First off, great party. I loved seeing everyone turn out for this. I loved how the courtyard was set up, the three bars, the interactive mural, the cheapie taco stand and the great exhibits (except for the Ettore Sottsass, didn’t care much for that).

My friends and I had gotten there around 7:30 so it was still fairly manageable to navigate. No lines for anything really and that was just fabulous. The only line we really encountered was the looong but fast-moving “exclusive” RSVP line to get in. Which didn’t make sense to me since if anyone can RSVP, then it’s not really exclusive, is it? In stark contrast to that, on the other side of the entrance was the very short “No RSVP” line with just nine people or so patiently waiting.

Once in, I looked at the map we were given for the festivities and saw there was a taco stand tucked in a corner of the courtyard, and that was my first stop. For $3 I got two soft carne asada tacos to fill up for the drinking. At the bar I ordered a $9 Jack and Coke. Yeah, it was funny that the food was cheaper than the cocktail for a change. But at least it was a pretty stiff drink.

After knocking that back, we proceeded to the “Miro to Warhol” exhibit which was startling in its jumble of artwork from all periods with no apparent rhyme or reason. I know I have a short attention span but it evoked the same sensation as flipping through TV channels very fast.

Upstairs was the exhibit for Mrzyk & Moriceau and Felicien Rops’ “You Only Live 25 Times,” which I really enjoyed. You might know M&M for the music video they did for Air’s “Don’t Be Light.” Looking at all the random drawings, one gallery goer said it reminded her of The Yellow Submarine.

My brother and I snickered at the drawings of My Little Pony doing a line of coke and the depiction of Jesus hula-hooping a crown of thorns. But I loved the way the exhibit was designed with black-inked drawings decorating the walls like a painted garden growing along the wall and arching over a doorway. One room’s painted-black floor spilled out into the other rooms like a sea of black ink.

At around 9pm, things started to really pick up as there were lines to get into everything. We didn’t bother lining up for the booksignings or for getting in to see the screening for Art School Confidential.

Instead we wandered around the courtyard bumping into more and more people as the crowd grew denser. Once the line for the bar got too long that’s when we decided to call it a night.
Things overheard at the bash:

“I turn out better stuff doodling while I’m on the phone…” — an art observer

“South Carolina…Texas…” “What are you talking about? I said, ‘What kind of taco are you getting?’” — girls standing in line for the taco truck