Art Bar was opened well off the "beaten path" of LGBT bars at the time- and is still well outside the typical LGBTQ bar neighborhood. While advertised and focusing on the LGBTQ community, Art Bar has always been welcoming to the entire surrounding neighborhood and the "straight" community at large.

Opened by lovers and partners Don Krause and John Tomlinson, the bar had an inviting, slightly 'artsy' atmosphere. One entered from the street facing north, entering a reception room, which housed several tables and stacks of community literature on the right. Directly ahead (north) a few steps up placed one in the main bar area- an island bar, surrounded by bar stools, with art work displayed on the west and north walls. To the east was a slightly smaller side room, with tables bordered with wine-bottle corks, and additional artwork on the walls. Down a side stairway led to a room to the east of the main entry room- cozy, with a sofa, comfy chairs, and more artwork- which also connected back to the main entry area.

Artwork was changed frequently, whether featuring a local artist or another, or a particular theme.

The Art Bar was an early supporter of LGBTQ groups and events. Even in the same issue in which the bar wasa first mentioned (OutBound magazine vol. 3-05, April 2004), an article mentioned that the bar had hosted a bowling team for the recent 'Rita Bowl' to raise money for the Holiday Invitational Tournament.

Another example: they hosted an "after party" for a "takeover" of the Milwaukee Guerilla Gay Bar group on January 4, 2008. (The MGGB for two years held events that "On the first Friday of every month, MGGB takes over the hippest straight bar we can find in Milwaukee. We don't tell 'em we're coming- we'll just show up- by the hundreds- and make ourselves at home. Trick is, we don't announce our shindig's digs until the day of the party- we don't wanna give them any notice." The group often held a party at a supportive gay bar afterward. While some gay bars were annoyed, thinking they were losing some business on those nights- it was an early trend of LGBT people exploring alternatives for bar entertainment.)

(Multiple examples of events and causes the bar hosted events for are on the Images and Articles page. Countless other examples are not documented herein.)

In 2009, the couple also opened another bar, named "Two Bar & Lounge" (or "2") one door to the west, at 718 E. Burleigh. That bar, "a cozy speakeasy with a focus on ice cream drinks and well-crafted cocktails. Ideal for a date night, an after-dinner drink, or somewhere to simply relax...", primarily caters to the neighborhood rather than a primarily LGBT focus. The couple also own the "Wonderland Diner" restaurant to the east, at 730 E. Burleigh (the corner of Fratney).

All three businesses continue to operate successfully as of 2024. They represent a model of how what starts as an LGBTQ focused business can be turned into an entire block of businesses open to and successful with the broader community.

Ad: Boy Party! and July 5 events (OutBound vol. 3-07, July 2004)	Ad: 'Ken dolls' meet at Art Bar (OutBound vol. 3-10, October 2004)	Ad: Full Moon Party (OutBound vol. 3-11, Nov. 2004)
Ad: Mixed Signals? (OutBound vol. 5-07, July 2006)	Ad: Trick or Treat? (OutBound vol. 5-10, October 2006)	Ad: Been Naughty? (OutBound vol. 5-12, Dec. 2006)