Post Pride Party at the Met Museum
On Monday I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Post-Pride Party at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In what is basically just an awesome show of support of the LGBT community, and following a VIP reception, the Met opens its doors at night, providing an open bar and access to the special exhibit.
The event is ticketed, but tickets are free and sell out in seconds. I wasn't exactly sure I believed this, but the day they became available I literally refreshed the page at precisely 11am, and by the time I had entered my info they were already "sold" out. A friend of mine got wait-listed exactly at 11, but ended up getting a ticket, so if you're interested you definitely have to be vigilant. I keep discovering new, free things to do here in the city, but I'm quickly learning that most definitely require a bit of tenacity to secure a spot.
The party was fun, and it all felt special and a little fancy. Being the in the Met after-hours is always a treat, even if I didn't indulge in the open bar as much as I could have (I might have concentrated my efforts on the cheesy-stick appetizers, instead). After some drinking and socializing, our group of friends headed to see the Punk: Chaos to Couture exhibit. It was a bit underwhelming, but I find it hard to complain too much about things I get to do for free. We also basically had free reign to take photos, which is not usually allowed in the special collections.
The exhibit was colorful and a few pieces memorable, but I don't know enough about fashion (or punk) to really make informed comments. I've heard complaints that the show misses the mark, but it was fun to look at and small enough that I didn't really even have time to lose interest.
I was definitely into the Dr. Seuss-trufffula-tree wigs, and the Project-Runway fan in me will always appreciate clothing made from "unconventional materials" — the bottle-cap skirt and trash-bag dresses were favorites.
The Met is so classically New York to me, and every time I'm within its stone walls I can't help but feel special. I do wish we had had access to the entire museum (especially the Temple of Dendur), but when I think about how much people were drinking (in such a short time) I totally understand why galleries filled with priceless works of art were off-limits.
Tony Kushner was actually there briefly (he was the guest speaker at the VIP event earlier) and Mayoral hopeful Christine Quinn gave a (very loud) speech in praise of the Met and their inclusive events. I wish I had been able to hear Kushner's speech or at least more from him than "hello, goodbye" — he's one of my idols: Angels in America, Lincoln, Mother Courage— but it was cool just to think we were sharing the same space for a moment. It was a great night, and I definitely hope to make it a tradition.
