Like the name suggests, Tribeca’s recently-opened Muse Paintbar combines painting classes and a bar resulting in a nice opportunity to add a little creativity to your regular drinking routine with the added possibility of walking out of the place with something worthy of hanging on your wall (not everyone can be a Picasso). Sessions last around two-and-a-half hours and cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $40, but deals are occasionally offered on coupon sites. Beer and wine is extra.

Canvases, palettes, and brushes, are set up around the room in front of metal chairs and stools, and aprons are available for protection. Painting sessions are perfect for beginners—they start slowly with an introduction to the brushes. During the session, an instructor stands at the front of the room and walks the class through a particular painting. After demonstrating each part of the painting, the instructor walks around giving advice and offering encouragement to students while a second artist runs the bar and takes food orders (think hummus, cheeses, and French bread pizzas) and pitches in with one-on-one feedback.

On the night I came to get my van Gogh on, the class consisted mainly of women with just a couple guys (undoubtedly on dates) in attendance. Our instructor for the night, Jake Reeves, was informative (“Anything closer to you is going to be bigger on the canvas.”), inspiring (“In art, the eye is the thinking part of the body.”), and funny (“Trust me, I have an art degree.”)

Muse donates five percent of their profits to local causes and hosts private events like fundraisers. Potential customers can check out the calendar online for a schedule of paintings as well as find special sessions like couples’ painting, free drink nights, and family night.