Concept Art
Meet other local people interested in Concept Art: share experiences, inspire and encourage each other! Join a Concept Art group.
2,089
members
2
groups
Largest Concept Art groups
Newest Concept Art groups
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Check out concept art events happening today here. These are in-person gatherings where you can meet fellow enthusiasts and participate in activities right now.
Discover all the concept art events taking place this week here. Plan ahead and join exciting meetups throughout the week.
Absolutely! Find concept art events near your location here. Connect with your local community and discover events within your area.
Concept Art Events Today
Join in-person Concept Art events happening right now
Immersieve ervaringen: van verhaal tot beleving
*Please note: this meetup will be held in English.*
In this first meet up, you will be shown a set of immersive artistic and design research experiments.
Project Thuis conducts two years of artistic and design research into immersive experiences that place the body at the centre. The central question is: "How can immersive experiences in (semi-)public spaces contribute to a sense of connection, belonging, and 'feeling at home'?
To explore this, a multidisciplinary consortium consisting of [Fillip Studios,](https://www.fillipstudios.com/) [affect lab,](https://www.affectlab.org/) [Introdans,](https://introdans.nl/) [Utrecht University,](https://www.uu.nl/staff/SPonzanesi) and the [Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences,](https://civicinteractiondesign.com/) has embarked on a creative journey together.
Within the context of Project Thuis, this meetup will focus on artistic and design research forms applicable across various disciplines.
**Programme:**
16:00 - 16:15: Opening
16:15 - 17:15: Interactive session
17:15 - 17:30: The role of the maker in the future of immersive experiences
17:30 - 18:00: Networking and drinks (including presence of [CIIIC](https://us2.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ciiic.nl%2F&xid=f4ced03a90&uid=2313462&iid=e62065ab18&pool=cts&v=2&c=1780312609&h=0b99fb0b79b5fe3d2625a4891bea9d8bc6ef045db3b8ee6ffe56d6cfc6e501c4))
Within the context of Project Thuis, this meetup will focus on experiments that you, as a maker, can use to conduct artistic and design research across various disciplines.
*[This event marks the first in a series for Project Thuis (Home). Ontwerp Platform Arnhem has been invited to organise the meetups. We strongly endorse the importance of initiatives like this, and are highly committed to connecting designers with these themes and consortia](https://www.ciiic.nl/)***[.](https://www.ciiic.nl/)**
In:Orbit | Together, we push the limits of live performance.
In Orbit is not just an event — it's an ongoing constellation of thinkers, makers, collectives, and technologists who come together to stay in motion. We believe that when ideas, people, and practices continuously orbit one another, something powerful happens: unexpected collaborations, shared momentum, and new creative possibilities. This is where creative technology and immersive art meet in an open environment designed for exchange and experimentation. Whether you're here to explore, brainstorm, test, observe, or simply connect — you're part of the orbit.
We are proud to welcome Max Frimout to perform at this edition sharing his talent as composer and musician. Also Keez Duyves will do an indepth talk about some of the wrong turns he took as a maker.
Code & Comedy register @ https://codeandcomedy.nl/
[Code & Comedy 2026](https://codeandcomedy.nl/)
**Get ready to dive into the world of Code & Comedy 2026!**
The conference for and by developers where code and humour come together. Returning for its 7th edition, Code & Comedy is set to unite 250 developers for an evening of coding, laughter, and inspiration. Enjoy inspiring talks and workshops and connect with your fellow developers.
This year’s theme is “Trust Me, I’m an Agent,” exploring the rapidly evolving world of AI agents, automation, and modern software development. Join us for an engaging evening where we dive into how autonomous systems are changing the way we build, test, and run software. The event kicks off with a keynote session by Jeroen van der Most, followed by engaging breakout sessions covering a variety of topics across software development.
To cap off the night, comedian Kim Schuddeboom will provide the evening with a laugh.
