Jahrling said.
The gallery first served alcohol at CREA-sponsored shopping event Fa La La La Local Dec. 9. Customers were able to present any Dec. 9 receipt from a Cortez business at the art gallery and receive a free alcoholic beverage.
Jahrling’s boyfriend, Scott Farris, made his debut as a bartender that night. Drinks “drew people in to just sit and hang out,” Jahrling said.
At Thursday’s ‘Christmas Eve Eve’ event, the gallery will debut its first signature drink.
The concoction was crafted with input from community members who visited the gallery Monday evening for an advertised event organized specifically to sample potential signature mixes.
The overwhelming favorite has since been dubbed “2Pock Sugar featuring Black Milk” – a reference to rap culture. Farris makes his own eggnog for the fusion, and it will be blended with Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro, chocolate, cookies, cream Pocky sticks and a s’mores marshmallow bite.
“It's the stout that makes that – it couldn't be any kind of beer,” Jahrling said.
The gallery carries local beverages, with beers from Wild Edge Brewing Co. and Yellow Car Country Wine.
Thursday’s event also will feature free hot beverages.
“We just want to keep it simple because we’re not a bar ... it’s an event bar,” Jahrling said. “But we thought it would be fun to come up with something that nobody else is serving anywhere.”
She’s been receptive to community ideas for the new and eccentric Main Street space.
“Everything at this point, I still consider an experiment,” she said.
Her mom, Christine Dorcheus, runs the store during the day, and Jahrling takes over at 5 p.m.
The gallery stays open until 8 p.m. most days, and until 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
“I do have the people that come in and say ‘You’re the only one that's open, I’m so glad we had a place to stop in,’ and so that's been nice to hear, ”Jahrling said.
Jahrling initiated a once-a-month listening room for artists “just to be heard,” she said.
Lasting an hour, the performances have included two musical artists and one open spoken-word forum.
Artists are paid and perform for an hour.
“That’s obviously a huge belief – to make sure that artists get paid,” she said.
Jahrling also trades photo shoots, she said. For instance, if a performer desires portraits of themselves, she will offset the cost by asking them to perform at an event.
