There’s a vibrant scene in the Amarillo art world filled with live music, art, drinks and food. It’s the Amarillo Museum of Art’s Art After Dark event.
“When people think of art they tend to think of one thing, but it’s not just one thing at all,” said Judy Youngblood, an artist responsible for the print exhibit, “Hydrologic.”
“There’s everything from graffiti to pre-Renaissance drawings, and I think truthfully, if you can’t find something in that spectrum that makes your heart beat, there’s something wrong.”
Guests at the fifth Art After Dark event Feb. 21 were provided with live music from Turbine Toolshed, a hot chocolate bar by Roasters Coffee, an open bar, Fort Worth CLUE, workshops to create an aura photo and make a holographic prints and an art talk by Youngblood.
The exhibits show the artistic talent of those on display, but really “the idea was to attract a new kind of museum-goer who would come to an event that combined food plus drink and art plus music,” said Deana Craighead, AMoA director of public programs.
Museum patrons and art enthusiasts flocked to the event, “Art After Dark: Mad about Modern.”
“If you get a lot of people in the building to look at art and hopefully change their minds about what art is or show them an idea that affects them personally, then the event is a success,” said Alex Gregory, art curator.
AMoA employees hope to enlighten the community and get people interacting with the art personally.
“The first Art After Dark was hosted in February 2012 as part of AMoA’s 40th anniversary celebration,” Craighead said. “That first event attracted over 350 participants, expanded the museum’s membership, and every event that has followed has been more successful than the last.”
Craighead said there are only two artafterdark events each year, one in February and one in the summer. Each is chaired by a different committee chosen by the chairman.
“There are months of planning that go into each event, and the committee is responsible for most of the details and supported by AMoA staff,” Craighead said.
Each committee brings a unique approach to the event, she said. Budgets are small, so the committees are required to be creative.
“They have made giant matches, borrowed industrial chemical drums, found a local fire-eater, emptied their homes of their contents and scoured the Panhandle for tumbleweeds,” Craighead said.
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