**Schedule**
**17:00 – 18:20** Welcome & Dinner
**18:30 – 18:35** Opening
**18:35 – 19:20** Keynote - Beyond the Boundaries of AI by Jeroen van der Most
**19:45 – 20:15** Breakout sessions 1:
* Be Precise or Be Surprised: Spec-Driven Development with GitHub Spec Kit by Roelant Dieben
* SQL 2025 vector searching with a local Ollama hosting the mxbai-embed-large LLM by Theo Ekelmans
* Agentic-AI: Building an AI oriented Kubernetes platform using AI agents by Sander Mathijssen
* The AI realist by Bjorn Schijff
* Be Aware of the Context You Provide by Gijsbert Nutma
**19:45 – 20:15** Breakout sessions 2:
* Close the gap between AI and Robotics with Java 25 by Ricky van Rijn
* Choosing the Right LLM, Automatically by Stuart van der Lee
* Building Flexible AI Avatars for Immersive Training by Arco Nederveen & Saskia Groenewegen
* Build an AI Agent That Actually Does Your Work: MCP + LangGraph by Peter Eijgermans
* Build an agent into any app with the GitHub Copilot SDK by Bart Wullems
**21:10 – 21:45** Comedy by Kim Schuddeboom
**21:50 – 23:00** Drinks
Register @ https://codeandcomedy.nl/
(sold-out) Painting Workshop with Drinks & Bites
*Please read it carefully and buy your tickets via [this link](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1598695273599?aff=oddtdtcreator) before RSVP.*
**Join us at our professional painting studio in the heart of Amsterdam, where locals and internationals come together to create, relax, and connect during an educational and fun 2.5 hours!**
Enjoy a glass of authentic Italian wine or a cup of organic tea with light bites, all while learning to paint in a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere.
**What makes painting with us unique:**
We welcome everyone, whether you’re painting as a hobby, seeking the therapeutic benefits of art, or aspiring to become an artist. Our sessions cater to those interested in one-time or long-term learning, where you can explore essential painting techniques at your own pace. We offer a relaxed, organic environment where you can learn from both your experiences and those of others, with guidance from experienced art teachers.
**Our concept:**
You’ll learn foundational techniques for drawing and painting, with lessons tailored to your level and interests step by step. Everyone receives individual tips and feedback, making our sessions suitable for absolute beginners and those with more experience.
**What you can create:**
Experiment with different styles, from abstract to representational art. Bring your own examples or photos to paint, or choose to reproduce and interpret works by other artists. Our sessions are for both beginners and advanced participants, offering a wide selection of creative possibilities. We have over than 50 art lessons at our studio!
**Pricing:**
One ticket costs €45, including VAT, with all materials, aprons, gloves, and refreshments (wine, tea, coffee, and bites) provided. Bring a fiend and receive €5 discount each! If you’d like to continue in long-term, we also offer various discounted class passes.
**Reservations:**
Reserve your spot via [this link](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1598695273599?aff=oddtdtcreator) (Eventbrite)
Any questions? [ask me!](https://wa.me/message/B6VSK4WSMBADD1) ( Whatsapp messages)
Please note that cash payments are not accepted, and class sizes are limited to a maximum of 12 participants.
If you can’t make it to a session, don’t worry, there are always upcoming sessions listed on our main page. We hold classes every Thursday evening throughout the year.
We also offer private group workshops and team-building activities, which can be organized at our studio or at your preferred location and time.
For more information or special requests, feel free to email us at [contactartstudioamsterdam@gmail.com](http://contactartstudioamsterdam@gmail.com).
We look forward to seeing you soon!
**Art Studio Amsterdam Centre Address:** [see on Google Maps](https://maps.app.goo.gl/MACEANpYRuK7gqyb7)
De Boomsspijker, Recht Boomssloot 52, 1011 EC Amsterdam, Netherlands
*Please note: This is a class for grown-ups. Easy access is available for those with disabilities.*
**Follow Us:**
Instagram: [Art Studio Amsterdam](https://www.instagram.com/art_studio_amsterdam/)
Meetup: [Join Us on Meetup](https://meetu.ps/c/4xRy7/zhLH7/a)
Facebook: [Find Us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086327175249)
[www.artstudioamsterdam.net](http://www.artstudioamsterdam.net) (under maintenance)
Art Studio Amsterdam is registered at KVK 73923621.
