Tonight from 7 p.m. to midnight, join college students from all over Boston in a night of music, art, and easy mingling at The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA). The annual College Night has rolled around again: a free event that had a turnout of 3,200 students from more than 30 schools throughout New England just last year. It's a chance to get off campus, snag some free food and music; to visit the incredible MFA if you haven't yet this year; and to see just how many students live in this city.
"College Night is our way of introducing students to the Museum of Fine Arts," said Diana O'Donnell, an MFA spokesperson, "We want them to feel like the MFA is their museum - general admission is always free for Tufts students, and it's a great place to come for a study break, date, or meal. Not everyone knows that we also have a great indie music concert series and independent film program. There's always something new to see here."
College Night includes a live performance by Thurston Moore, the lead singer for Sonic Youth, at 8:30 p.m. in the Remis Auditorium. Seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Moore will play music from his recent solo release, the first since 1995, with new acoustic music that moves away from the style of his previous work. There will also be two DJs - one playing dance music outside in the MFA courtyard, a beautiful grassy space tucked into the museum. The other will play ambient music in the old European Masters Gallery.
There will be MFA mobile wallpapers, pizza, raffle prizes and the opening of the Walk This Way exhibit, a show which draws comparisons between pieces throughout the museum and shoes of different time periods and cultures. Highlights include cleats lent by Red Sox star pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, basketball sneakers from new Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, and a pair of strappy suede sandals once belonging to Marilyn Monroe.
There are a number of other exhibitions which will be open for College Night, including contemporary Japanese art and German photography, and an extensive show of Japanese paintings from 1690-1850. College Night is an event not to be missed - whether for the music, the art, or the idea of finding students from other schools with similar interests.
- by Sarah Cowan
