Art Start: Couples Craft Night

Art Start Couples Craft Night on January 22, 2026 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Memorial Art Gallery brings adults together for hands-on paper arts including quilling, cut-paper portraits, and Chinese paper cutting. The $45 per person fee includes all materials, instruction from gallery teaching artists, and access to the museum’s permanent collection before and after your workshop. This adults-only evening suits couples seeking a creative date night alternative to the usual dinner-and-movie routine, though friends and siblings are equally welcome. The gallery’s location in Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts makes it easy to combine the workshop with drinks or dessert at nearby cafés and restaurants.

The Memorial Art Gallery opened in 1913 as a memorial to James George Averell, funded by his mother Emily Sibley Watson and gifted to the University of Rochester. The original Italian Renaissance-style building by Foster, Gade and Graham now houses more than 12,000 objects spanning 5,000 years of art history, from ancient Egyptian coffins to contemporary works by Kehinde Wiley and Mickalene Thomas. The Creative Workshop, where this event takes place, has offered art classes to Rochester residents since the gallery’s early years, continuing the founder’s vision of making art education accessible to all citizens. Paper crafts like quilling involve rolling, shaping, and gluing strips of paper into decorative designs, while Chinese paper cutting uses scissors or knives to create intricate symmetrical patterns, both techniques with centuries of history across different cultures.

Registration is required through the Memorial Art Gallery website, and these couple’s workshops typically sell out a week in advance. Plan to arrive 15 minutes early to check in, store coats, and browse the galleries before class begins. The museum offers free on-site parking after 5:00 PM in the lot at the corner of University Avenue and Goodman Street. If you’re staying in Rochester for the weekend, the gallery sits within walking distance of Park Avenue’s restaurant row and Highland Park, with winter views across the Genesee River valley. For rainy or snowy weather, the entire workshop takes place indoors in climate-controlled studio spaces.

After your workshop, walk to Jine’s Restaurant, a Greek diner serving Rochester since 1971 with all-day breakfast, hearty dinners, and generous portions. For something more upscale, the nearby Neighborhood of the Arts has evolved into Rochester’s cultural hub with contemporary bistros and wine bars within a few blocks. If you’re turning this into a Finger Lakes getaway, drive south toward Canandaigua Lake or Keuka Lake, about 45 minutes away, where Lake.com lists waterfront rentals perfect for a romantic weekend with vineyard tours, lakeside walks, and quiet evenings by the fire.