A gallery hopping we will go.

Being intimitely involved with the visual arts and being poor does have some perks. Depending on the city you live in, there are bound to be gallery openings spread throughout the month. Here in Chicago there are several different neighborhoods that have claimed certain days as their gallery opening nights. Tonight is River North and the West Loop's time to shine. Or be lackluster, which is more often the case. We tend to be pretty harsh critics and practice "Turbo Aesthetics". I will leave that discussion for another post.

What is exciting about gallery openings (besides hopefully the art of course) are the free appetizers and beverages. This is usually some sort of cheese and fruit platter and wine or beer. The fanciness factor depends on the gallery and the artists whose work is being displayed.

For instance, a higher-end commercial gallery will probably serve a wheel of brie and other gourmet cheeses with specialty crackers. You would also be treated to your choice of white or red wine. The other end of the spectrum is the student show where you may find some cheddar slices with Ritz crackers that is if there is any food at all. Most likely you will simply find a table (or bucket or trash can filled with ice if you're lucky) piled high with PBR or Old Style. Cans, not bottles.

The trick is to get there early to partake of the freebies because you are competing with hundreds of other starving artists. Present company included. So if you venture out in the cold tonight here in Chicago, get away from my brie! And save me an Old Style.