Fredericton’s Beaverbrook Art Gallery is once again providing the opportunity to drink with Dalí in 2012.
New Brunswick’s provincial art gallery is putting on eight open-house events this year called Drinks with Dalí. The events celebrate the gallery’s prized piece Santiago El Grande – a painting by Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí – while exposing new audiences to the gallery and showcasing New Brunswick’s emerging talent.
Every event features musical entertainment by up-and-coming artists.
“It’s different from playing a bar,” said Babette Hayward after her set on Jan. 26. “You get different sets of ears and people who are more open to different kinds of music. Galleries inspire me, so it’s kind of a nice little treat to be able to play.”
Drinks with Dalí, typically scheduled for the third Thursday of the month, is a relaxed atmosphere. Besides live music, it includes a cash bar and hors d’oeuvres with your free admission.
“In many ways, events are a first introduction for many people to the gallery,” said Darren McLeod, Beaverbrook’s manager of development and marketing. “First-time visitors are truly amazed by the range of national and international works in the gallery’s collection.”
Drinks with Dalí also offers guided tours of the gallery’s collections of drawings, paintings, sculptures and photographs.
“My intention is to show people what a cultural jewel we have in Fredericton and the province,” said McLeod.
The gallery’s three Dalí works have been contributed to international exhibitions, including “Dalí: The Late Work” at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, GA in 2010. Santiago El Grande was the centerpiece at the exhibit, which received mass attention from media like The New York Times.
With an international reputation, the gallery plays an integral role in Fredericton’s culture. It offers an outlet for expression, as well as a range of programs and services.
The event is also an opportunity to purchase or renew your Beaverbrook Art Gallery membership for 20 per cent off the regular membership price.
“[It’s] a place that everyone should visit and find out what stimulates them about the visual arts,” said McLeod.
The next Drinks with Dalí will be held Thursday, Feb. 23 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The performer will be Tim Walker, front man of Fredericton’s Grand Theft Bus, with Heat and Lights.
The Beaverbrook Gallery is located at 703 Queen Street. Admission to the gallery is free for STU students.
