LACMA Invites You to a Funeral, Yours!!

LACMA INVITES YOU TO A FUNERAL…..YOURS!

That was the by-line from the invitation to attend the recent Muse Costume Ball recently at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.  To really enunciate what it was all about, the museum also tacked onto the title the words ‘Dead Man’s Ball’ which, considering all the outlandish costumes, it was a very aptly named title indeed.  Halloween has never been celebrated in this fashion before.

Guests were encouraged to dress in their funerary best and to join the cast of goulish attendees as they paid their last respects to the dearly departed, that being, one could assume, to be the last days of the Tim Burton exhibit  and one could not find a more appropriate exhibit to close out on, considering Burton’s fondness for the bizarre.  There was vast array of costumes of just about every imaginable kind.  Almost like a homage toBurtoncould be seen a number of Beetlejuice and Pee Wee Herman look-a-likes.  These and other denizens of the make believe world cavorted around the sets and performers from the Sypher Arts Studios to even further augment the weird assemblage.

Much of the show was held at LACMA West, the old May Co. building where most of the festivities were held .  Stilt walkers wandered around to the music of the group ‘She Wants Revenge’.  There were deserts and vodka served with the title ‘Afterlife Elixirs’ on the label.

Muse is LACMA’s premiere membership group for art enthusiasts in their 20’s through 40’s, although a lot of older folks could also be spotted in the affair.  For only $50 on top of any level of LACMA membership, Muse members enjoy a year of benefits designed to further engage them with the museum and the art scene.

The whole show appeared well thought out and thoroughly professional.  There were a lot of other parties one could attend to celebrate this festive part of the year but it wouldn’t take much reflection to realize that this one tops them all.

BOB TINSLEY

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