On Thursday night, Mr. Rain's Fun House kicks off its 2012 Meet the Artist series with Washington, DC-based painter Dana Ellyn. At the cocktail gathering, Ellyn will talk about her work, which will go be on exhibit at the restaurant through the end of February.

For the gathering, Mr Rain's Fun House  will extend its regular Starving Artist Happy Hour with discounts on beer, wine and Perez Klebahn's "Elixir" cocktails.

"Our Meet the Artist series is a natural extension of what we strive to do every day at Mr. Rain’s, and what they do at the American Visionary Art Museum,” says proprietor Maria Buszinski. "We think it’s important to support local artists and provide a venue for their works."

Sounds like a classy way to start the weekend. The event is free and open to the public.