Moore at Night

Last night I visited the exhibition solely as a spectator, rather than as exhibitions manager. It was everything I expected and Moore. (Puns make me feel so witty...but, I digress...)The night experience in the Garden is very near and dear to me. After staffing all but one night of Chihuly nights in 2004, from April through December, it became my personal mission to ensure that all future exhibitions were superbly lit. Not that Chihuly wasn't spectacular at night, it was. However, the Garden simply wasn't designed to be open at night and had minimal ambient lighting, which put a big burden on the limited amount of show lighting to accomplish more that it was designed to do. We learned a lot that year, and Chihuly nights, along with Cocktails in the Garden, created a model for evening events in botanical gardens throughout the United States. Since then, we've added miles and miles of electrical cable and made a substantial investment in theatrical lighting. I believe it's paid off. Viewing an exhibition outdoors in the Garden at night is a revelation. The vibrant landscape recedes, freeing the sculptures from the visual competition that exists during the daytime. Shadows and highlights emerge, drawing the eye to details that may otherwise be missed. Hill Arches is a great example. With its pale green patina and all white floral planting underneath, this piece practically smiles in the sunshine all day. It's bright and bold and cheerful...if sculpture can be cheerful...just go along with me on this one! At night, it's a completely different picture. It's ghostly, eearie, like it might creep through the bed and over the fence in the dark of night. It seems to be in motion somehow.

The Garden itself comes alive at night as well. The air is thick with the scent of jasmine and agarista populifolia. And OMG, the frogs. The frogs! Outside, the bullfrogs snort away, calling out to one another quite enthusiastically. While inside the conservatory, a chorus of chirping rain frogs and large tokay geckos carries on. It's incredibly loud, and always makes me burst out laughing because it's so unexpected. It's like a giant reptilian party in the tropics.

And have I mentioned the cocktails? Moore cocktails more fun...really! This month's theme is Moore and Martinis, but you can also select a fine British beer or pretty much any kind of mixed drink. We're flexible that way, and it's all quite tasty and refreshing. This is my friend Cheryl with her tasty British beer standing inside Large Two Forms. I was so excited to see the show with her since she is English. I thought she would pop two years ago when I told her we were hosting this show. She didn't, but she and I truly enjoyed the show last night.