Museum of Art+beer+
wine+music = MusEvenings!
■ The University museum
is branching out by offering
weekly open houses
By Ben Romano
Oregon Daily Emerald
The quiet din of conversation
and music echoes through the gal
leries of the University Museum
of Art. Students, faculty and com
munity members gather at the
museum to talk about art, enjoy
refreshments and take in a lec
ture, workshop or concert at an
event called MusEvenings!
MusEvenings! is the art muse
um’s weekly open house program.
The museum stays open until 8
p.m. every Wednesday night and
offers appetizers, drinks and en
tertainment at 6 p.m.
The entertainment varies every
week. MusEvenings! organizers
try to find a balance between
scholarly lectures, workshops
and musical performances that
enhance temporary exhibits and
reflect the museum’s Northwest,
Asian or European collections,
said Lisa Abia-Smith, museum
director of education and out
reach .
Lecture topics include graphic
design, poetry readings and artist
and gallery talks. Workshops,
some of which require a small fee
for materials, teach tai chi, yoga
and holiday wreath-making, she
said.
The program began three years
ago as a way to reach out to com
munity members and create an al
ternative for students who want to
socialize, Abia-Smith said.
“Students want a place where
they can socialize that’s not a tra
ditional bar scene,” Abia-Smith
said. “They feel they can come
and have continuity. They’re here
r
with people who have similar in
terests.”
Free food and cheap beer and
wine are also major draws for
many students.
“This is such a great deal here,”
junior fine arts major Sean Mc
Cleary said as he paid for his De
schutes Black Butte Porter. “It’s
much better than going to a bar,
plus you get some culture.”
A table hosted by University
Catering has fruit, cheese and
crackers as well as Oregon micro
brews and wines for $1. Non-alco
holic beverages such as sparkling
apple cider are also available.
“I come and enjoy the food and
talk about art” senior dance major
Dawn Tuman said. “You know,
wine and cheese and art, they all
go together.”
Some students expressed con
cern about shortages of refresh
ments at the event.
“My recommendation would
be for [University] Catering to or
der more beer, food and wine for
the masses,” said Matthew Rut
man, senior environmental stud
ies major. “But really, it’s about
the art.”
Community members enjoy the
museum’s extended hours and
free admission. During normal
business hours, the admission is a
suggested $3 donation.
“The after-work hours are really
handy,” said Max Vollmer, a fur
niture designer in the Eugene area.
Vollmer said his work schedule
prevented him from visiting the
museum during its normal hours.
For some community members,
MusEvenings! is a chance to meet
with other art enthusiasts.
“I think it’s a really good pro
gram in that it has invited more
people that weren’t coming to the
museum very often to come,” said
... . . ____ . ScottBamettEmerald
Wednesday evenings at 5:30 p.m., the University Museum of Art offers free snacks and.$1 beer and wine for art appreciate* to enjoy.
Greg Edbiom, a Eugene native
who has been attending MusEv
enings! for more than two years.
Attendance at MusEvenings!
varies from 75 to 300 people. The
program has seen a 70 percent in
crease in attendance since it began
in September of 1996. Overall,
museum attendance is up 38 per
cent from last year.
On lecture nights, the crowd
tends to be 60 percent community
members and 40 percent students,
while the more social atmosphere
of music nights draws a crowd of
about 70 percent students and 30
percent community members,
Abia-Smith said.
In April, the MusEvenings! pro
gram was honored by the Ameri
can Association of Museums as
one of the eight most innovative
programs for young adults, Abia
Smith said.
“The program is pretty non-tra
ditional. There’s a chance to social
ize and learn about art,” she said.
The cost of MusEvenings!
comes directly out of the art mu
seum’s general operating budget.
“We don’t receive student
funds for this at all,” Abia-Smith
said.
Seed money for the program
came from the Oregon Communi
ty Foundation, two years ago.
Fall schedule
November 10 Music
November 17 Artist s Talk:
KateWagfey, metalsmith;
Margaret Prentice, printmaker
December 1 Contact 2000: dance
project
Decembers Jazz Music Night
Holiday wreath-making workshop,
$5 for materials
The museum is currently in
search of a new sponsor. Banks
and corporate foundations have
been approached, she said.
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