Late Night At The Loeb

So now that I’m fending for myself, I look for free food at any chance that I get. Not that I wouldn’t do that anyways. But now is especially important because I’m not on the meal plan and I kind of plan on surviving this summer so that someday I might be able to graduate. I should have started cooking for myself last week, but so far I’ve been living on take out leftovers, snacks, and free Retreat points from a friend who left for England after finals, and I plan to keep it like that for as long as possible. Just in case you didn’t know, the kitchen in Main is pretty gross and I’m trying to avoid it. It has a weird smell and I’m afraid to touch most of the appliances inside. Now Jewett, on the other hand, has a very nice kitchen. But when it’s 90+ degrees outside I just don’t feel inspired to walk halfway across campus to cook.

I spent all day Thursday getting physically and mentally prepared to cook for myself. As surprising as it seems, thinking about cooking is probably the most stressful part of my day. Just thinking about the filth that resides within the kitchen and the possibility that it may contaminate my food grosses me out. But what else am I going to do? It’s not like I have a car.

But then, I realized it was Thursday! And what is so exciting about Thursday? Thursday is a new program sponsored by the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center on campus called “Late Night At the Loeb,” and it advertises the synthesis of food, wine, art, and entertainment at the art center—otherwise known as a free meal.

I would consider the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center to be on the better end of the spectrum as far as campus art museums go. When I was a Freshman, Vassar actually amazed me with the kinds of exhibits offered. It has a vast collection of ancient Greek and Roman artifacts, which we examined in my History of the Ancient Roman course. We also have a mummy (it’s quite fitting that it resides in the basement) as well as the usual paintings (including some by Pablo Picasso and Georgia O’Keefe) and Matthew Vassar’s personal collection of landscapes. It also features traveling collections that change every couple of months. This month’s collection sparked my interest because it combined the sociological phenomenon of “Utopia” with photography, creating the exhibit “Utopian Mirage.” So around 5 o’ clock, after getting out of work, I headed to Late Night at the Loeb. The photography was quite incredible, featuring snapshots of suburbia, hippies, migrant workers, deforestation, and the decline of resort towns; pretty much anything that creates the artificial fantasy of “Utopia,” according to the artists. But while I found the collection very unique and interesting, we all know that the main reason people go to the Loeb on Thursdays as opposed to any other day of the week is for the free food and wine. That’s why I went.

I met another student there and asked why he had gone. “For dinner,” he replied. The food selection featured hummus, a collection of cheeses, bread and crackers, and a nice sampler of desserts such as lemon pie, brownies, and chocolate chip cookies. There was also sparkling water and red and white wines being served by a bartender for the caterers who had supplied the event with food. There was even a one-man band providing Jazz entertainment. Why wouldn’t you go to the Loeb on Thursday night?

One time I did go to the Loeb to see another famous collection of etchings by Rembrandt, which were pretty fantastic. But now that I think about, I’m pretty sure that was also a night where the Loeb provided free food…. Of course, that always makes the collection much more enjoyable.

Now don’t get me wrong—it’s not that I don’t enjoy artwork and only go when I can score a free meal. I’d like to think of it instead as taking advantage of all the Loeb has to offer. And if that means free food to go with my artwork, I’m totally there.