About this Event
Hemingway didn’t actually write drunk. But human beings have spent thousands of years convinced that altered states are where great ideas come from.
We love the romantic myth of the intoxicated artist—the bohemian poet chasing absinthe hallucinations, the painter surviving on gin and cigarettes, the sudden 2 AM spark of creative genius. But did alcohol and mind-altering substances actually build human culture, or is intoxication just history’s favorite excuse for bad behavior?
Join art historian and curator Dr. Adrienne Fast at Swans Pub for an eye-opening, irreverent look at three distinct historical periods—ancient Greece, medieval India, and 19th-century Paris—that each demonstrate how alcohol and altered consciousness have shaped visual culture, sparked legendary artistic movements, and influenced how we create.
Every Sip Smarter talk includes a 45-minute lecture, a fun pub trivia round, and an open audience Q&A — all over drinks.
DATE
Monday, December 28th, 2026
LOCATION
Swans Pub, 1601 Store St, Victoria
TIME
Doors 6:00 PM | Talk 7:00 PM
SPEAKER
Dr. Adrienne Fast is an art historian and curator whose work explores visual culture, art history, and the social institutions that shape how we create and consume art.
"The only thing better than learning is the conversation after."
Event venue & nearby stays
Swans Pub, 1601 Store St, Victoria, Canada
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