why you should head to your local museums for world renowned experiences

I’ve been to New York several times and had never been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art until a recent trip this past fall. I’ve been to just about every museum in Tennessee; every tourist attraction in Nashville, but I had never been to the Frist Center for Performing Arts until about a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been to just about every museum in Paris, France: The Louvre, Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles and more. In fact, I completed the Paris museum ring in about 4 days! Each time, I can tell you that I’ve come out a new person, renewed and rejuvenated in so many magnificent ways. ​

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No wonder, famous people who attend the Met Gala each year have such a good time! A night filled with the best art in all forms: fashion, music and literal art. The whole world has been watching since 1948 on the first Monday in May to experience the 30k per ticket event through social media and red carpet coverage! The 600 exclusive attendees are told to dress according to showcased exhibitions. So, that's what the public gets to see! After the red carpet, all social media is banned and events of the night are a secret. And, that's exactly where the fun stops for us. But don't fret, some of the same exhibitions that make it in the Met come to our neighborhood too! In fact, one in particular, the Irving Penn: Beyond Beauty Exhibition, came a little earlier than its April 24th debut at the Met in NYC.

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Most people never even venture out to local museums to see some of the very same attractions that are featured in world renowned settings. I'm guilty of this feat too. However, I do live for a good museum exhibit and the Frist Center gave me the experience of a lifetime! On the night of April 13th, I imagined I was making my appearance at the Met Gala- Nashville style, alongside a group of other talented Urbaaniters! I had done my research on Irving Penn, a world-renowned Vogue Photographer, and I was sure my fairytale for the night would come true.

As an avid Vogue fanatic, fashion lover and self-made museum curator, I was ready to explore each piece of Penn's photography. As a former intern for the United States Congress, I recollected my experience giving Capitol tours and how each piece within the tour had so much meaning to digress. You see, visiting a museum exhibit like Irving Penn's is one that will share all aspects of life with you. He shot self-portraits, artistic expressions only grasped through hundreds of takes, various professions, and cultural approaches. I was taking each piece in as if I were going to be leading my group of Capitol tourers through the next great history lesson! Penn's 60 years of work is history. It's perseverance. It's story telling. 

Rather we realize it or not, the stories told through exhibitions like this, help us connect. After myself and the other Nashville, bloggers finished the meetup, we had our own quaint version of the Met Gala reception downstairs in the cafe. We sat conversing over the various components of the exhibition while learning about each other. Live musicians played as we scarfed down a few hors d' oeuvres! I imagined as I was sitting there that we were filming a new episode for some new show for Bravo! Perhaps, entitled Urbaanite's Girl's Night Out. The connections made, the talent of each blogger, the Irving Penn Exhibit, the Frist Center's historic aura made for a complete night of my fondest dreams! 

​Please don't be surprised if you happen to run into me waltzing through the exhibit again in my Met Gala Best enjoying the works of Irving Penn. P.S., if you live in Nashville or are visiting soon, I've included a special reader perk for you! Download your perk below! 

Thoughts by Jasmine Hockett | Irving Penn Exhibit Images Provided by The Frist Center for the Visual Arts | Photography by Life on Forty West: http://www.lifeonfortywest.com