Creative Non-Fiction

NOTE: This is a Saturday event! We hope to see you at the next open community meetup for the MoCo Psychedelic Society, on Saturday, Jan 31st at 1 pm. All are welcome at this event: no prior psychedelic experience is necessary, and you need not have been to one of our prior events to attend. The location will be Meeting Room 1 in the Bethesda Public Library, at 7400 Arlington Road. Parking is available in the lot outside the north door to the building, and the meeting room is the first room on your left as you pass through that door. If travelling by Metro, a red line stop [is a short walk away.](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=red+line+stop+bethesda&atb=v417-1&iaxm=directions&end=what%3AConnie%2520Morella%2520Library%2Cwhere%3A7400%2520Arlington%2520Rd%252C%2520Bethesda%252C%2520MD%2520%252020814%252C%2520United%2520States&transport=walking&start=what%3ABethesda%2520Station%2Cwhere%3ABethesda%2520Station%252C%2520Bethesda%252C%2520MD%252C%2520United%2520States) This meeting will feature a fascinating talk by neuroscientist, Bradley Cooke: **How Psychedelics Affect the Mind: A Neuroscientist's Perspective**. We'll provide tea and light snacks, and there will be ample time after the talk for questions and general psychedelic discussions.

Join DC Polyam at our monthly weekend social. Come by yourself, invite your friends, your partner(s), and even your entire polycule! Come join us from DC proper, Maryland, or Virginia; we welcome all people from all aspects of life and relationship dynamics. Metrobar has non-alcoholic options for those that don't want/don't drink alongside usual food trucks for eating options. Follow us on Instagram and join our Discord @DCPolyam We always enforce a set of house rules in order to maintain a safe space: * **Respectful Behavior** towards hosts and other guests is required; anyone who violates these rules may be asked to leave the event. * **Expectations:** Check your expectations at the door. Being at this event does not signal sexual availability or indicate any aspect of sexual orientation. Our events are about developing friendships and connections within the community. This is a no cruising event, in order to maintain a comfortable atmosphere for our guests. * **Safe Spaces:** We strive to create a safe space for people of ALL identities, including those who do not identify as polyamorous. * **No photography, video, or recording** of any kind is allowed **without prior verbal consent** of all parties involved. * **Verbal Consent:** Please be sure to ask and wait for a yes before hugging or initiating any physical contact, and encourage each other to speak openly about consent and personal boundaries. This helps foster a culture where personal boundaries are supported and attendees are empowered to speak confidently of their limits. (i.e. “Can I give you a hug?” “No thank you, but I would love a handshake.”) If you have any questions please feel free to reach out!

Hey Poetry Lovers! This group is on a roll. Here’s the gist: We meet at the **Capital One Café in Chinatown** from **12pm - 2pm** every other week. For enrichment, we start by reading and reflecting on a **“published poem”**, suggested by someone in the group. No advance preparation is necessary. But feel free to check out some of the poems we’ve read [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSyE_wCLQCPHRrKmN5F9tOIeeRQUZESxjRXGVBoCF2uU8Gm0_d0uECiCBCQXEy6ksxfsBOhtRIOpW3T/pubhtml?gid=0&single=true&widget=true&headers=false%22%3E%3C/iframe%3E). Or submit suggestions for future meetings [here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexGc2Z2Kp6bZW0D3_hfJ7NUUkfNHf7TXX-43FglCeBd9EF2Q/viewform?usp=send_form). Next, we **share our work and offer feedback**. Depending on attendance, everyone gets \~10 minutes to use as they like. (No need to share, though; you’re welcome to come even if you prefer just to listen.) We maintain a **Discord server** to help share our work and communicate outside our bi-weekly meet-ups. If you haven’t used Discord before, take a moment to download it and create an account before arriving. When we meet you on Saturday, we will add you to our server, the “DC Poetry Workshop”, and can help you navigate the app if you have questions. Finally, if you plan on sharing a poem, consider how you will do so. Some options include: * Print 5-10 copies to distribute in person * Take and share screenshots in the Discord chat. * Copy the poem into a google doc, change sharing settings to “anyone with link”, and copy the google doc link into the Discord chat. Most importantly, we’re excited to meet you! Catch you on Saturday, Diego / Ian / Cayden / Nate / Otasha / Lia / An

