This past Friday, the Tucson Museum of Art was transformed into a Bavarian beerfest for the Tucson Young Professionals’ First Fridays’ “”Artoberfest.”” Tucson Young Professionals is a local organization trying to close the age gap in Tucson.

“”There’s a big gap between college students and retirees in Tucson; there are young professionals that stay here,”” said Danielle Duarte, a TYP First Fridays committee member. On the first Friday of each month, TYP hosts an event with a twofold mission in mind: to cultivate a sense of community for young professionals in Tucson and to enrich Tucson’s nightlife and culture.

Since January, TYP has presented events that focus on the fashion, heritage and history of Tucson, the art of Andy Warhol and the festival of Carnaval. TYP is an organization that is truly crusading to create an attractive community for young professionals in which to love and live. They work hand-in-hand with the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block, a network of museums and historic buildings in downtown Tucson that advocates for the arts and includes La Casa Cordova, Romero House, Edward Nye Fish House, Stevens/Duffield House and the J. Knox Corbett House.

Each First Fridays event includes a full bar and entertainment, but with an agenda — the party is always preceded by a networking reception. To keep up a sense of community and fun, though, the method of networking is always casual.

“”On Friday, we handed out nametags to our professionals with different brands of beer on them. The goal was to meet six different people with six different beer names,”” Duarte said. The idea is people will meet and want to meet again outside of the social event. Attendees include lawyers, medical workers and recruiters that work locally and are a diverse and impressive example of Tucson’s growing young professional community.

Friday’s “”Artoberfest”” included a beer sampling, with brews provided by four local breweries, appetizers from 47 Scott, and a performance by local Latin rock band, The Jons. The event also featured a beer pong tournament.

“”We wanted to cater to more of a college crowd,”” Duarte said.

But TYP truly strives to provide something for everyone.

“”We want to make Tucson more of a home,”” Duarte said. TYP’s First Fridays events are available to people ages 21 and up, making the events an opportunity for college students to meet new people outside of the University and take the opportunity to become familiar with local professionals in fields of their interest.

Many UA students are tempted to leave Arizona after graduation, but TYP wants to entice them to do just the opposite and establish their professional lives here in Tucson. Through the exposure to art and culture, TYP is offering something special and unique to the young people in Tucson who may feel a little lost in the city.