The Museum of Fine Arts hosted their inaugural MFA Late Nites last Friday to unite MFA visitors on the subjects of art, culture and community.
The MFA showcased performances and other contemporary art at the event, which began at 8 p.m. and concluded at 2 a.m. It featured a wide variety of attractions, including hip-hop battles, anime music videos and street food showdowns.
The event proved to be extremely popular, and pre-sale tickets sold out days before the event. For those who did not purchase tickets in advance, a line wrapped around the museum, filled with people of all ages and backgrounds with wait times of up to 90 minutes, according to comment by the MFA on their Facebook event page.
Ashley Bleimes, public relations manager for the MFA, said that the event was a “big success” with over 4,000 people in attendance.
“We were so happy to see so many people,” Bleimes said.
Once inside, visitors had plenty of activities in which they could engage, spread across two floors filled with performances and activities.
Julie Mackay, a senior in Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration, was one of the attendees who enjoyed the variety at Friday’s event.
“It’s a refreshing way to visit the MFA and interact with new exhibits,” Mackay said.
One event attracted a particularly large crowd throughout the night — a rap slam presented by Oomp OutLoud, or Oompa, held in Gallery 168.
Artists had to compete slam-poetry-style to determine the best emcee; between each battle, featured artists had the opportunity to perform and share their own music.
One of the featured artists, Cliff Notez, said performing at the MFA was particularly special for him.
“I’m a Boston kid at heart,” Notez said.
The Boston-based filmmaker, poet and music producer said that the event allowed him to show his art “as a black man” in opposition to more traditional styles.
“I never felt included here until a couple months ago when I debuted my film here,” Notez said. “To be here as a black man showing my art is a big f**k you to traditional art,” he added.
For a different take on music, attendees could head to the Shapiro Family Courtyard to listen and dance to live DJs. Each of the nine DJs and performers had 50 minutes to show off their turntable skills to the dancing crowd.
There was a “Chef Showdown” in the courtyard as well. Each table offered its own unique take on Japanese street food, including chicken Tsukune steamed buns and marinated tuna sashimi.
Visitors could also head to the second floor to see a performance presented by Urbanity Dance.
Featuring contemporary dancer Ayako Takahashi, “Every Dance Has Been Contemporary” spanned across three different rooms and included several costume changes. Takahashi also included moments of improvisation and audience participation.
Attendees who wanted a more low-tempo evening had plenty of options as well. MFA Late Nites included “Drawing After Dark,” where visitors could try their hand at drawing pieces of the collection as well as sketching live models.
MFA Late Nites also provided a sneak peek of their newest exhibition, “Takashi Murakami: Lineage of Eccentrics,” which inspired the entire theme of the event.
In accordance with the Japanese themes, the MFA offered visitors manga — comics that were popularized in Japan — in the Anime Boston Manga Library.
MFA Late Nites also displayed works from their other galleries, like “Charles Sheeler from Doylestown to Detroit,” which displayed art that highlighted the landscape of urban and industrial cities.