### ***Stepping Back from Work to Lean into Our True Self*** In today’s society, retirement is often viewed as a time to slow down, travel, or finally do the things we never had time for. Yet for many, this transition can also bring unexpected questions about relevance, identity, and purpose, just when we have the wisdom, experience, and perspective to make a meaningful contribution. In this engaging and reflective program, **Sister Jenna will interview Michael Skoler**, former journalist and Aspen Institute executive, in a heartfelt conversation exploring what purposeful retirement can truly look like. Together, they will examine how stepping away from a career can become an invitation to step more fully into our authentic self, using our life experience to serve, mentor, and support others. This session offers a fresh perspective on retirement, not as an ending, but as a powerful new chapter of inner freedom, contribution, and conscious living. ***(In person at the Meditation Museum in Silver Spring, MD)*** Sat., Jan. 31st, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm. Held at Meditation Museum, 9525 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Free Event – Register at: [https://shorturl.at/EiM2Z](https://shorturl.at/EiM2Z)

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation as we discuss ***Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World* by Naomi Klein** Here's the summary: What if you woke up one morning and found you’d acquired another self―a double who was almost you and yet not you at all? What if that double shared many of your preoccupations but, in a twisted, upside-down way, furthered the very causes you’d devoted your life to fighting against? Not long ago, the celebrated activist and public intellectual Naomi Klein had just such an experience―she was confronted with a doppelganger whose views she found abhorrent but whose name and public persona were sufficiently similar to her own that many people got confused about who was who. Destabilized, she lost her bearings, until she began to understand the experience as one manifestation of a strangeness many of us have come to know but struggle to define: AI-generated text is blurring the line between genuine and spurious communication; New Age wellness entrepreneurs turned anti-vaxxers are scrambling familiar political allegiances of left and right; and liberal democracies are teetering on the edge of absurdist authoritarianism, even as the oceans rise. Under such conditions, reality itself seems to have become unmoored. Is there a cure for our moment of collective vertigo? Naomi Klein is one of our most trenchant and influential social critics, an essential analyst of what branding, austerity, and climate profiteering have done to our societies and souls. Here she turns her gaze inward to our psychic landscapes, and outward to the possibilities for building hope amid intersecting economic, medical, and political crises. With the assistance of Sigmund Freud, Jordan Peele, Alfred Hitchcock, and bell hooks, among other accomplices, Klein uses wry humor and a keen sense of the ridiculous to face the strange doubles that haunt us―and that have come to feel as intimate and proximate as a warped reflection in the mirror. Combining comic memoir with chilling reportage and cobweb-clearing analysis, Klein seeks to smash that mirror and chart a path beyond despair. Doppelganger What do we neglect as we polish and perfect our digital reflections? Is it possible to dispose of our doubles and overcome the pathologies of a culture of multiplication? Can we create a politics of collective care and undertake a true reckoning with historical crimes? The result is a revelatory treatment of the way many of us think and feel now―and an intellectual adventure story for our times. **Let’s meet at Caboose Commons in Fairfax to enjoy some good discussion and meet new friends.**

This book club will be hosted at Teaism (Penn quarter location; 400 8th St NW). However if 4 or fewer people RSVP it will be moved to virtual (https://meet.google.com/bux-wtkw-qdp?hs=224). Please check up on meetup for updates before coming. **Summary** As flying boomed in the 1960s, women from across America applied for jobs as stewardesses. They were drawn to the promise of glamour, the chance to travel, and an alternative to traditional occupations like homemaking, nursing, and teaching. But as the number of “stews” grew, so did their suspicion that the job was not as picture-perfect as the ads would have them believe. “Sky girls” had to adhere to strict weight limits at all times; gain a few extra pounds and they’d be suspended from work. They couldn’t marry or have children; their makeup, hair, and teeth had to be just so. Girdles were mandatory on the clock. And, most important, stewardesses had to resign at 32. Eventually the stewardesses began to push back and it’s thanks in part to their trailblazing efforts that working women have gotten closer to workplace equality today. Nell McShane Wulfhart crafts a rousing narrative of female empowerment, the paradigm-shifting ’60s and ’70s, the labor movement, and the cadre of gutsy women who fought for their rights—and won. \-\-\-\-\- DCNOW is the [DC chapter ](http://www.dc-now.org/)of the [national organization for women](http://www.now.org/).