Queer Book Club: She Who Became the Sun
Come discuss books and make new friends 🌈✨
How the meeting works: We will meet at the entrance to the park indicated on the map at 19:00, then find a suitable spot to have our discussion. Bring a blanket or jacket to sit on and your favorite drinks/snacks! Once we are settled we will go in a circle introducing ourselves, followed by a loosely organized chat about the book.
June's book will be She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan (they/them). Gender bendery fantasy historical fiction with lesbian rep from what I have heard. It is available at de bibliotheek, as well as to purchase in several formats.
In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness…
In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.
When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.
After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu takes the chance to claim another future her brother's abandoned greatness.
The meeting will take place at Julianapark.
Everyone is welcome who has read the book (or DNF, and is okay with spoilers) by the time of the meetup. The book club is hosted in English.
Please update your RSVP if you find out you cannot attend. Hope to see you there! 🏳️🌈📚
Los Habladores! Conversación en Español en Utrecht
¡Compartamos juntos con el grupo de personas más divertido de la ciudad!... ¡en español!
No necesitas ser un hablante fluido o nativo.... ¡Solo atrévete a compartir!
Te esperamos a las 20hrs.... ¡Entrada gratuita!
¡Nos vemos! ¡Hasta entonces! 😃
Let's share together with the funniest group of people in town!... in Spanish!
You don't need to be a fluent or native speaker.... Just dare to share!
We wait for you at 20hrs ....Free entry!
Nos vemos! Tot dan! 😃
Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/habladores/
Meetup Link:
https://www.meetup.com/nl-NL/los-habladores/
Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/los_habladores_utrecht/
Los Habladores!
Almere Tech #39: Iwona Droog-Echt
**Your data, AI's knowledge: who owns what?**
Mine, Yours, or the Machine's? The truth about data ownership by [Iwona Droog-Echt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iwona-droog-echt-a83400/). A practical and thought-provoking talk on one of the most important questions in today's digital world: **who actually owns data?** As Head of Operations & Security, Iwona Droog-Echt combines her experience in security, privacy and governance to explore the complex relationship between data ownership, legal responsibility and artificial intelligence.
Her talk will cover the definitions (data, information, privacy, security, owner, controller, processor, etc.), legal aspects of data ownership and grey area about data ownership and AI and share some tricky examples to discuss.
The program is as follows:
**17.30** Door open, welcome drinks
**18.00** Word of welcome by [Stijn Sprenkels](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stijnsprenkels/), serving of snacks
**18.15** Talk by Iwona Droog-Echt
**18.45** Q&A, discussion
**19.15** Networking drinks
**20.00** End
**Almere Tech** is the meetup for the larger Almere area for startups, entrepreneurs, developers and those interested to discuss new technology. Everybody can join in for a drink and hopefully interesting and inspiring conversations.
Concept Art Events This Week
Discover what is happening in the next few days
Japanese art_MAKI-E workshop in Utrecht
Maki-e is a traditional Japanese lacquer decoration technique. Techiniques are involved drawing pictures, patterns, and letters on the surface of lacquerware using lacquer, and then sprinkling and fixing metal powder, such as gold or silver, onto the surface.
In our workshop, you have the opportunity to create maki-e designs using traditional Japanese patterns (wagara) or your own original designs. Then your canvas can be a glass cup or a glass picture frame.
Join us for this unique Japanese art workshop in Utrecht.
* Place: CLAY TO PLATE
Biltstraat 55, 3572 AG, Utrecht
* Price: three options you can choose from
€56 pp(for a glass cup)
€60 pp (for a glass picture frame)
€76 pp (for a lacquerwares)
Limited seats available.
