Long gone are the days of showing up to an empty SAM After Hours event and damning yourself for thinking it might have been cool this time. On the contrary, if you felt the bar scene was a little empty last Friday night, SAM might owe you an apology (and a reason to go ahead and mark your calendars for February 26th).

SAM Remix, the quarterly late-night event geared towards the 20- and 30-something crowds, continues to impress and entertain in epic proportions with each passing event. Friday's rendition was an absolute overload for the senses in the best way possible. Lights flashed and glittered, music by DJs Scratchmaster Joe and DJ Riz of KEXP boomed, bodies danced, temporary Michelangelo tattoos were applied, and live figures were drawn. The sheer number of interactive displays, performers, and mini events fused so seamlessly, it was difficult to decipher where the party began and the art ended—just the kind of problem any party at SAM should have.

Members received perks this time around. A members-only lounge offered a retreat from the massive crowd with a nook to spy on the dance floor where they could enjoy a complimentary glass of wine, rub elbows with artists and performers, and imbibe in free-flowing samples of absinthe from the Pernod-sponsored fountain. The crowd hit that fine line where it wasn't overwhelmed by one age group or gender; it was a good mix of both and seemed surprisingly dressed up for a rainy Seattle night. The impossibly long drinks lines characteristic of past events seemed shorter, and people seemed nicer (or maybe it was all the absinthe).

It's been inspiring to see SAM grow their program for young adults in such a hands-on and interactive way and garner the sponsorships and support our city's museum deserves. The next SAM Remix is Friday, February 26, 2010. See you there.

Filed in Arts & Events and tagged art, SAM remix, seattle art museum

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