By Kendyl Kirtley
This past Thursday, I attended the Meadows Museum ARTafterDARK “Light the Night” event. This free exhibit gave students the chance to interact with art for a good cause, highlighting various local, non-profit organizations and art work.
As I stepped into the Meadows Museum, I was greeted by glow-in-the-dark lanterns, candles, and drawings that created a magical, ethereal ambiance. Walking through the hallways, the museum rooms showed off the multi-colored, glowing art through a decor transformation.
In the center of the exhibit, students were invited to create origami to benefit the SMU chapter of Paper for Water. Paper for Water is a national non-profit that makes origami creations in order to raise money and awareness about global water sanitation. In this room, students were able to put their folding skills to the test while reading about the mission of this impactful organization.
In another room, stacks of paper lanterns, cubes, and pyramids were surrounded by tea candles and carefully placed on the various tables. In the center, a sign presented the Break Bread, Break Borders mission, which is to empower refugee women by teaching them how to become professional cooks.
One of the most memorable parts about the exhibit was how many students came together to celebrate these non-profits and the Meadows Museum. Students from different grades and backgrounds were eager to create art for a charitable causes, which truly warmed my heart.
Hannah Waibel, a junior at SMU, had never explored Meadows Museum outside of her Spanish Art History class located in a Meadows classroom… until now.
“The show was super fun and engaging,” said Waibel after strolling through the interactive exhibit. “The turnout at the museum was really great. It was unique to go to the art museum at night.”
I would definitely suggest a visit to the Meadows Museum for your next on-campus activity. Whether it’s appreciating the paintings or taking part in a local student organizations’ project, there’s always something going on at the beautiful campus museum. For the latest news and upcoming events, check out the Meadows Museum website.
All photos by Kendyl Kirtley
