The latest addition to the event calendar for the IUAM is a casual evening affair. Abe Morris, public relations and marketing manager for IUAM, said Coffeehouse Nights will offer extended museum hours along with new activities.
“There will be gallery tours and a gallery scavenger hunt with a chance to win tickets to the IU Auditorium for anybody who completes the hunt,” Morris said in an email. “In addition, we are pairing either coffee or tea with the art, i.e. African coffee with African art, etc., as well as music from that area of the world.”
Morris said the first event will take place at 5 p.m. Thursday and will feature American art, American coffee and a live jazz performance by Charlie Jesseph.
Morris said this fall series, modeled after similarly styled events IUAM has previously had, will act as an experiment to see how extended hours suit the museum’s audience.
“We are going to see how these go and, if they are successful, look toward possibly scheduling something more permanent in the future,” Morris said.
Anyone is welcome, Morris said, and the event is geared toward people who have existing commitments during the day.
“The audience we are most trying to reach with Coffeehouse Nights are students, professionals and anybody else who has commitments during the week that make it impossible to visit the museum,” Morris said.
Laura Scheper, manager of special programs and events, said the patrons’ enjoyment is the main goal of the event.
“Here is a unique opportunity to soak yourself in a fabulous atmosphere of live music and world-renowned art in a stunning setting,” Scheper said. “Any attention the museum gets is only a natural by-product of the positive experience people have.”
The wealth of resources available at the IUAM should be shared across the University and greater community, Morris said. The social potential of the space is another aspect of the museum Morris said stood out.
“We also want people to see the Art Museum as a great place to hang out, meet with friends, grab a snack or a beverage and hopefully learn something new too — Coffeehouse Nights will provide that as well,” Morris said.
With a different gallery and geographic area for each coffeehouse, Scheper said attendees can explore multiple parts of the world via the museum’s art collections.
“The Coffeehouse Nights may allow guests to find and connect with artworks that intrigue or fascinate us on a personal level,” Scheper said. “Who knows where inspiration leads? We have an outstanding curatorial staff here, so we can help connect you with research, too.”
Scheper said events such as the original Coffeehouses the museum has had in the past received praise and requests to bring them back.
Morris said he encouraged anyone who thinks this will be a successful event to come out and show support for extended evening programs.
“If you’re interested in more evening programming and evening hours at the IU Art Museum, come to a Coffeehouse Night and help us make these events a success,” Morris said.
