Night at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

What if it was possible to have a museum come to life, just like in A Night at the Museum? At least, more of a fun, party scene rather than chaos and screaming around every corner. Well, the Philadelphia Museum of Art makes this idea into a reality that anyone can attend on Friday nights throughout the year.

For the record, I love going to museums to learn and enjoy pieces on display, with or without rocking to music in the background. Yet, this experience was quite magical as I was able to view late 19th/early 20th century French-Japanese art, with contemporary music humming in the background. Van Gogh’s Sunflowers seemed to be more animated as passerbys enjoyed the lighter mood the museum provided with food and drink. Furthermore, it felt surreal seeing multi-coloured lights swing around the room, while being framed by medieval architecture, neo-classical columns, and an Alexander Calder mobile slowly turning above.

To better envision the scene, imagine the entry hall on the second floor (you have to climb the Rocky stairs to get to this entrance) acting as the central axis in which the festivities were hosted. The atmostphere of the event then bled into near and far galleries. I began by enjoying a glass of rosé and some empanadas as I sat on a couch to the left of the main stairwell. For a moment, I was entranced by this beautiful cacophony of art, music, and entertainment that seemed to breathe life into the once quite stone walls. In my art history classes, we have discussed many a time how art from the past, that we see displayed in museums for example, will never have the same role or impact as it once had. Each piece existed as something else in a space that can never be truly replicated again. For example, the Medieval Portal on the third floor from the Abbey Church of Saint-Laurent will never be enhanced by the Sun’s rays, nor be seen as a small door at the base of a church once more. The painted Chinese Reception Hall in the Asian Art Gallery from a 17th-century palace has had its flow of movement interrupted by glass display cases in its interior. However, a sense of the past is reclaimed as on this type of night, people walk by and through these pieces of art, and talk in normal volumes. Volumes louder than a whisper, and without care of whether or not they know a Monet from Manet. On that night, I saw people interact freely with the art, partake in conversation, and look at pieces without taking a photo every two seconds. This atmosphere re-animated solitary pieces into a living, breathing, cultural centre for all.

I understand, museums are not for everyone, nor is art everyone’s fancy. Nevertheless, I emplore you, reader, to go to a museum, and visit when there is an activity taking place. Something that transforms the space temporarily, and could spark your interest. Of course, some people may attend museums solely for a night with friends, to have a drink by magestic pieces, or to learn drawing techniques with local artists. In any case, museums provide opportunities to challenge your interpretation of cultural institutions, and potentially broaden your mind to how you can take a step into the past.

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I apologize that this blog is short, however, I would like to leave you with some suggestions of interesting events at museums that you could attend. The list below contains a handful of events at museums that I have either participated in myself, attempted to attend, or watched from a distance.

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) and The Met Cloisters in New York, New York provide events to draw, etch, and sculpt with museum professionals, and the Met hosts their own nights at the museum. The metal etching to the right is one I crafted from one of The Met Cloisters’ events.
• The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in Boston, Massachusetts hosts sketching classes for adults and children in a variety of their galleries.
• The National Museum of American History (NMAH) in Washington, DC has hosted the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), ACCelerate: ACC Smithsonian Creativity and Innovation Festival focusing on science and technology, as well as annually hosts chefs, food innovators, and educators to celebrate Food History Weekend. I was an intern and a docent at NMAH for these events, and they were both thrilling, educational, and sweet as I was able to learn how to make caramel ice cream from scratch.

There are definitely more events out there for you to experience, so please, explore!

Until next time.