The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has recently started an initiative to provide the public with more contemporary events and exhibits as part of their #mfaNOW movement. They are currently hosting four free overnight events in the Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art, and I recently had the pleasure of attending the third event.
Every overnight has a theme, and this past weekend’s theme was State of the Party, meaning it was all about politics. Outside of the Museum was a line of food trucks, with everything from Indian to Mediterranean food available for purchase. The MFA also provided lawn games and even an opportunity to go on a late night jog with Heartbreak Hill Running Company.
Once inside the museum, live music from DJs echoed through the halls, and the true liveliness of the night began to take shape. People sat at tables socializing, ordered drinks and snacks from the bars and perused the incredible exhibits. Many of the museum’s galleries were open, including the Eunice and Julian Cohen Galleria and the Richard and Nancy Lubin Gallery.
Signs posted in the museum explained how the galleries connected to the night’s political theme, and one sign read that the artworks were “created to generate awareness, dialogue or action around relevant social issues.” One particular gallery revolved around female empowerment, with all of the pieces created by female artists “with an investment in how voice and bodies are an essential source of expression and empowerment.”
The piece below by artist Andrea Bowers aims to give visibility to issues such as inclusion and justice. It depicts a transgender woman with broad wings holding a hammer as a sign of empowerment during her contemporary struggle.
The artwork was consistently breathtaking, but the real gem of the evening would have to be a talk hosted by the Boston Globe with special guest Madeline Albright. Albright was the first female US Secretary of State, and she served during the Clinton Administration. Albright opened with the story of how she came to her position after starting from local Boston roots, joking that she “went to Wellesley College sometime between the invention of the iPad and the invention of fire.”
Albright was asked to comment on this election, and she immediately began with, “I have never seen anything as weird as this election; people seem to think that this is some kind of reality show.” Her hopes for the outcome of the election are clear, however, as she added, “I really honestly hope that Hillary is elected otherwise we are in deep – whatever.”
Albright was then asked a question about the state of women in politics, and her answer basically reflects what we all think: there should be more of them. She explained, “It is important for there to be support for women in politics. The number of American women in politics does not even come vaguely close to the number of American women in society.” Albright then jokingly added, “However, if anyone wants to see a world completely run by women, they better go back and think about high school.”
Overall, the entire evening was spectacular. The museum really thought of everything, from two dollar pizza slices to live mural making to sunrise yoga!
The Museum of Fine Arts is hosting one more overnight event from Friday, December 9th to Saturday, December 10th, and I highly suggest that everyone try to attend. After all, it’s free! Doors open at 9 p.m. but lines can get very long, so I would suggest arriving around 8 pm just to be safe.
If you can’t make it to the overnight, no need to worry! The MFA is always free for students with a valid BU ID. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is located at 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115.