**Booking is essential for adequate preparations. If you've enrolled/registered on the Meetup app, we'll contact you through the app message. Kindly communicate with us accordingly, and refrain from showing up without prior contact. We appreciate your understanding**
Website:[https://japanworkshopnet.com/ ](https://japanworkshopnet.com/)
[MAKI-E workshop info](https://japanworkshopnet.com/maki-e-workshops/)
Email: info@japanworkshopnet.com
Mobile:0616059840
Kintsugi workshop in Utrecht
**Modern and Authentic kintsugi workshop in Utrecht.**
Choose from three options:
* 1-Day Modern Kintsugi workshop-€60
* 2-Day Modern Kintsugi workshop-€96
* 4-Day Authentic Kintsugi workshop -€180
For all details, please visit my website.
[https://japanworkshopnet.com/upcoming-workshops/](https://japanworkshopnet.com/upcoming-workshops/)
Location: **CLAY TO PLATE**
[Biltstraat 55, 3572 AG, Utrecht](https://www.claytoplate.com/)
**Booking is essential**. Please contact me if you would like to participate in the workshop.
Email: info@japanworkshopnet.com
Mobile:0616059840
Hike Blauwe Kamer – Grebbeberg (18 km)
Join the Dutch Outdoor and Hiking Group for a day hike and enjoy Beautiful shell path along the Lower Rhine and visiting De blauwe Kamer and hiking on the Grebbeberg
* We **start at 11:00** from the train station in Rhenen
https://maps.app.goo.gl/CrbeFtQPutUSYWFp7
* Length: \~18 km (4 - 5 hr hiking)
* What to bring: lunch, water, snack.
* For whom: As always, sporty folks that like to combine social event with being active in nature.
**Getting there by Train:**
* To train station in Rhenen.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/CrbeFtQPutUSYWFp7
**Getting there by Car:**
* Free Parking: Stationsplein, 3911 AP Rhenen
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qVrH9pA5JK2prQPg9
**Note:**
* Please **pay a small fee (3 euro)** to help us cover the (increased) yearly Meetup contribution of 240 euro. We'll ask you to pay before the start of the hike (can be on the day itself). No refunds, but in the unlikely event that hike would be cancelled and you already paid, you don't need to pay for your next hike. Thank you so much! Use the **safe link** here: https://www.ing.nl/payreq/m/?trxid=WrVKENccZiV4tdRSPrVbFG4WVyikUVQn
* Keep in mind that the hike can be canceled when the weather is very bad (**always check the event before you go**).
* If you RSVP 'yes' we expect you to show-up. Please do not cancel less than 24 hours before the hike. **No-shows** will lead to your removal from the group. Thanks for the understanding.
* By signing up for this event, you agree to release the organizers from any responsibility and liability in all claims. As the participation is strictly voluntary and you freely choose to join, it is the responsibility of individuals participating to ensure that they are fit enough and have adequate coverage to protect themselves.
Bakery walk 🥐☕ (GIRLS ONLY)
Bakery Walk: A Sunday Girls Stroll
Let’s romanticize our Sundays in Amsterdam. ☕🥐
We’ll meet and start with a relaxed city walk for coffee & pastries.
Between stops, we’ll:
✨ Mix & match conversation buddies
✨ Use fun conversation cards (no awkward small talk)
✨ Get our steps in (pastries taste better after walking 😉)
Perfect for new expats and women looking to build genuine friendships in Amsterdam.
Come solo. Leave with new connections
Please note: everyone buys their own pastries & drinks at the bakeries. That way you can pick what you like best!
**Join our WhatsApp group💕**
https://chat.whatsapp.com/JFgvbHvRLoP5P9K3GtwGlU?mode=gi_t
From strangers to friends - Locals meet expats
I'm excited to host the 24st edition of *Strangers to Friends*! Every event so far has been warm, fun and full of great connections. So we’re doing it again!
Curious about our previous events? Check out our photo albums (only visible on the laptop version of Meetup).
