Making drinking a cultural event

Most college students do not get the chance to enjoy both great drinks and great art, all at the same time. So it is convenient that on the first Friday of each month, Boston's beloved Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) brings the two together in an exceptional fashion.

The monthly "MFA First Fridays" tradition brings regular patrons and new visitors alike to the distinguished halls of the famous museum to enjoy an evening sipping cocktails, surrounded by art.

Upon entrance, the divine ambience of the MFA's greatest hall promises an exquisite event. Hosted in the William I. Koch Gallery of European painting, the monthly soirees offer music, tapas, drinks, and a fashionable crowd for reasonable prices: $5 a drink, and $4 a plate for appetizers.

Four cash bars conveniently scattered across the second floor wing lend noise and merriment to defy expected museum etiquette, and a centrally located table serves fine hors d'oeuvres.

As it is constantly dominated by a seemingly endless line of hungry visitors, however, the highly acclaimed food is usually only accessible to the very patient.

Music always adds a unique element to the evening, and this past Friday, the event's organizers strayed away from the expected string quartet or harp player and opted for a DJ.

At first, the notice of Michelle Branch's voice amidst the refined setting at the MFA was a bit distracting, but after a few whiskies, R. Kelly's all-too-familiar "Step in the name of love!" was surprisingly pleasant.

Although there wasn't any stepping, the dance floor did see a bit of use when the more crowd-appropriate "Dancing Queen," came on.

Despite a dominance of older couples, the crowd at the MFA is usually attractive and fun. Undoubtedly, the most visible (yet rarest) attendants are youthful college students, who dress up for the occasion.

Tufts sophomore Sahajbir Brar, whose family members are avid collectors of British painting, described the MFA scene as "sophisticated, classy and entertaining," calling it "a far cry from the rowdiness of a college campus."

The elaborate gallery is a vast departure from the graffiti-ed walls of a frat house basement or the elaborately gaudy interiors of Boston's nightclubs, and the long stretch of European painting that almost rises to the high ceiling gives the Koch gallery a regal feel.

Rhode Island student Amara Davis said she felt like she was in a "great palace"

"Soon, the crowd will part and bow as the king and queen make their way past," Davis said.

"First Fridays at the MFA" is a fine prelude to a Boston evening for the cultured college student. It offers a superb retreat away from college life. The disappointment is that the party comes to an abrupt end at around quarter to nine, so it cannot alone satiate one's appetite for Friday night social festivities.

But the event still makes for a remarkable evening, mixing and mingling with friends and acquaintances in the shadows of great works of art, and provides art lovers with an opportunity that should not be missed.

The Museum of Fine Arts will be hosting their next event on the first Friday of April, again be in the Koch gallery. Evenings at the MFA start at 5:30 and admission is free with a Tufts ID. Drinks range from four to six dollars and the appetizers are four dollars per plate.