Image by KATHERINE SIMÓNE REYNOLDS, Courtesy of CAM
If you’re looking for an excuse to slip into a Halloween costume a couple of weeks early—and take in the Contemporary Art Museum’s latest exhibits—you’ll have the chance to do both tonight at the museum’s inaugural Art Up Late, which takes its inspiration from Mickalene Thomas: Mentors, Muses, and Celebrities.
CAM’s Communication Director, Eddie Silva, says late-night parties are a current trend at big museums across the country. They boast gorgeous, innovative buildings that are often dead and empty after 5 p.m.—but are the perfect setting for a late-night bash. “The Guggenheim has been doing Art After Dark for a little while; MFA Boston is doing MFA Late Nights. The Milwaukee Art Museum has MAM after Dark. Baltimore has its own late-night party,” he says. For CAM, “it was important for us to have something that tied into the exhibition itself,” he says. “We want the exhibition to inspire folks, so for our first party, we used the title of Mickalene Thomas’ show. We’re making it a costume party, and encouraging people to dress as their favorite muse, their personal mentor, or their most adored celebrity.” (He adds that he knows someone who procured a Cher wig for the event, way early on.)
Local hip-hop artist Eric Donté (who, we should note for seasonally thematic reasons, sometimes performs as his musical alter ego, Fadda Vampire) has been at CAM for several days, building an installation just for this performance. “He has a new EP coming out, ‘Lamp in the Room,’” Silva says, “So he’s going to be premiering that. And it’s on the eve of the tour he’s heading out on.” DJ P.Aye will be on hand, too, spinning discs: “We’re hoping for kind of a dance-y party,” Silva says, “so I’ve been telling people that whatever you wear, you should be able to dance in it.” But if you're going to come in costume (note: they're not required) be sure to bring your A-Game. There's a costume contest, and it'll be judged by Charles Smith II and Allison Mitchell of the St. Louis Fashion Incubator.
Another reason to kick your costume up a notch: artist Cory Sever and his Cast of Bandits will be dressed up and roaming the room. “Cory creates these amazing costumes and masks,” Silva says. “It’s wearable sculpture, or what I call performative fashion. We first worked with him as part of the Dada Ball last February. His folks came up with this fabulous, wild regalia.” (Sever also donated an art experience to the silent auction: the chance to have your favorite jacket customized with the image of your chosen muse, mentor, or celebrity. You can see a full list of the art auction items here.) And be sure to climb the stairs to the mezzanine level to have your fortune told by the legendary Madame Rose (who used to read palms in the trailer at Beatnik Bob’s Café at City Museum, and now moonlights at The Fortune Teller on Cherokee).
Because the party is all about the fall shows, the entire museum, including the courtyard, will be open, so visitors can see Mickalene Thomas’ work, as well as Hayv Kahraman: Acts of Reparation; the courtyard installation, Hedge; work by LEAP Middle Schoolers and a show organized by the Teen Museum Studies Program; and Zlatko Cosic’s "A Murmuration," projected on CAM's facade and most optimally viewed at night. There are two more events this season, also based on exhibition themes. “Faster,” is tied to CAM’s spring show, the first major American museum exhibit of artist Salvatore Scarpitta’s race cars. “Louie, Louie,” of course, celebrates the Great Rivers Biennial, and all things St. Louis. “We’re going to have a night where we can feel unashamedly good about ourselves, and have a homegrown theme,” Silva says. “Everyone can wear their high school jackets…and I’m sure we’ll have toasted ravioli.”
Art Up Late happens Friday, October 20 from 9 p.m. to midnight; tickets are $35, which includes two drinks. (You can also prepay $75 for all three Art Up Late events this season.) The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis is located at 3750 Washington. For more info, call 314-535-4660, or go to camstl.org/artuplate.
