Last Friday, the Museum kept its doors open until midnight celebrating Posters of Paris: Toulouse-Lautrec and His Contemporaries. During this special Late Night, visitors went on tours of the exhibition, attended lectures about the Parisian celebrities featured on the posters, learned a few French words and phrases, and much much more! Check out some of the highlights of the evening below.
The Matt Tolentino Band created a Parisian ambiance with their French mussette style, getting couples on their feet dancing.
About every hour, an energetic and impressive crew of acrobats, contortionists, and circus performers from Lone Star Circus amazed visitors up and down the Concourse.
Throughout the night, the Poster Studio at the end of the exhibition remained packed with visitors creating their own posters to take home and display on the Poster Studio wall.
From art-making in the Center for Creative Connections to yoga with our resident yogini, there were plenty of activities available for kiddos. One of my favorite family programs is Bedtime Stories with the award-winning storyteller Ann Marie Newman. She always comes dressed in character with props, images, and incredibly creative interactive stories. On this occasion she based her stories on posters from the exhibition. While she animatedly told the tales, images were projected on the wall behind her and kiddos were invited to act out the stories all around her. It was quite a sight to see!
Did you miss all the Late Night Friday fun? Not to worry! The exhibition is open through January 20th and there are plenty more Posters of Paris inspired programs scheduled, including a City of Light free First Tuesday, Gallery Talks, and art-making activities for your littlest learners. We also have some ongoing activities available for anytime you visit the exhibition. As you enter, pick up a Posters of Paris Scavenger Hunt to guide your journey through the streets of Paris, then before you bid us “adieu” create your own poster in the Poster Studio. If you’re still feeling inspired after your visit, use our Culinary Canvas recipe to bake your own Sarah Bernhardt cookies or download our poster-making activity to try at home.
Amusez-vous, mes amis!
Hannah Burney
Community Teaching Programs Assistant
