If you feel like leaving your room despite the howling winds and sub-freezing temperatures, taking in a little of Boston’s rich art scene might warm you up, at least intellectually.
The city offers many different venues and types of art to the public, from galleries to museums, but I tried to find options that were cheap or free. The Institute of Contemporary Art’s (ICA) free Thursday night offered the perfect evening activity to relax after a long week and ease into the long weekend.
The ICA offers an incredibly curated artistic experience that will be interesting for those seasoned in art and casual viewers alike. The various exhibitions all display refreshing and challenging takes on modern art, and the museum itself is a strikingly beautiful work of modern architecture.
The Nina Chanel Abney display is captivating, geometric and compelling. The bright colors and stark shapes are intended to speak to “social tensions in the digital age, including the constant stream of true and false information, the dilemma of liberal racism, and abuses of power that lead to structural inequality,” according to the ICA website. Abney’s work is at the ICA until March 15 and I highly recommend seeing it while it’s still in Boston. The Tschabalala Self: Out of Body exhibit is also a must see. The exhibition is the Harlem, N.Y. artist’s biggest and it’s made up of sculptures and paintings that are “reflections of the artist or people she can imagine meeting in Harlem, her hometown.” In addition to these amazing exhibits and many others, the Sterling Ruby display will open Feb. 26.
Admission is free at the ICA every Thursday night from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., making it an awesome activity for an evening in the city. With the money you save, it’s a great idea to enjoy some food in the area. The ICA’s ‘SunBar’ looks out on Boston Harbor, and the Seaport District surrounding the museum has abundant options as well. Yoki Express offers delicious sushi burritos, Bon Me serves tasty Vietnamese cuisine and Harpoon Brewery specializes in the bar food classics. The ICA’s website is required reading for a trip to the museum itself or the neighborhood, with a schedule of events and other recommended eateries.
To get to the ICA, take the Red Line from Davis Square all the way to South Station, and then take a Silver Line bus to the Courthouse stop or Uber/Lyft the rest of the way. If you head to the Seaport District this week be sure to stay warm and enjoy all that the ICA has to offer!
Get off campus guide: Art art art