**RSVP through [this link](https://partiful.com/e/gQEYp0TKhTcKT6DsOwRe?c=arvpX4dn) only!** Interested in creating community around our shared mortality? Join us every other month for casual chats, guided by our readings, about death, dying, grief, and ultimately, life. **Current read:** *Too Poor to Die: The Hidden Realities of Dying in the Margins* by Amy Shea Buy [here](https://bookshop.org/p/books/too-poor-to-die-the-hidden-realities-of-dying-in-the-margins-amy-shea/0de5ecc3c35fbc73?ean=9781978843981&next=t&next=t&affiliate=88548) to support People's Book in Takoma Park, MD.

# Melani N. Douglass # *Prescription is HOME: A Manifesto* **January 23-April 18, 2026** **Opening Reception** **Saturday, January 31, 1:00-4:00 p.m.** **Mason Exhibitions** **3601 Fairfax Drive** **Arlington VA 22201** **\*Editor’s Note: Inclement Weather Notice—Check with venue prior to attending event. East City Art is unable to update listings due to cancellations or other schedule changes.** Melani N. Douglass will provide an artist talk and discussion with the families featured in the exhibition. It’s not a housewarming without a little family competition! We’ll have a spades tournament, and a table ready for those who are interested in learning. A live DJ and light refreshments will assist in bringing the community together to warm this HOME exhibition. *The Prescription is HOME: A Manifesto* is a community-sourced, immersive visual arts exhibition. Created in collaboration with community members, the exhibition reimagines the home as a site of healing, cultural memory, and collective care. Through participatory installations, visitors are invited to contribute personal stories, photographs, and recipes, shaping an evolving communal archive. Anchored by a symbolic house frame and a shared kitchen table, the exhibition blurs the boundaries between personal and collective space. *The Prescription is HOME* positions home as both sanctuary and catalyst - where connection, care, and transformation begin. **[Masonexhibitions.org](http://masonexhibitions.org/)** Hours: Wednesday, 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. * * * * ***

Our second Oddball Adventure follows a teenage boy’s unexpected experience over the course of two days in the London borough of Croydon. He’s a fan of punk music, and after a good old head-banging session at a local club, he and his two buddies wander around until they happen upon a house where a party is in progress. They knock, and to their surprise they’re invited inside where strange characters are dancing to strange music. Despite the weird atmosphere, the protagonist is attracted to a girl who’s never heard of punk rock and wants to learn about it. The pair run off into the night for an escapade of cosmic proportions. ■ Title — *How to Talk to Girls at Parties* ■ Director — John Cameron Mitchell ■ Cast — Elle Fanning, Alex Sharp, Nicole Kidman ■ Rating — R ■ ©2017 \| 1h 42m \| Comedy\, Music\, Romance\, Sci\-Fi

