What are you doing for the first official weekend of fall? The kids are off to school, so why not indulge in a little learning of your own?
On Saturday, September 27, reminisce about the days of PB&J, recess, and yellow school buses by taking a field trip to a local museum– it’s free, courtesy of the Smithsonian.
Heading to a museum is like visiting that eccentric great-aunt who’s traveled the world and amassed a wealth of souvenirs– along with the stories. I love picking out favorite works as if I were a collector looking to buy… sigh. Someday, I’m actually going to have a house to put great art in, but until then my local museums work quite well for eye candy. And while I do visit my favorites quite often, I definitely view my memberships as an investment in my education as well as my general well-being.
Legion of Honor
To make regular excursions less taxing on the wallet, consider an annual membership or going on free days (usually posted on the venue’s website). I’m a member of the DeYoung & the Legion of Honor in SF, as well as the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art. Memberships also come along with benefits like admission to special exhibitions, members opening nights, cocktail hours, speaker series admission, etc. We went to the SVMA 7×7 party a couple months ago and had a great time– and with free-flowing cocktails and wine all night, we probably recouped the equivalent of our membership fee in one evening.
For those of you in the SF area, I would highly recommend the newly renovated California Academy of Sciences in SF’s Golden Gate Park. The widely anticipated opening is this weekend and I’m sure it will be quite busy for some time, but it’s well worth a trip.
Academy of Sciences green roof
Our firm got a private preview tour a couple months ago, and even with half the exhibits missing, we were awestruck. The renovation is nothing short of breathtaking. My favorite elements: the penguin exhibit (see them on camera here), the green roof, and a cool aquarium bubble where you can be surrounded on all sides by the incredible ocean life.
So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and get your culture on! (Then come back and share your favorite piece.)
