They’re here, they’re queer, and they’re blind
dating. The first gay Art to Heart was out in the open at an event
filled with UCLA students, eclectic music, finger snacks and
art.
Our two blind daters for this week were McCreigan Michaelis and
Raul Conde. Michaelis, a fifth-year music and Russian studies
student, describes himself as an honest and caring guy. Conde, who
describes himself as quiet and reserved, but with an adventurous
side, is a fifth-year anthropology student.
Strangely, the two showed up wearing the exact same shirt
““ not generally a problem encountered on heterosexual dates.
At first shy at their meeting, the two began to slowly ease into
their comfort zones as the night progressed.
“When I first met Raul, I thought he was an attractive
guy,” said Michaelis. “At first the date seemed a
little forced and awkward, but once we were at the gallery, it
seemed to ease up.”
The date started off with a long journey into the heart of
downtown Los Angeles, smack in between the Fashion District and
Skid Row. Not exactly the safest place in the city of angels, it
nevertheless served as the site for Cupid’s workplace.
Arriving at “Terrain,” a student exhibit and
reception in an urban-chic loft, the two were introduced into a
world coupling together UCLA art pieces and student musical
talents.
“The art exhibit was in an amazing location ““ from
the outside, it looked a little dumpy, but when we got in, it was
decorated really well and had an amazing view of the city,”
said Conde.
“Terrain” showcased student art ranging from wooden
sculptures to drawings and photos and created a stage for two UCLA
bands: One AM Radio and The Two.
When the two weren’t knocking over art (they accidentally
bumped into one of the sculptures, much to their chagrin), they
were walking around appreciating the artistic creations, sipping on
their gin and tonics, or listening intently to the music.
“What really impressed me was the music,” said
Michaelis. “As a music major, I’m primarily interested
in classical, but it was a great change to hear the violin and
electric guitar being played together ““ they’re two
instruments that I wouldn’t have thought would go well
together, but (One AM Radio) made them sound amazing.”
While they both enjoyed the exhibit, they did feel a little out
of place sometimes, surrounded by an edgy, artsy crowd.
“It was a great show ““ sort of like avant-garde
art,” said Conde. “But I think it was geared more to an
artistic audience rather than a general college audience. I think
you have to be in some sort of art school to understand the art
because I was a little lost.”
While Conde and Michaelis enjoyed the environment in the very
spacious Manhattan-style apartment, the two said it wasn’t
the prime location for a blind date.
“It was an amazing location, but I think there were too
many distractions to really talk to just one person,” said
Michaelis. “We didn’t really get a chance to talk alone
because we would see people we know and start talking to
them.”
Everything in the apartment helped set the mood for the
“Terrain” theme, according to Michaelis. All of the
pieces, ranging from slabs of sod covering the kitchen counter to
the wood sculptures, provided a consistent, earthy tone to the
show.
“The art was great ““ it’s even better because
I have some friends in the art school who I see working on their
pieces and it’s nice to see the finished product after seeing
how much work really goes into them,” said Conde.
From their night of critiquing art to listening to the
intertwining of violin and electric guitar, the blind daters had an
experience they won’t forget.
“I’ve never really been on a blind date, so this was
pretty exciting,” said Conde. “McCreigan was a cool guy
““ the conversation kept going, some awkward pauses, but I
mean overall, it was nice meeting a new guy.”