Art Bar

History

Clark Ellefson and Jeff Helsley opened Art Bar on September 18, 1992, in the former Strock Tire Co. building at 1211 Park St., when Columbia’s Vista was still a sparse warehouse district. They enclosed an old tire-changing shed as a dance floor and filled the room with mid-century amusement-park robots. It became an early late-night spot for an alternative and LGBTQ-friendly crowd, later adding live music, DJs, comedy, karaoke, and trivia. Helsley sold his share to bartender Andy Rogers, who owns the bar with Ellefson.