Costumed guests enjoy Halloween in the Hollow at Crystal Bridges

Frankenstein and his bride strolled past Snow White and Grumpy in the halls of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art on Friday night (Oct. 31). They and approximately 400 other Artinfusion members and guests in costume were at the museum to take part in the annual Halloween in the Hollow party, one of the affinity group’s activities.

During the Halloween party, guests toured the south gallery of the museum where the “State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now” exhibit is on display. Throughout the evening, they dined on Halloween-themed cuisine crafted by the museum’s restaurant, Eleven; and danced to the “funky soul sounds” of Austin-based Roxy Roca, a band that was showcased at SXSW 2012 and 2013.

“It’s a good opportunity to let loose; and everybody dresses up,” said Beth Bobbitt, media relations manager at Crystal Bridges Museum. “There is an element of art and culture and music, so it is a safe, fun atmosphere for young professionals.”

Jason Cullers, Alexandra Fish and Adam Zino came to the party together because they liked the museum setting and were interested in seeing if the costumes at this party were better than at other gathering spots around town.

“We thought it would be cool to go through the exhibit and we thought people that came would have cooler costumes,” Zino said.

The costumes at the party were some of the best they had ever seen, they said.

This was the third year for Artinfusion to host a Halloween in the Hollow party and it was a huge success, Emily Ironside, membership program manager for Crystal Bridges, said. Attendance doubled over last year and that made it the biggest Halloween event at the museum to date.

“Artinfusion is an affinity group for our membership,” Bobbitt said. “It is geared towards young professionals, ages 21 to 40s. We have different events and activities such as a monthly culture hour and different opportunities throughout the year.”

Members also have the opportunity to visit the studios of local artists.

“We just took a group of our Artinfusion members to George Dombek’s studio a few weeks ago; and we have an upcoming opportunity with Matt Miller, who is a Fayetteville artist,” Bobbitt said. “It’s an opportunity for a small group of Artinfusion members to get an up close, intimate experience with the artist in their studio and that is a big perk for the members.”

Artinfusion engages members with the museum in fun and creative ways, Ironside said.

“We throw big events to get them here and they realize that the museum is a good place to hang out with friends,” she said. “We try all sorts of programming for ages 21 to 40s, geared towards keeping them engaged and interested in art. In our minds, they are our future art collectors, our future art supporters, our future art enthusiasts.”

One of the biggest benefits to Artinfusion membership is having the opportunity to meet other young professionals, Bobbitt said.

“It is a great opportunity to network with other people from other companies and with people from around the city,” said Vnay Bedi, a guest at the party who recently moved from Minnesota to work in the area.

The next big event for Artinfusion members is the Black Hearts Ball. It is an anti-Valentine’s Day party on Feb. 14, Ironside said. 

“This will be our third annual and it’s a very popular event,” she said.

Membership to Artinfusion is $30 for individuals and $50 for dual/family members, in addition to the cost of membership to the museum. Artinfusion members receive free admission to all Artinfusion events, an annual value of approximately $100 per person. Nonmembers are eligible to attend some Artinfusion events, but must pay $25 per person for each event.

For more information on Artinfusion, contact the Crystal Bridges member call center at 479-418-5728 or email [email protected].