Museum-going: An Insider’s Primer
Some while ago I was having a conversation that went something like this:
Colleague: “Have you noticed how unusually slow it is in the mornings?”
Me: “Yeah, like everyone is up late playing World of Warcraft and then realizing around 11:30 or noon that they should come see the Samurai exhibition.”
Colleague: “They’ll sure be sorry come September!”
Me: “Ugh, don’t remind me, Afghanistan? Bhutan? Yikes…”
I’m not pointing out my razor-sharp ability to spot gamers at the Asian Art Museum, nor am I complaining about the ample time I have to re-alphabetize books, or steal down to my desk to drink coffee and field mail orders. I’m simply pointing out to you, dear patron, that you’re missing a golden opportunity to see Lords of the Samurai all by your lonesomes. Since the trend really seems to be toward crowd-heavy afternoons, the best views can be had earlier in the day. To paraphrase my father, “10AM?! Why, the day’s half over by then!”
If you were to visit me in the store, I cannot promise a chipper disposition, but you can be sure that I will not have been asked for the 15th time if there is a catalog for the exhibition or “hey, what’s the story with those woodblocks? Are they for real?”
In case you’re wondering, that photograph above is one I took on a Saturday during the run of Afghanistan. Be warned. I’m not merely pressing some kind of “visit early and often” diatribe on you, just explaining that you may not want to wait until every other procrastinator gets the same idea (this coming from someone who has not yet visited SFMOMA’s current embarrassment of photgraphic riches). Queueing up along the side of a building in Civic Center is not my thing, I can’t imagine it’s yours.
The other pressing matter to be considered? These are the last few weeks for the first rotation of the Lords of the Samurai, when light-sensitive materials like paintings and textiles are swapped out. Which reminds me, I guess I know what I’m doing at the end of my shift tomorrow…
9 Responses to “Museum-going: An Insider’s Primer”
Leave a Reply
cristina on July 23rd, 2009 at 8:15 am
Timely advice, I would also add that shows gets crazier near the end of the exhibition period, so if you turn up during the final week, the atmosphere may be more lively than meditative!
As a bonus, if you come early in the day, there are so many fab lunch options to explore afterward …
bittermelon on July 23rd, 2009 at 10:21 am
Ah yes, timely indeed. Thx for mentioning the new rotation too. You’ve made a compelling argument to entice early visitation.
Sarah on July 23rd, 2009 at 10:42 am
What is the traffic like on Thursday evenings? We will be visiting SF for the first time at the end of next week.
Thanks!
xensen on July 23rd, 2009 at 11:00 am
Sarah, while I’m not usually here on Thursday evenings my impression is that traffic is not too heavy at that time. Soon nico or edeb or bluehour or bittermelon will notice your comment and will be able to say more definitively, but I think that may be a very good time to visit.
bittermelon on July 23rd, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Hi Sarah, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! Personally, I enjoy Thursday evening visits to museums, including ours. More mellow, nice vibe.
Sarah on July 23rd, 2009 at 3:17 pm
OK, great! Thanks so much for the responses! We are very much looking forward to our visit!
namastenancy on July 23rd, 2009 at 6:01 pm
I came by early today (by 10:30) to enjoy the new rotations of work by Chao Shun-An and revisit some of my old favorites. The museum was almost empty so I could really enjoy the contemplative elegance of the Cambodian statues on the 3rd floor and fantasize that the charming tea room on the 2nd is really mine. There were several pieces of pottery that I don’t remember seeing before and I always love visiting the Netsuke pieces. I even put a bit of money into the slot underneath the Ganesh statue at the top of the stairs, leading into the 3rd floor. It was simply wonderful to have all these riches to myself with time for an early lunch before the lunchroom got crowded.
Visit early, visit often – that’s my motto!
nico on July 23rd, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Thank’ee everyone for comments, good points all around (art+lunch=happy).
I second the recommendation for Thursday evenings, even if there aren’t special events (there often are).
Something to keep in mind is the advent of the new Thursday evening exhibition tour, 6.30PM, if you don’t want to do the docent thing just get here at 5PM and there’s a nice discount on admission.
I really envy the chance to be a visitor to the City, here’s hoping the weather’s clement to you!
jessica on July 31st, 2009 at 4:51 pm
The cafe is one of the best museum cafes I have been to. My boyfriend and I shared the soup- I think it was the kinoko ramen, and we were quite pleased and satisfied. Plus the prices were reasonable, especially compared to many museum cafes. The cafe is also a great space to relax in after checking out an exhibit.
Here’s a tip for those who are really pinching pennies: you can pack a lunch and eat in the park in front of the museum. But, if you want to jet out your door and get to the museum without thinking about making lunch, you can fill up at the cafe for under $10.