Okay, so we’re not actually paying, but we would love to hear more about what you thought of our first After Hours event last night. Personally, we were thrilled. More than 600 people came to our premiere to take in the art & ambiance, catch up with friends old and new, and enjoy live music and drinks around the courtyard, and we hear you had a great time.
Our friends over at Yelp are already buzzing about the evening, and a little bird tells us that Going will soon be posting pictures from the night. Keep an eye out for the next Improper, and if you’re lucky, your mug may just show up there, too. We’ll have our own Flickr album up on Monday, but in the meantime: what did you think? Add a comment below and let us know.
A couple words from people who attended:
“I think it’s great that one of the best museums in Boston is appealing to a wider audience & offering something to appeal to all 5 senses.”
The best aspect: “Feeling like I was at a private party at this beautiful museum!”
“Wonderful chance to mingle and enjoy the museum in an intimate atmosphere.”
“Relaxed and social vibe, good people watching and the most beautiful venue in the city.”
We also heard that you liked the tours and talks that gave you new ways of looking at the art on the walls; that the Butoh performance was exciting and challenged you to look at the Gardner in a new light; and that you liked the Japanese music in the courtyard. And we got a few great suggestions for improvement: you want speedier service at the bar (we’ll be prepared next time!) and you’re looking for veggie-friendly options in the cafe. Seems reasonable.
So, what are we missing? More kudos for specific things you’d like us to keep up? Ideas for what we could improve?
For now, mark your calendars for October 18, and buy your tickets ahead of time for the concert of jazz legend Julius Hemphill’s music; we now know it’s likely to sell out in advance. We’ll close with a word from Yelper Jeffrey H.:
“Anyway, if you haven’t been here, go. Now. Right now. Leave the office. Leave the children at home…they’ll be fine…Go. And get the banana bread pudding. “
UPDATE: Check out Yelper Jocelyn G.’s awesome picture of our Gardner After Hours gobo, on Universal Hub, too. We’re like Batman, only more cultural.
After Hours was a wonderful night at the museum. Thank you so much for putting it on.
It was my first visit to the ISGM so I was trying to take in a bit of everything. The courtyard music with a drink in hand was a good starting point and then later I explored the upper floors, having a go at sketching the architecture and taking in the collection. The food in the cafe was excellent as well – I’d love to have more of the cheese and bread.
It’s very hard to think of ways to improve on such a great night. It’s a shame you can’t carry your drink around the whole museum but that’s understandable. It would be useful if there was a clear description of each room posted up to read upon entry, giving an idea of what gems are within. The upper levels could also do with more lighting later at night. The cafe, the gift shop and the exhibition room at the back should probably be signposted more clearly too.
I’d love to see a movie screened in the courtyard. I wonder if that’s possible. Either way, I’m sure I’ll come again and recommend it to many people. Thank you!
I had a very enjoyable evening at the Gardner After Hours and look forward to finding out what other themes you might have in the future. Love all the press work you did, love the light up logo outside, love the museum, however, if you’re going to offer drinks, I think you need to work on a couple of things!
I didn’t quite understand why I couldn’t bring my martini with me into the cafe, which also serves alchohol. I wanted to enjoy dinner and my martini but unfortunately the “no drinks beyond this point sign started 5 feet short of the cafe. It seems silly I couldn’t walk those extra 5 steps so I could sit inside.
Another issue I had was that the line to get more drinks was quite long and at one point the martinis ran out. I know part of the reason for this was that you guys might not have anticipated such a turn out. However, if I was going to go back to the museum I might spend more time sipping cocktails and enjoying the ambiance rather than looking at the art work (since I see it every 3rd Thursday). So, perhaps 2 more cocktail tables should be in order. The basil martini was incredibly good — so after I went back to buy more tickets I was disappointed that the only selection left was white wine!
I’m very excited to check out the performances next time and I think that if they’re as amazing as I heard the one last night was, I could be seen coming back again for sure. I thought it would have been nice if we could have had some music for a longer period of time, it seemed when most of the people went to the performance that the courtyard thinned out a lot–and it may have been nice to have something to watch out there while the other people were enjoying the performance. Perhaps a movie screened in the courtyard?
Your volunteers were young and vivacious and I really enjoyed speaking with them. Specifically Michelle, she was a doll.
The coat check was wonderful, thank you for that.
Oh and I agree, the Ginger ice cream and service we received in the cafe was wonderful.
Thank you!
Thanks so much for putting on a fabulous event! So many people think of museum culture as stuffy and impenetrable, so it was great to see a turnout with such a diverse crowd. The museum is quite romantic and mysterious after dark!
I’m glad you are going to address the vegetarian food issue, since it seems standard to have at least one entree choice for the meatless crowd these days. (Although, the vegetarian at our table enjoyed her cheese plate.)
I think the lectures are a great way to learn more about the museum’s collection, so I hope to see more features like this (I sadly missed both talks; I was too busy socializing!), and the musical performances you’ve planned for the future sound unique and appropriate. Oh, and I loved that you could get a discount with a text message! Great for people like me who can never remember their guest passes, coupons, etc. — I sent my partner a message before the event to remind him to save $2. I will most certainly pass the word on to friends and invite them to future Gardner After Hours events.
I can’t wait to tell more people about this event. Such a fun mix of arts and socializing is truly Boston at its best.
Previous commenters already touched on a few issues with the food and drink. The waitstaff were fantastic, very courteous and fast on grabbing empty glasses around the courtyard.
The Asian theme of the performances was an excellent touch, I hope to see lots of new themes as these events continue — there is so much potential there! I’d love to see a Byzantine/Medieval or even Baroque night considering quite a bit of the ISG collection reflects these styles (you could even team up with the Boston Early Music Festival for music!) I did feel kind of bad for the koto and shakuhachi players, given their music is meant for quiet meditation–we were all talking over them! But they did add an extra layer of beauty to the already decadent ambience, so kudos on their performance.
And kudos to the After-Hours coordinators. This was definitely a unique event and I am really glad I got to take part in its first run.
PS: I’ve always wanted to see what a Masquerade would be like at the ISG — so there you have my not-so-subtle suggestion for a future After-Hours event at the Gardner
Thanks!,