Review of "After Hours at the Harvard Art Museums"

The Harvard First-Year Social Committee has been on a roll this semester organizing fun and creatively named events such as “Love is in the Scare” and “New Kids on the Block.” This past Thursday’s event, called “After Hours at the Harvard Art Museums” was no exception.

“After Hours” offered freshmen the chance to realize their lifelong dreams of re-living the plot of the fabulous children’s book “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.” Nothing is more thrilling than staring at a couple of Van Goghs and medieval capitals past hours of operation and pretending you’ve illicitly snuck into a museum past closing time.

Food:

The event started with a reception in Sever Quad at 8:30 p.m. that was plentifully stocked with the basics. What’s not to like about chocolate-chip cookies and brownies? The spread also included veggies and dip, allowing freshmen who pigged out the chance to feel less terrible about all the ‘zerts they had just consumed.

Ambience:

Classy, but kind of not. The invitation said “chic attire encouraged,” but many freshmen did not get the hint. The result: a tent filled with people dressed in everything from blazers and spring dresses to noobs in sweaty gym clothes (hint: me).

People started to move into the Museum at 9:00. You could feel the excitement in the air, as many freshmen admitted that they had never even paid a visit to the Harvard Art Museums before. Many went to explore the various galleries, while others hob-knobbed with the likes of Dean of Freshmen Thomas A. Dingman '67  and other resident deans. A talented quartet from the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra played classical music in the background. They were followed by a much more casual, but just as delightful guitar jam session.

Entertainment:

Excellent. A new work by Carlos Amorales entitled “Triangle Constellation,” hangs from the ceiling of the Museums’ Calderwood Courtyard and provoked many questions: Is it rotated or am I just imagining things? Will it play music like a real triangle? What does it all mean? To top things off, Dean Dingman and the artist themselves christened the artwork.

All in all, “After Hours” was a great event. It offered a fun opportunity in the midst of midterm season for freshmen to relax, while enjoying the newly built Harvard Art Museums. Keep up the good work HFYSC! We cannot wait to see what is in store for Freshman Formal.