Finding the Dallas I Always Wanted

Once a month, the Dallas Museum of Art opens its doors on a Friday for a "Late Nights" event, in which the museum stays open from 6:00 p.m. until Midnight. Last night was such a Friday night and the DMA had a full lineup of activities prepared. I have always wanted to go to one of these events, but because it's easier to go home, drink wine and whine about how there is nothing to do in Dallas on a Friday night than to actually make plans with a friend and go out in public, last night was my inaugural visit. And, oh, how I was glad that I went!

I'll try to add my sad little camera phone pictures later (next time, I'm bringing my real camera), but here's the short list of what we encountered:

• jazzy musicians from a group called "Shanghai 5" playing on a large stage in the Atrium
  
• free coffee given away by Starbucks, with a long line of those wishing to partake
  
• a "Literary Cafe" in which novelist and poet Nicole Krauss read from her book, "The History of Love," and the audience asked questions and had books signed by the author who was too shy to hobnob very much (one such audience member, who is not a mensch, blew one of the book's surprises with his question, then threw out a few faux apologetic words upon doing so, nearly leading to a mob attack by the other disgruntled audience members, including my friend and myself)
• tasty dinner (spicy shrimp quesadillas for me, yummy-looking soup for my friend) from the Atrium, with entertainment provided by a children's choir and their Nathan Lane-like Broadway-jovial, shoulder-shrugging, winking, exaggeratedly piano-banging leader
  
• a wonderful jazz guitar performance by the slender, elderly, symphonic Roger Boykin, on a large landing of the museum, where the music was complemented by the surrounding art and hardwood floors
• the most diverse crowd I have ever seen at anything in Dallas--old, young, black, white, hipster, family, wheelchair-bound, running, etc.
• a D.J. in the sculpture garden, where we sipped sno cones (mine laced with vodka) while taking in tunes with the background melody of a water fountain that runs among the sculptures
• an open mic, where the variety and beauty of the poetry and those who spoke it was simply stunning.

The place was still amazingly crowded at 11:15 p.m., when I left in hopes of catching the last few minutes of the Mavericks' game. If you live in the Dallas area, I highly recommend the Late Nights event--even if you are not a member, it only costs $10, a true bargain.