**What to expect**
* A safe, relaxed environment to meet both locals and expats, whether you want to meet new people, experience an international atmosphere or talk about business, it’s all possible.
* Start the evening with a few rounds of conversation cards: pair up with someone you don’t know, answer meaningful questions and rotate every 10 minutes. Within just one hour, you’ll get to know several people really well and enjoy meaningful conversations.
* Everyone comes on their own, so it’s easy to connect.
**Practical details**
* Doors open at 20:00, after 30 minutes we start with conversation cards
* Venue: Boekencafé Libertas, Klarendalseweg 477-1, Arnhem
* 20 min walk from Arnhem Central
* 7 min walk from Arnhem Velperpoort
* You’ll receive 1 drink token for (beer/wine/soft drinks) and snacks all night!
* Find us on the right side of the café at the bar, by the window and garden
Bring a smile and join us for an evening where friendships grow, business ideas spark and real-life connections happen. Back to basics, away from screens, meeting face-to-face.
Warm regards, Julia
Sketching in Pinetum Blijdenstein
📍 AH to go, inside of the Hilversum Station, 10:30 → Pinetum → back by ~15:00
🚶♂️ Short walk (~20–30 min each way)
🎯 Main location: Pinetum Blijdenstein (€4 entry)
This time we’re keeping it shorter and focusing on one beautiful spot: the Pinetum — a small botanical garden dedicated to pine trees, full of interesting shapes, textures, and quiet corners to sketch.
We’ll meet at Hilversum Station at 10:30, walk together to the garden (arriving around 11:00), and spend about 2-2,5 hours sketching.
There are some benches, but not many — please bring a foldable chair or something you can sit on, if possible.
Around 14:00, we’ll head back toward the station. If people feel like it, we can grab drinks and maybe lunch at Mout before wrapping up around 15:00.
Bring:
Sketching materials
Water
Foldable chair
No pressure on skill level — quick sketches, detailed studies, or just experimenting are all welcome.
Come for the trees, stay for the sketches 🌲✏️
Outdoor games
Who says games are just for kids?
Remember playing games when you're a kid with no need for a manual and no responsibiliies?
That's what we're doing. Tag, Cops and Robbers, Ninja... Stir up the memories of what made you happy and bring that pure joy out.
Sign up through this [1 question form.](https://forms.gle/XWHNG63iyzuumEon8)
To make our inner child completely satisfied, we'll reward ourselves with a hangout and pancakes at Teahouse Rhijnauwen after!
💵 Price : Free
👝What to bring: water, sunscreen, comfortable shoes, an open mindset
Concept Art Events Near You
Connect with your local Concept Art community
June Crafternoon: Art & Craft Day
**Join us for an afternoon of community art and craft time!**
Whether you are looking to carve out dedicated creative time, wanting to get a lingering project across the finish line, or just looking to chat with fellow local makers—this is the space for you.
🧵 **What to Bring**
Bring any art or craft project you are currently working on, as long as it is portable and quiet. Think:
* **Yarn & Thread:** Knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross-stitch, hand-sewing, mending.
* **Paper & Sketching:** Sketchbooks, adult coloring books, watercolors, bullet journaling.
* **Digital:** Tablets, iPad drawing, laptop writing/design.
* *Please note: Because we are meeting in a shared public space, no power tools, sewing machines, or high-odor materials (like strong solvents or spray glues), please!*
**📍 Where to Find Us**
* We will be meeting at **Columbus Metropolitan Library - Hilltop Branch** in **Meeting Room 4**. Room is reserved under **CBUS Maker Meetup.**
**⏱️ Timeline**
* **1:00 PM:** Arrive, grab a seat, get settled, and do a quick round of introductions so we can see what everyone is working on.
* **1:15 PM - 3:00 PM:** Open maker time! Chat, craft, relax, and swap creative ideas.
**⚠️ A Note on RSVPs**
The RSVP count for this event is strictly limited to 10 spots.
