Imagine if Van Gogh would have laid off the absinthe and just chilled out with a nice craft beer? No one has cut off their own ear while drinking craft beer. In fact, I hear craft beer only makes art better. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts thinks so too. This Thursday is Craft Brews Night at museum. The MIA is partnering with Summit Brewing and Northern Brewer on a big evening of beer-related events. As usual, all Third Thursdays are free. So drink some brews and look some art. What's better than that? Oh, and don't forget to check out Van Gogh's "Olive Trees." Here's what you can expect:

"Beer lab": Northern Brewer will have four stations in the studio classrooms showcasing the ingredients and hardware used to brew beer.

Brewer talk: Summit's Mike Lundell will talk about the St. Paul brewery's brewing process.

New Summit beers: Be some of the first people to taste Summit's brand new Summer Ale and Saga IPA at the cash bar. The latest Unchained Series brew, Dunkel Weizen, will be available too.

Design your own label: A little art project in the lobby will encourage patrons to create a personal beer label.

Music: Twin Cities rockers White Light Riot will perform.

Beer/art pairings: Summit and the MIA printed up a guide to pairing specific pieces with different beers.

Details: 6-9 p.m. Thu. Free. 2400 3rd Av. S., Mpls. 612-870-3000. www.artsmia.org

(Photo by Tom Wallace)