Barkum's Art of Fun

Barkum's Art of Fun is a Black-owned art studio at 7035 Philips Highway in Jacksonville, and it is built around one very good idea: give people protective gear, paint, and permission to make a mess.

There are two ways to go. The Glow Splatter Studio is the headline — a blacklit room where you suit up and fling neon paint at a canvas or a t-shirt until it looks like something. The DIY Art Studio is the calmer option: grab a chair, work at your own pace, and either freestyle or follow one of the paint-by-numbers canvases. It is BYOB, so bring what you are drinking.

The studio runs events on top of the walk-in experience. Paint, Sip & Sing Along has people painting 90s and 2000s album covers to a soundtrack of R&B and hip hop classics. DIY Paint & Sip Parties let you host a group of ten to twenty without the event rental fee, the bar markup, or the cleanup at home — and everyone can pay for themselves.

Hours are Tuesday through Thursday noon to 9pm by appointment, Friday noon to 10pm, Saturday 11am to 10pm, and Sunday 11am to 7pm. Closed Monday. Last booking is an hour before closing and walk-ins are not guaranteed, so book online.

Good for birthdays, date nights, family