If your plans change and you can no longer attend, please update your RSVP to "Not Going" as soon as possible so someone on the waitlist can grab your spot. Please try to give at least 48 hours' notice if you need to cancel, allowing folks on the waitlist time to check their schedule.
***
**We can't wait to meet you and see what you're making! All skill levels welcome.**
Prototype, Play, and Build Workshops (In-Person @GameArena)
We're going to GameArena! We'll be in-person at the GameArena Gateway for our monthly COGG Prototype and Play event. Come to play and showcase your games!
We're back in the upper levels of the catwalk area. It'll be packed with lots of camaraderie playing your game(s) and other's games on the 2nd floor. Light snacks and water provided but you can buy food and drinks at the bar (alcoholic drink ID required).
[www.game-arena.co](http://www.game-arena.co/)
**Attendees:**
Don't have a game to show? Not a problem! All are welcomed and invited from all ages and backgrounds. The more we can have to play test our games is all the better!
**Developers:**
Do you have a game that you would like to get critical feedback on? Would you like an excuse to work on a game with other talented artists, programmers, musicians, designers, and writers? Digital, table-top, non-experienced developers, and the like are welcomed! We'll provide signage for your game to help others learn more about your work. Wifi, outlets, tables, and seats (though standing tables also) are available.
Come to the Prototype and Play workshop to collaborate and meet local game developers for an evening of epic and raw game play fun! Play works-in-progress, show off your own game, work with others to add polish to a game, or even lend your talents to other fellow developers. For this event, light snacks from the bar and water will be provided!
Though you can purchase you own if you like at the bar:
[https://www.game-arena.co/menu](https://www.game-arena.co/menu)
Can use South Garage at the Gateway with a $5 voucher on your way out.
75 E 11th Ave, Columbus, OH 43201
[https://maps.app.goo.gl/UwgveUYG37Jy7RtS9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/UwgveUYG37Jy7RtS9)
If you have any questions or comments, as always, feel free to reach out to us at [info@thecogg.com!](http://info@thecogg.com!/)
Psychic Development Series II - Pueo Group
Private Group. Closed to the Public
Knowing ourselves and understanding our abilities is the first step toward wielding our gifts with control and accuracy.
In subsequent classes we will verify and hone our talents with activities and discussion. These are hands-on workshops and participation is expected.
The goal of our series will be to develop expertise in areas of particular interest such as mediumship, channeling, divination, healing and, etc.. Our ultimate directions will be determined by class members as we evolve.
I look forward to sharing and discovering with you. - Cynthia
Fundamentals: by do Jung Ishu/ the art of fighting
We are a real world Martial arts group. \
Called DO JUNG ISHU (the art of fighting) \
Based off of Jeet kune do we just continued where Bruce Lee left off. \
We have been around a while. \
Every week we get together and work technical skills and full contact spar. \
Almost all of the instructors have been in everything from street fights to the ring and some still compete in cage fighting. \
If you want to take your skills up, improve your confidence, gain self defense skills, get in better shape, test yourself or just want to kill some time and possibly get hit a bit come on down. \
We will be located at 3923 N High St, Columbus, OH 43214 Outside in the grass between the playground and horseshoe area. our instructors are normally in a black and red art of fighting shirt \ if you can not find us call or text me at 6143570295
Saturday 1:30pm Wednesday 5:45pm
From Age 16 and up. attendees under the age of 18 must have a guardian with them. \
Wear workout clothes. \
Bring a MOUTHPIECE! \
WE HAVE GLOVES. \
$10 per class
$5 per class if you are wearing a club shirt
Club shirts are $25
Hope to see you soon. \
let me know if you have any questions :)
Drunken Philosophy: Where Is Everybody? The Fermi Paradox and the Great Filter
Welcome to Drunken Philosophy, a casual, curious, social discussion club. Come grab a drink and a seat at The Oracle.
**Optional topic for this meetup: Where is everybody?**
In 1950 the physicist Enrico Fermi was talking about aliens over lunch and asked a question that still has not gone away: if the universe is so vast and so old, and even a fraction of those billions of stars have planets, where is everyone? By the numbers the galaxy should be crowded with civilizations. Instead we look up and hear silence. That gap between "they should be everywhere" and "we see no one" is the Fermi Paradox.
