Art Meets Nightlife at Drink and Draw LA Events at Beaches Tropicana West Hollywood

Nightlife venues in West Hollywood’s Rainbow District must come up with fresh ideas to bring foot traffic during those slow week nights, and that’s where Drink and Draw LA comes in–a weekly figure‑drawing event featuring live male models that continues to draw artists of all skill levels to Beaches Tropicana every Wednesday night. It’s unlike anything being done on the strip that involves artistry and the appreciation of the male form.

The special event, hosted by Joe Sulsenti and Dado Cabaravdic, runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. with no cover charge and offers four drawing sessions, rotating poses, and prize giveaways. Two male models pose individually and together, changing outfits throughout the evening.

Participants are encouraged to bring their own art supplies, though sketchbooks and pencils are available for drop‑ins. Artists work in a wide range of mediums, from traditional sketching and painting to digital illustration on tablets. Drawing takes place on both the indoor main stage and the outdoor patio. A $25 food or beverage minimum is required, and Beaches’ happy hour ends at 7 p.m. The event is designed to create a fun, relaxed, welcoming, friendly, and non-pretentious space for artists, both professional and amateur, to gather, collaborate, and connect.

Founder Joe Sulsenti launched Drink and Draw before the COVID‑19 pandemic at the former Faultline bar in Silver Lake. After reopening, the event moved to Stash and later relocated to Beaches Tropicana when the venue closed.

“It’s definitely about community building,” Sulsenti said. “I want to create a space where people can come and feel safe and have it not be a pretentious place. I want everyone to feel welcome, and coming together, meeting each other, and creating together.”

The weekly gathering has expanded to include themed nights such as Heated Rivalry and Lady Gaga, as well as special programming including queer animation screenings and “Model and Their Music,” where models perform their own songs. Twice a year, Drink and Draw hosts an Art Fair featuring up to 20 artists selling work ranging from illustrations to clothing and jewelry.

Sulsenti said the community that has formed around the event is what makes it meaningful. “So that’s my favorite part, is the community that we’ve built, how a lot of people have made it part of their regular schedules to come out every Wednesday and to practice and seeing everyone get better at the craft and develop their own styles.” Sulsenti continued  “We recently had these two friends who met at Drink and Draw and created a webcomic together that they released.  We just threw a release party for them about two weeks ago, where they showed some of the pages from the webcomic and now it’s like reaching top on the comic websites.  So moments like that is what really makes a world of difference and what makes it such a special event to me.”