While many students spend their weekends clubbing or kegging, local museums are offering an alternative.
From the J. Paul Getty Museum to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to the UCLA Hammer Museum to the Natural History Museum, museums across Los Angeles are putting on college nights, specifically aimed to bring out the young, hesitant museumgoers.
“It is part of an interest on the part of museums and other cultural organizations to reach out to new audiences,” said Aimee Chang, director of academic and residency programs at the Hammer Museum. “I think that it is unfortunate that cultural organizations are sometimes perceived as boring or that education itself is seen as antithetical to “˜fun.'”
On Feb. 7, the Hammer continues its collaboration with Filter Magazine for its “Big Time” event by extending its gallery hours and offering music and screenings. And on Feb. 8, the Hammer has an exhibition closing bash with a cash bar and DJs.
“(This event) provides such a wide variety of programming aimed towards UCLA students,” said Sarah L. Stifler, associate director of communications for the Hammer. “On many levels you could say that everything we do is geared towards the student population.”
Part of the larger effort by museums to attract a younger, hipper crowd by combining accessibility to intellectual pursuits with popular entertainment, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles (NHM) hosts “First Fridays,” a monthly event happening tonight.
Tonight’s event, from 5:30 p.m. until 10 p.m., features a lecture on Elephant communication, preceded by a tour through the museum, and followed by a night of music featuring A-Trak, Kanye West’s DJ, and Kid Sister of “Pro Nails” fame, all for the price of admission.
Jeff Dinh, a fourth-year political science student, recently attended the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s (LACMA) College Night, a semi-annual event that provides a free excursion into various LACMA galleries open only to college students.
“I figured it would be a nice change from the usual Friday,” Dinh said. “I would love for Fridays to be filled with more culturally driven events. I would definitely attend more if I heard about them.”
Dinh found the event at the museum was more than a stereotypical walk through galleries.
“The atmosphere at LACMA during college night was very laid-back and casual,” Dinh said.
Chang said she believes it is important for college students to become involved in L.A. culture, and that such events make this more likely.
“We are interested in engaging students and the larger public in a dialogue about the arts and about the key issues facing us today,” Chang said. “I think that, done well, with real content, these have been very successful at drawing new audiences and introducing people to cultural organizations.”
This Saturday, MOCA is hosting “EYE CANDY,” an event exclusively for teens. This event features after-hours viewing of the © MURAKAMI exhibition, artwork inspired by the exhibition, live music, art/”manga”-viewing and -making, and refreshments ““ and it is all free.
The Getty’s “College Night” on Feb. 28 also offers food, music and art to draw in the atypical visitor.
Sara Baumann, a fourth-year psychobiology student, has attended College Night at the Getty, and appreciates the growing range of activities around town.
“I think events like College Night really get me to think outside of the box when it comes to planning my social life,” Baumann said. “They spice up my usual routine, and that can only be a good thing.”