Yale Art Gallery Closes Street and Opens House for Celebration of the Arts

On Thursday, September 1, from 6 to 8 p.m., art will take to the streets, literally, when the Yale Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel Street, closes High Street to traffic and keeps its doors open to the public.

The open house kick starts the season with great works of art, special performances, and a chance to meet the people who work behind the scenes at the Gallery.

Performances by a student dance troupe, several of Yale’s celebrated a cappella singing groups, and the Anti-Gravity Society jugglers will keep the energy high at this event, which is meant to raise public awareness of the Gallery’s collection and programs, and emphasize how great works of art inspire creative joy. Student Gallery Guides, wearing “What Is Art and Why Does It Matter?” tee-shirts (referring to the Gallery’s online magazine), will be on hand to answer questions about works exhibited from the museum’s celebrated collection and to provide general information about this invaluable cultural resource. Museum staff will also be present for conversation and to speak more about what’s new at the Gallery. Refreshments will be served, and attractive free posters including information about current exhibitions and the Gallery’s calendar of upcoming events will be distributed to guests.

The first scheduled performance of the evening, beginning at 5:50 p.m., will be a short piece by the Yale dance group A Different Drum. At 6 p.m. the a cappella group, the Spizzwinks(?), will sing a medley of tunes, followed at 6:20 by the 16-member Society of Orpheus and Bacchus. Other Yale unaccompanied singing groups, The New Blue, The Duke’s Men, The Baker’s Dozen, and Shades, will pick up the tempo for the rest of the evening, performing at different locations in and around the Yale Gallery. The men and women of the indefatigable Anti-Gravity Society will be performing outside the Gallery throughout the event.

For more information about the Yale University Art Gallery, call 203-432-0600 or visit http://artgallery.yale.edu.