BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Normally, the Bakersfield Museum of Art acts as a quiet place to contemplate the varied art that adorns its interior. But on Thursday, the atmosphere changed considerably for the museum's Art After Dark event.
BMoA Assistant Curator Victor Gonzales explains the purpose of Art After Dark.
"So this year, which is our 8th year coming back with all four events, we decided to tie each exhibition of ours to each individual month event. For this particular event, it is focused on color and abstraction, and how the color has been used in art to influence the viewer and what they see," said Gonzales.
Art After Dark featured cocktails from local bar Tiki-Ko, live music from Wav Estate, and an interactive art project where attendees could make a print to take home using linoleum and paint.
Rotem Reshef, an artist whose current exhibition is on display at the museum, says there is value in this change of context.
"It's not that the gallery has different lighting in the afternoon, but I think you're coming in a different mood, and I believe that what you see in the art is actually yourself," said Reshef. "I think that when you are coming and you are drinking a bit, in your leisure time in the afternoon, I think you can experience something which you would not experience, probably, when you come rushed in the morning or during the day."
Gonzales says the event is also able to attract a wider audience to the museum.
"When we started 8 years ago, the primary goal was to attract the younger audience, the audience that gets off at 5 pm, that needs something to do with their friends instead of just going to dinner. The individuals that don't get to come to the museum during the day because they're working," said Gonzales.
If you missed the Art After Dark event, there are new things happening at the Bakersfield Museum of Art all the time. Next up is March 3, when the BMoA will be open until 8:00 pm and offer free admission as their contribution to the venerable First Friday art event in downtown Bakersfield.
For more information about the museum and future events, visit the Bakersfield Museum of Art's website.
