IU Art Museum kicks off first of January Coffeehouse Nights

Thursday night was a night of firsts for the IU Art Museum. It was its first time hosting a Coffeehouse Nights series in January, its first time partnering with Bloomingfoods to provide snacks and its first time offering live music from the Mbira Queens of Sheasby Matiure in the art gallery.\nAn assortment of about 160 students and faculty showed up at the museum to enjoy African art, free desserts, five sample varieties of coffee and live music, said Emily Powell, manager of external relations at the museum.\n“It was initially to have more student-focused events, she said. “We really wanted to create an event that encouraged students to come in, have fun and enjoy the art. We don’t want students to come just because they have a class assignment or they are on deadline and that’s it.”\nGuests also participated in the scavenger hunt and the raffle the museum offered with prizes from the Angles Café and Gift Shop.\n“Having the events where a lot of people come makes you feel more at home,” said Tom Fennewald, a first-year graduate student at IU.\nEllen Jameson, IU department of Education research associate, said she particularly enjoyed the music at the event. \n“Live music is as much an exhibit of culture as anything else,” she said. \nWhile groups of people gathered on the second floor to sip coffee and taste desserts, four of the five members of the Mbira Queens performed their music on the third floor inside the art gallery.\n“It’s a different venue than we’ve ever played in as a group,” said Sarah Cluff, an IU graduate student in anthropology and a member of the Mbira Queens since 2005.\nMeghan Reef, a member of the group since fall 2007, said she thought the turnout looked good.\nIt was different for her to have people standing behind her to watch the group play.\n“I feel like we’re an exhibit sitting in the middle of the gallery,” said Reef, recent IU graduate in ethnomusicology. “Without having your regular audience out front, it provides a different atmosphere.”\nPowell said the museum plans on having more Coffeehouse Nights, but won’t know until at least the end of the series if they will continue having them in January. The art museum has had two previous Coffeehouse Nights series in Sept. 2007 and Sept. 2006. \n“We are always thinking about what would be good to help attract students,” Powell said.