A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
JULY + AUGUST 2022
Photos: Isabel Subtil and Caitlin Abrams
A local museum of the utmost caliber, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, has been on my list of dream collaborators for a long time. I love history, objects and culture and MIA delivers beauty and inspiration that touches me deeply. I was beyond honored to be asked to join a dinner series to create atmosphere for the first dinners ever held in one of the galleries proper. The series honors two exhibits- Van Gogh and the Olive Groves and Dressed by Nature: Textiles of Japan.
My collaborators on a Kaiseki style seven course dinner were award winning chefs Jamie Malone of Paris Dining Club and Shigeyuki Furukawa of Kado No Mise. Incredible wine curated by Bill Summerville rounded out the flavors and yours truly brought the atmosphere and decor to the grand Baroque Gallery.
The concept? In the words of Chef Jamie Malone,
“Each course is meant to give you foder for contemplation and conversation. Van Gogh moved to Paris in 1886. While there, he visited Bing’s Attic and became obsessed with Japanese Art. During the same time, Kaiseki dining was very popular in Japan. Kaiseki menus are created to tell a story. Our story is this: Van Gogh’s moves to Japan instead of Paris. How would his influence and art be changed? We start our evening in the cafes of Paris and will end in a Tokyo Kissaten. Some courses will demonstrate classical French cuisine, and some, classical Kaiseki dining.”
And boy oh boy did this collaborative journey turn out to be phenomenal. Six dinners welcoming 45 people were spread out across the summer months. Let me share some of my favorite moments of creativity, atmosphere and the celebration of art.
Six courses of cuisine are joined by three wines and one baby bouquet from Warmhouse Story to take the diners on a journey of what might have been. I designed the table decor to serve as an abstraction of Ikebana floral arranging mixed with European influences that resulted in oversized dried forsythia branch “Ikebana” peppered with naturally hand dyed, hand cut silk ribbon to celebrate the beauty of textiles. Tiny bells finish out the arrangements.
Part of my role was also to create scrolls and cards that introduced each course and further the “what if” story. I believe that creating an engaging and memorable atmosphere is heightened when you highlight all of the senses. The scrolls and baby bouquets with silk ribbon and Indian bell details bring an element of touch and sound to a night filled with delicious flavors, smells and beautiful details that are a feast for the eyes.
The six courses of cuisine were innovative, flavorful and visually stunning. All the courses were plated masterfully by the Chefs and received with joy and surprise by the attendees. Chefs Shige and Jamie volleyed courses with their own take on the elements of a Kaiseki journey. The wine, selected and presented by Bill were meaningful, clever and sublime in concert with the cuisine.
It was such a huge honor to bring the environmental touches of atmosphere to the dinners and I appreciate the hospitality and helpfulness of my collaborators and the team at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
If you live in the Twin Cities, I encourage you to go see the two exhibits honored by this dinner series. They are thought proving, gloriously curated and rich with history and culture. I am humbled to have played a role in this “first” for the museum and all of us as collaborators. This Atmospherist can’t help but be thrilled and fulfilled. Cheers to art, cuisine and atmosphere!
