Dos Hombres will sponsor ArtPrize 2026 in Grand Rapids.

Dos Hombres, the agave spirits brand founded by actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, will be an official sponsor of ArtPrize 2026 in Grand Rapids, Mich., placing the brand in participating bars and restaurants across the city during one of the nation’s largest public art events, organizers said Tuesday.

The partnership links a fast-growing spirits company with a festival that has become a major draw for western Michigan. ArtPrize said the event attracted more than 900,000 visitors in 2025 and expects Grand Rapids again to become a citywide stage for art installations, performances and public gatherings this fall. This year’s edition is scheduled to run from Sept. 18 through Oct. 3, following a preview week from Sept. 12 through Sept. 17.

Under the sponsorship, Dos Hombres products will appear in hospitality venues participating in ArtPrize, extending the brand’s presence beyond traditional retail channels and into the restaurants and bars that serve as gathering points during the festival. Organizers said additional details about participating locations and closing weekend programming will be released later.

The announcement comes as Dos Hombres broadens its business beyond the mezcal line it launched in 2019. The company said it expanded into tequila in 2026, a move that signals a wider push into the agave spirits category. The ArtPrize sponsorship gives the brand access to a large audience in a live event setting at a time when drinks companies are increasingly relying on bars, restaurants and cultural partnerships to build consumer awareness.

ArtPrize Executive Director Tyler Loftis said the event’s footprint has always depended on the wider city, not just formal exhibition spaces. In a statement, he said restaurants, bars, businesses and public spaces all become part of the ArtPrize experience as Grand Rapids fills with visitors and artists. He said Dos Hombres’ focus on craft made the company a logical fit for the festival.

Cranston is expected to travel to Grand Rapids for ArtPrize’s closing weekend on Oct. 3. Organizers said he will attend the ArtPrize Awards Celebration and the VIP Awards Reception, visit installations, meet members of the local creative community and help recognize one of the winning artists during the evening program. He is also scheduled to host a private seminar for area high school and college students focused on acting, storytelling and the creative process.

In a statement released with the announcement, Cranston said art brings “joy and balance” to people’s lives and said he was looking forward to seeing Grand Rapids transformed by the festival’s creative energy. His appearance is likely to add a celebrity element to an event that already draws broad public attention, though the sponsorship is also aimed at strengthening the brand’s place in hospitality settings throughout the city.

That emphasis on the on-premise channel is significant for the spirits business. Bars and restaurants often play a central role in how consumers first encounter new products, especially in premium categories such as mezcal and tequila, where bartenders and cocktail programs can influence trial and repeat purchases. Dos Hombres said the hospitality sector has been important to its growth, and the ArtPrize network offers a concentrated opportunity to reach visitors and local residents during a period of heavy foot traffic.

Dos Hombres was created by Cranston and Paul, who became widely known for starring in the television series “Breaking Bad.” The company markets itself as an agave spirits business rooted in Oaxaca, Mexico, and says its mezcal is produced with espadin agave sourced from the hillsides near San Luis del Rio. The brand’s public identity has combined celebrity ownership with a focus on craftsmanship, a positioning common among newer premium spirits labels trying to stand out in a crowded market.

ArtPrize, founded in 2009, operates as a nonprofit public art competition and exhibition. It is free to attend and spread across multiple venues and public spaces in Grand Rapids. Over the years, the event has become a major cultural and tourism driver for the city, bringing national and international artists together with local businesses, sponsors and visitors. Its open, citywide format has also made it attractive to consumer brands looking for large-scale visibility tied to culture and place.

The Dos Hombres deal reflects a broader pattern in sponsorships, where beverage brands seek partnerships that place products in lived experiences rather than only in advertising campaigns. In this case, the company will be present where many ArtPrize visitors are likely to spend time between exhibitions and performances: restaurants, bars and social spaces across downtown and surrounding neighborhoods.

Neither ArtPrize nor Dos Hombres disclosed financial terms of the agreement. The organizations also did not say how many venues will take part in the activation or which Dos Hombres products will be featured. Those details are expected before the festival begins.

For Grand Rapids businesses, the arrangement may offer added traffic during one of the busiest periods on the local cultural calendar. For Dos Hombres, it provides a platform in the Midwest at a moment when the company is trying to define itself as more than a celebrity mezcal label and present a broader agave portfolio to consumers. For ArtPrize, the sponsorship adds another corporate partner tied directly to the visitor experience unfolding throughout the city.