“Only ‘90s kids will understand this article” is a phrase that’s been echoed over and over on sites like Buzzfeed. The reason is simple: people born during that decade make up the demographic that reads sites like these the most, so the websites cater to them. In return, that generation, usually referred to as Millennials, feels like they’re all part of some exclusive club. Well, now there’s an even more specialized club: ‘90s kids in Utah.
The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) is throwing a two-day party with the main event being an “I <3 Retro” party on Saturday night. The party will feature music from the ‘80s and ‘90s, a retro raffle and an original Super Smash Brothers tournament.
The retro dance party isn’t the only thing happening this weekend, however. There will also be food trucks, yoga, gallery talks and other exhibits. The party serves as a last hurrah for the museum as it will be temporarily closed for remodeling and re-installation. It will close on Monday, January 18th, and is estimated to reopen in spring 2017.
Each exhibit or event is free of charge. UMFA is located on campus, and parking is free on campus during weekends. Here is a sneak peak at all the weekend events.
Behind the Scenes: Caring for the Collection tour
The museum has more than 20,000 objects in the UMFA’s collection. You’ve likely seen a hundred or so, at most. The rest of the art lies in the basement, typically off limits to the general public. But come this weekend-long party, the staff is letting three groups of around 15 visitors tour the building’s three main storage rooms. Visitors can see rows upon rows of ceramics, paper works rarely on view and the majority of the African collection.
Tours are first come, first serve.
Sat., 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
SENSEsational
If you miss the basement tours, you can tour the main UMFA galleries using your fingers, noses, ears and taste buds. The SENSEsational Tour allows visitors to experience the galleries in a way they’ve never experienced. Typically these tours are reserved for people with disabilities, but participation is open to all who get to the tour.
Sat., 5 p.m.
Modern Moves: Dance performances in the Great Hall
Faculty, students and alumni of the U’s Department of Modern Dance are performing in he G.W. Anderson Family Great Hall. The program, curated by Stephen Koester, chair of the Modern Dance department, will allow students to experience the ways different forms of art intersect while enjoying a performance by the nationally-renowned dance program.
Sat. & Sun., 6 p.m.
Scarabs
For those that want to bring kids along, there is a special event for families. Scarabs, which is part of the Third Saturday for Families, a monthly day of crafts and arts to engage children in artistic endeavors. This event happens throughout the afternoon, so there’s no need to rush the little ones out the door to make it to the museum on time.
Sat., 1-4 p.m.
For additional events and times, visit the umfa.utah.edu/longliveart.