Exploring New York City on Halloween

Met After Hours Event on Halloween

I was invited to a Metropolitan Museum of Art Private Members Night the night before Halloween, known as ‘Mischief Night’, where more tricks than treats are part of the fun. The museum has these private nights so that members can enjoy the museum on their without the huge crowds that come during the day. These events are so popular now and they have adjusted the hours to 7:00pm-10:00pm where working people can now enjoy the evening.

The Met lit at night for the Private Members Night did look a little spooky but a festive environment was inside waiting for us. A giant house of mystery awaiting us with treasures inside.

The lines started to fill as we entered the museum at 7:30pm. I got there after my Digital Marketing class at NYU was over. All the tricks and treats of the museum were open to members who entered the front door if they dared!

The very festive entrance of The Met at the information booth represented the coming of fall and the Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays.

The beautiful Fall arrangements in The Met’s nooks. It really made the night festive.

The first exhibition that I visited was “The Northern Renaissance European Sculpture and Decorative Arts 1520-1630” and the exhibition held some of the most exquisite art of the collection. Beautiful decorative objects with the detailed work in the permanent collection. These treasures were gathered in one spot to show their true beauty.

The sign for ‘The Northern Renaissance European Sculpture and Decorative Arts 1520-1630’ exhibition

The craftsmanship of these objects were some of the most sophisticated of the era and royals competed to have the most beautiful objects adorn their homes. Some of the objects were pulled from the permanent collection and are different parts of the museum but when housed together they really make a statement of the quality and precise workmanship. These objects made a statement of the owners and who they were in society.

Decorative cups and goblets

Description of the cups

Decorative clocks and watches

A jewel encrusted Chalise.

“Diana and the Stag” by artist Joachim Friess.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/193623

One of the most detailed pieces of the show was “Diana and the Stag”. The craftsmanship of the piece was amazing and it is such a beautiful piece.

The silver Diana and the Stag art object.

The next room I went to was the Wrightman Wing down the stairs to see Vertigo of Color” Matisse, Derain and the Origins of Fauvism. All these beautiful and bright colors in paintings from the French coastline.

The Vertigo of Color Exhibition in the Wrightman Wing of the Met.

My favorite piece and the painting that stood out the most was ‘Open Window Collioure’ by Henri Matisse. It was the most beautiful painting of the show.

“Open Window Collioure” is one of the most vibrant paintings in the show.

The other painting that really stood out in the exhibition was by artist Andre Derain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Derain

The Andre Derain Painting “The Faubourg of Collioure”

The sign for the painting.

My next stop was the “Tree and Serpent: Early Buddhist Art in India, 200-400 CE” exhibition on the second floor. The display of Indian art was from all over the world and displayed some of the most unusual icons. The exhibition the immense craftsmanship of these early artists.

The entrance to the “Tree & Serpent: Early Buddhist Art in India 200 BCE-400 CE” exhibition.

The Railroad Panels of the exhibition

The Railing pillars of the exhibition.

The Railing pillar sign.

Statuary from the exhibition.

The Pillar Abacus with elephants venerating the Ramagrama stupa.

The Elephant Pillar sign.

The Drum Panels in the exhibition.

The Drum Panel signs.

The Stupa Panel at the exhibition. I thought this was the most impressive work in the exhibition.

The Stupa Panel sign.

After visiting the intriguing art of India and all the splendor that comes with it, I made my way back downstairs, bypassing the very busy “Manet/Degas” which I had already seen and I made my way back downstairs where the crowds were either heading to the bar area that had been set up in the middle of the museum or to one of the three restaurants that were open that night. The restaurant in the American Wing was only serving popcorn (at $6.00 a bag!!) or drinks as well as the Balcony Restaurant. This was a bit too much for me, so I decided to wait until I left the museum to have some dinner.

The last exhibit for the evening that I visited was the “Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery” in the American Wing. These beautiful pots and decorative pottery is art from the Pueblo culture.

The entrance to the “Grounded by Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery”

The Gallery of Pottery in the exhibition

The “Bean Pot” by artist Lorencita Pino

https://www.adobegallery.com/artist/Lorencita_Pino190788469

The sign for the Bean Pot

Decorative pots that were part of the exhibition

The signs for the decorative pots.

The decorative pots of the exhibition

The Gallery in all its splendor that evening.

In the middle of the museum, the staff set up a festive Halloween bar for members to enjoy and relax. With a lively museum and even livelier cocktails, patrons conversed with their friends and made new ones. This whole part of the museum was alive with laughter and people having a good time before they had to deal with the trick or treating that awaited them the next week. It was a Spooktacular good time!

The cocktail party and bar on the main floor.

When we left the museum that night into the darkness that would become Halloween the next day, the museum employees wished us a good evening and gave us this sweet treat, a chocolate pumpkin that we were all munching on as we left the museum. It was the perfect way to end the evening. This is why I love the Met and have been coming here since 1973 and a member since 1993. It is a place of magic!

The delicious “Treat” we got when we left The Met that evening. The museum knows how to treat its members!

After the haunted night at the museum was over, I walked along the streets of the Upper East Side of Manhattan enjoying the decorations in preparation for Halloween the next day. Families really decorated their homes and the stores and brownstones were decked out for the Halloween holidays. This is becoming just as big as Christmas. Here are some of the great decorations that I saw that night.

Most of the these pictures were taken in the East 80’s and 70’s along the side streets between Madison Avenue and Third Avenue as I explored the neighborhood looking for the best haunts. People were really creative this Halloween.