secret garden art cafe
SGAC is a community space for adults who want to enjoy some low stakes creative time. It is a great activity to do solo, with friends, or a date!
The space does not have set open hours, but instead operates on a monthly schedule of events. To attend an event you can purchase your ticket ahead of time.
A ticket includes the activity as well as a snack and NA beverage made by a local chef. The idea is to create a relaxing and creative space where you can feel free to play and try new things while all the details and your needs are taken care of!
We even clean everything up for you at the end so you can avoid the typical roadblocks that come with trying to do creative stuff alone at home.
art cafe sessions
SGAC is best known for our Art Cafe sessions where adults can do low stakes crafts. You choose a project from the menu - collage, drawing/coloring, or watercolors - and find a spot in the cafe or garden to settle in and make whatever you desire in the 2 hour time slot. All materials are provided!
Art Cafe sessions are a self guided experience and do not have a teacher. There is a reference library and an abundance of nature to help get your creative juices flowing. We are always happy to chat with you about the materials and ideas for what to make – but also have homemade coloring pages available if you just need something super simple to get warmed up!
A local chef will be making a non-alcoholic beverage and a snack for you to enjoy during your session. Ingredients are locally sourced – sometimes directly from the garden! The snack and beverage are included in the price of your ticket.
See Our Schedule
Hoping for a more guided experience, or want to learn a new skill?
Take one of our Workshops!
Our current Workshop Series, PULP, focuses on making and using paper. You can attend just one of the workshops or build on your skills by attending the entire series. Each workshop in the series will vary in the specific focus, for example our most recent one focused on adding inclusions like seeds, thread and ribbon to the paper while making it.
Want to teach a workshop at SGAC? Contact Us Here
We also host a monthly Figure Drawing night with a live model. Materials are provided, but you are welcome to bring your own if you’d like!
There is no teacher for Figure Drawing, but J Nelson will be leading the short warm ups each time focusing on ways to draw different things. The evening will have a flow to it, with timed poses ranging from short gestures to a couple long poses. A snack and NA beverage made by a local chef are included in your ticket.
Want to model for a Figure Drawing night? Contact Us Here
about
the space
SGAC is located in a historic home and garden in the Woodbridge neighborhood of Detroit. The space combines all the beautiful architectural details you’d expect in a historic home with the playfulness of an artist's touch. Bright colors, patterns, and textures can be seen in every detail, and there are many cozy nooks to enjoy and get comfortable in throughout the spaces.
The garden and garage studio are best enjoyed in the warmer months, with an abundance of flowers and produce growing and shaping the space which centers around a massive stained glass window bench.
As the seasons change and things get chillier, the events will shift into the main house. The first floor includes the kitchen and three big rooms with comfortable couches, lots of seating and tables to create at, all with a wood burning fireplace setting the mood. The third floor is a fiber studio and will have various sewing, quilting and fashion related workshops to come.
Interested in renting the space?
Learn more about our short term rentals here.
