The High Museum of Art in Atlanta hosted a night dedicated to college students Friday, offering reduced ticket prices of $7 for pupils along with live music, dancing, food and special exhibits.
The Stent Wing glowed with quickly changing lights as music played, resembling a Mongolian throat singer imitating the Beach Boys. A dusty stack of vinyl records sat beside the DJ, filled with obscure bands most visitors have probably never heard before.
Inside the main level was a table filled with food and pewter dishes, providing a still-life scene for any artist to sit beside and draw. The event, which started at 7 p.m., began only as early patrons arrived for the event that would last well into the evening, ending at midnight.
On the second floor, away from the festivities, music echoed in the halls where paintings hung by Nicholas Tournier, Giovanni Bellini and Albrecht Durer– famous artists of the Renaissance. The wooden floorboards groaned directly in front of the artwork where so many visitors have stood before.
Although couples and groups of college students meandered about, glancing at the Biblically inspired pieces, most visitors made their way to another exhibit where works hung that typically belong to the Mauritshuis, a famous art museum in the Netherlands.
Here they saw works by the most famous of Dutch painters: Rembrandt, Jan Steen, Hals and Johannes Vermeer.
Groups walked through the dimly lit rooms. Some lead by tour guides who pointed out features for the guests to focus on or detail a bit of history about the artist and their creations. Others stood by themselves, absorbing a feeling or impression unknown to anyone else, among the quiet and whispering passersby.
Several levels below was the “Drawing Inside the Perimeter” exhibit, where local artists such as Nathan Sharratt and Bethany Collins busily lead a flock of observers. Here the art enthusiasts listened about the works they viewed straight from the artists themselves. The next room over was devoted to 19th century African art, including clay, wood and woven pieces that depicted religion and mankind in the form of masks and statues.
Beth Malone, coordinator of teen programs at the High, is one of the leading organizers for the museum’s college night, which began more than 20 years ago.
“College night is one of the oldest programs we have,” Malone said. “I, however, have been doing it for about three years. We did Picasso to Warhol a few years ago [and] we did Frida and Diego last year.”
KSU also supplied an art exhibition to last year’s college night, which brought in between 1,200 and 2,000 students.
“It was pretty amazing,” Malone said, though she has seen students from a number of universities over the years. As for this year, “we have Southern Polytechnic, Georgia Tech, UGA, Morehouse, Spelman, SCAD… all of them. We actually have somebody in from West Kentucky today,” she said, laughing.
Malone urges students who have not visited the High Museum on college night to plan a visit next year.
“It’s only $7 [and] for a group of more than 10 it’s $5,” Malone said. Considering general admission is $19, it is a small fee in exchange for a night of music, food and priceless works of art.
College students gathered around unique modern artist Jason Kofke as he defined how to view and appreciate art.
The High Museum of Art certainly created some excitement on Sept. 13 with College Night at the High. Students were able to take a tour through the “Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis” exhibit for only $7. The usual museum atmosphere was out while DJs, dancing and photo booths were in.
One of the first paintings the tour guide described was “Vanitas Still Life.” Today, this painting of a skull and a leg bone would not be considered an uplifting image. However, the Dutch saw the picture as a very positive outlook on life. During the 1600s, people believed the painting expressed the importance of seizing the day through the reminder of death.
Fortunately not all of the Dutch paintings were as cheerfully morbid. Johannes Vermeer’s portrait was the real gem of the night. “The Girl with a Pearl Earring” is considered the Dutch Mona Lisa; however, it truly stands apart from its Italian counterpart with its own refinement and charm. The painting was as mysterious to the people in the late 1600s as it is to art lovers today. There is still a mystery surrounding the real subject of this painting as well as speculation that the earring was merely a glass ball given to the subject by the artist. This is the first opportunity most residents of Georgia have had to examine the mysterious original as it is the first time the painting has ever been on display in the Southeastern U.S.
Sometimes, parading through an art museum can be taxing. A few levels below the “Golden age of Dutch Art” showroom, students dressed up in the styles of the 16th century for funny photo booth pictures while wearing fake moustaches and holding feather fans. Others let loose with some dancing. Still other students sketched their own still life in the Stent Atrium. When at the High, do as the artists do.
Outside in the beautiful Sifly Piazza, people watched a silly skit of a rambunctious Johannes Vermeer. He danced around and randomly chose onlookers to join him in his capers. At the end of the skit, all of the participants donned the turban worn by the girl from his famous portrait. The band Mood Rings played in the piazza as Vermeer ran off to perform his hijinks elsewhere.
For those who did not enjoy watching other college students dance like Miley Cyrus, attendees took refuge in the Wieland Pavilion. Here, some modern artists spoke about
the significance and influence behind their artwork. It is amazing how much insight can be gained from listening to an artist speak about their work. Modern Artist Fahamu Pecou, who paints on the subject of black male masculinity, spoke about gravity and anti-gravity; or in other words, freeing oneself from limits.
Pecou was asked how he felt when people looked at modern art and pass it off as overly simple. Pecou responded by urging the audience to look deeper into art instead of just seeing what they are told to see.
With insight offered by contemporary artists and various entertainments, College Night at the High was much more than an opportunity to see a few paintings. It was an incredible opportunity for students to “seize the day” while they appreciated world-renowned pieces.
