Student artists and musicians from the BC Music Guild gathered at the McMullen Museum of Art to celebrate fall and exhibit their talents at the Art After Dark event on Friday evening. From 6 to 9 p.m., McMullen’s student visitors enjoyed the museum’s vast collection of artworks but also a variety of Halloween-themed activities, videos, live performances, and interactive displays reflective of the night’s theme—“Grotesquerie of Lights.”
Despite its name, the event was nothing short of delightful—students made their own paper lanterns, created glow-in-the-dark paintings, and played a variety of games while being serenaded by the BC Music Guild in the McMullen atrium. Interactive projection and fog art exhibitions cast the museum in a ghostly, ethereal light while an outdoor game of “ghost in the graveyard” was played outside the museum.
Lauren Landry, a member of the McMullen staff and MCAS ’23, explained that the Art After Dark event was intended to be a small event but generated a large turnout of BC students.
“[The event is] all about happy, positive fall vibes aimed at taking what can be a cold-feeling museum to some and making it [a] much warmer and cozier place to visit,” Landry said.
In between the event’s activities, ample apple cider, donuts, and cheese were provided by the McMullen, imbuing fall spirit.
The Music Guild drew a large crowd to the atrium with the group’s live performances. Particular highlights were an acoustic guitar duet by Colin Martin, MCAS ’24, and Cole Dumas, MCAS ’24, of The Cure’s “Friday I’m in Love” and an impressive rendition of Vance Joy’s “Riptide” performed by Paula Toledano Cabrera, CSOM ’23. A powerful rendition of The Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun” was performed by Bayar Tuvshinjargal, a BC grad student, and Cormac Delaney, MCAS ’25. Finally, Melissa Mao, MCAS ’23, performed some of her original songs.
The museum showed several horror movies throughout the event, including The Host (2006), Oculus (2013), and the “White Bear” episode of Black Mirror. These weren’t the only videos on display, though, as one of the interactive exhibits projected abstract and classically spooky clips over the art pieces featured in the second-floor gallery. Another interactive exhibit took the form of “fog art”—displayed by projections filtering through a dense, machine-produced fog in a tent behind the museum.
Mao said that the McMullen team was very helpful when setting up the stage and equipment for the Music Guild, and she thought the food included at the event was fantastic.
Music Guild co-vice president Elliott Shin, MCAS ’22, wanted to extend thanks to the McMullen staff for inviting the Music Guild to be a part of the event.
“We hope that our music was a good accompaniment to the art on display,” Shin said.
The Art After Dark event at the McMullen wasn’t just an exhibition of student talent, but a wholesome and fun night that, for many, embodied the joys of the fall season.
Featured Images by Steve Mooney / For The Heights
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