One of the most unsettling answers is the idea of a **Great Filter**: somewhere on the road from dead chemistry to a galaxy-spanning civilization, there is at least one step that is almost impossible to get past. Maybe the filter is behind us. Maybe life starting at all, or simple cells becoming complex, or intelligence ever evolving, is the freak accident, and we already cleared the hard part. Or maybe the filter is ahead of us, and advanced civilizations reliably wipe themselves out before they spread.
Here is the part that messes with people. If we ever found life somewhere else, even pond scum on Mars, most people would call it the greatest discovery in history. But it might be the worst possible news. It would mean life is common, the early steps are easy, and the hard step is still in front of us. So the eerie silence overhead might actually be the best sign we could ask for.
**Questions to wrestle with:**
* Is it better to be alone? Would you rather we find alien life and learn we are not special, or find nothing and quietly improve our odds of surviving?
* Where do you bet the filter sits, behind us or ahead of us, and why?
* If it is ahead of us, what is it? Nuclear war, climate collapse, AI, something we cannot even picture yet? And can we do anything about a filter we cannot see coming?
* Two principles pull opposite ways here. The principle of mediocrity (the Copernican principle, Sagan's "no privileged place in the universe") says we are ordinary, so what happened on Earth probably happened everywhere, which makes the silence scream louder. The anthropic principle says of course we find ourselves somewhere life was possible, since we could not observe anything else, so our being here may say almost nothing about how common life is. Which lens do you trust, and does the silence still demand an answer once you account for observer selection?
* And if we did confirm life out there and had to accept we are not special, what would that do to belief in a higher power, and would shedding (or keeping) that belief help or hurt our odds of pulling together as one species?
* Does any of this change how you live, or how humanity should be spending its time and money right now?
As always the prompt is optional. Come for the conversation, stay for the drinks, and bring your own questions.
BAM Thursday @The Columbus Museum of Art (Bar, Art, Music)
The ultimate Thursday night out is back. Join us for BAM Thursdays (Bar, Art, and Music) at the Columbus Museum of Art. Live music, great art, delicious bites, vendors and fresh cocktails in the garden space. Limited seating is also available inside Schokko Café (yummy sharable plates).
**FEE:** BAM Thursday evenings offer **FREE general admission** from 5:00–9:00 PM. See what’s on view [here](https://www.columbusmuseum.org/art-exhibitions/on-view-now/) (special exhibits are $5.00 fee).
**TOUR**: I'll lead a tour of the main museum from 6:30pm til 7pm. FREE
**PARKING** behind the museum is $7.00. Nearby parking a little cheaper.
**SEATING**: *Tables are available on a first come first serve basis for dining. In the event of inclement weather, BAM Thursdays will move inside to the atrium.*
**DRESS**: Summer dressy casual
Customize the IDE: Building Extensions for Visual Studio Code - Alan Barber
**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you.
The building address is 4450 Bridge Park
The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400
You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge.
**Abstract**
*Customize the IDE: Building Extensions for Visual Studio Code*
Visual Studio Code is one of the most widely used development environments today, and much of its flexibility comes from its extension ecosystem. Extensions allow developers to customize the editor with new features, integrations, and workflow improvements tailored to their needs.
In this session, we’ll cover what extensions are and the different types available, including full extensions written in TypeScript or JavaScript, along with lighter-weight extensions such as color themes, language packs, language support, code snippets, and keymaps. We’ll also look at practical reasons a developer might create an extension, from automating repetitive tasks to adding custom tooling.
The session includes a hands-on walkthrough of creating a new extension, testing it locally, and understanding the basic project structure. We’ll close with a brief overview of how extensions are packaged and published to the Visual Studio Marketplace and other distribution options.
**YouTube Link**
TBD






















