Bring together a crowd that loves art, draught beer and good music, and you’re bound to have an event that keeps people coming back.
The Columbia Museum of Art hosted the fourth and final “Arts and Draughts” event of the year on Friday night, and this time around, the museum hosted music artists The Howling Man, Stefanie Santana, Can’t Kids and ET Anderson. With stages both inside and out, guests never lacked local music as an accompanying soundtrack to their viewing.
The museum's premiere exhibit "Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera" brought attendees back to the '50s to take a closer look at the photos Rockwell used to make his paintings. The exhibit offered 50 of Rockwell's photographs, each hung beside the subsequent 16 paintings and drawings that came from the photos. The Columbia Museum of Art serves as the last venue to host the exhibition in its national tour.
Staying true to the '50s theme, the museum offered crafting stations where attendants could make cutouts of bowties and '50s-styled glasses to use as props in a Rockwell-esque photo backdrop on the second floor of the museum. Local artists were showcased their work with tables set up, and a printing station where attendees could make prints of their own and take them home.
The rest of the museum was open as well, but creativity wasn't the only thing celebrated at Arts and Draughts — good draught beer was also a highlight. Samples of Brrr Seasonal Ale from Widmer Brothers Brewing were available for all those of age to drink, as were the Widmer Hefeweizen and Widmer Alchemy Pale Ale on draught.
Though it might have been a bit chilly outside, spirits were high. The museum provided yet another successful night of art appreciation, a wonderful local music selection and the best seasonally appropriate ales to accompany the night.
Columbia might not be the first city that comes to mind when thinking of art appreciation, but the museum is taking every stride to change that.