Museums After Dark

After-hours-museum-party fever is spreading in Washington. The next two Fridays offer promising options for those who like a little art with their nightlife.

Choose Good at the Hirshhorn
7 p.m.-midnight, Friday, Sept. 7
With DJs, photo booths and multimedia art shows, this soiree seems to follow in the footsteps of the wildly popular Hirshhorn After Hours events. The event is actually organized by Good magazine, self-described as "the magazine for people who give a damn."

Eric Hilton, Dave Nada, Will Eastman and Jacques Renault will be spinning throughout the night as party-goers browse the Hirshhorn galleries. There will be free munchies, an open bar and free sunflower seeds, t-shirts and other goodies.

The catch? You have to be a Good magazine subscriber to attend. A flip through the most recent issue reveals a well-designed publication that celebrates socially conscious causes and the people who promote them. The magazine doesn't pocket the $20 yearly subscription fee (for six issues). Instead, subscribers donate the entire fee to one of the magazine's 12 partner charities when they sign up online.

Wannabe attendees must RSVP by 4 p.m. on Friday through this site. We usually shy away from posting members-only events, but with a DJ lineup this good, Friday night's event looks like a great party -- with a steep cover that goes to charity. The magazine subscription is just a bonus.

Celebrate With the African Art Contemporaries
7-11 p.m., Friday, Sept. 14
The young membership group at the National Museum of African Art hosts this evening event, which features drinks and apps, exhibit tours and the bossa nova sounds of Cape Verdian musician Patrick DeSantos. Unlike Hirshhorn After Hours events, admission is free and includes two complimentary drink tickets. (And that's all she wrote: There's a two-drink limit on alcoholic beverages.) An RSVP is required by Sept. 7. Shoot a line to africanartevents@si.edu.

--Julia

By Julia Beizer |  September 5, 2007; 11:21 AM ET Museums
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