Join us in opening the new year in French-Mediterranean Style at Barbouzard! The Washington Post review (by Tom Sietsema Sept. 18, 2025) The crackle of energy whenever a new restaurant debuts reminds me of opening night at the theater. In many cases, the dining room is (over) staffed with a cast of well-rehearsed people, dressed to impress in whatever uniform the owners think represents the theme, everyone eager to introduce you to a concept they hope you enjoy. A new-car smell typically mingles with kitchen aromas. “Welcome to Barbouzard,” a server says to my posse, launching into a spiel that announces veteran chef Cedric Maupillier, of the late Convivial in Shaw, as the headliner and a theme designed to bring a taste of the French Riviera to downtown Washington. The name, suggested by a friend of principal managing partner Nasr El Hage and rooted in French slang, alludes to the city’s sense of power, intrigue, the clandestine. “Barbouzard means ‘secret agent,’” says our server, whose gaze then pivots to me. “You never know,” he says playfully. “One of *you* could be a secret agent!” Maupillier and El Hage met at a Bastille Day party at the French Embassy last year and launched Barbouzard on K Street NW with a cocktail party for friends and supporters July 14 — a year to the day later. Maupillier seems born for this job. A son of Toulon, the chef has relatives in Cannes and Marseille. (His résumé includes the late Mintwood Place, Central Michel Richard and the long-shuttered Citronelle.) “I want to cook for everybody,” he says, acknowledging that not everyone has “a budget for caviar,” a feature along with shellfish platters at Barbouzard. One of his more gently priced dishes, a rabbit pasta, is $31 and harks back to his youth, when he spent time in Provence, hunting with his grandfather. Maupillier uses ruffled, bell-shaped campanelle, the better to catch juicy bites of braised rabbit, lightly sweet with carrots, woodsy with mushrooms and whisked to the table beneath filings of pecorino. If you pay any attention to menu categories, an increasing number of restaurants are offering what amount to two sets of appetizers. One is usually described as “snacks” or “bites,” sometimes for sharing; the other is a typical first course. A sly way of getting diners to spend more money? A chance for chefs to put more of their creativity on display? Whatever the reasoning, focus on what the menu at Barbouzard calls “easy to share finger food.” The showiest of the bunch look like petits fours: bases of brioche layered with foie gras mousse, preserved cherry and port jelly. Each of the five bites of “Foie Gras Opéra” glints with edible gold. “I feel bad about eating this,” says a companion as he pops the rich art into his mouth. Even the more common combinations call to me. Crimson slices of bell pepper slowly cooked in olive oil and paired with Nicoise olives and plump, intense Calabrian anchovies feels like eating red peppers for the first time, and salt cod whipped with potato, olive oil, garlic and thyme and sprinkled with toasted breadcrumbs makes a standout brandade de morue. Kudos to the restaurant for welcoming more people to the party by flagging dishes that contain nuts and pork and are gluten-free or vegetarian. Cracker-like chickpea pancakes served with a pistachio-colored foam of whipped scallions and cream cheese present like some of the fanciest chips and dip in town. Your next stops on the menu ought to be crudo and scallops. Maupillier creates what resembles a rose from ribbons of raw tuna, which blossom in a frothy pool of coconut milk and minced bell peppers dotted with cilantro oil. Influencers (aren’t we all these days?) are also likely to snap and post seared scallops interspersed with miniature corn flans in a foamy orange pool coaxed from red curry paste, fish stock, milk and sharpeners including ginger and lemongrass. The dish tastes of sea, summer, the tropics. Chef might consider bottling and selling just the sauce. (Hint, hint.) This being downtown, the owners thought Maupillier should put steak on the script, which the chef reluctantly did. D.C. is stocked with places that excel at grilled beef, after all. Still, hanger steak served with a bold green peppercorn sauce and housemade fries could compete with the city's best. More novel is a fan of smoked duck, each slice rimmed in a band of flavor-carrying fat, splayed over braised leeks and endive and a dark red beet puree. Orange in different guises lends vibrancy to the main course. Some lesser moments sneak in, among them the rich-on-rich lobster Américaine, the seafood a little muted, the pasta cooked nearly to mush. I love the sauce, though, a creamy, cognac-laced bisque fueled with lots of flavor from lobster shells. Maupillier is proud of his elegant bouillabaisse, in which the different fish and shellfish are cooked separately and the broth is added at the table. Fans of the traditional, more robust and saucier version of the classic might be disappointed. (In fairness, the dish is listed with quote marks.) The restaurant doesn’t pause between lunch and dinner. Instead, it offers “golden hour,” during which lighter fare — a wagyu cheeseburger, gazpacho, truffle prosciutto croquettes — is offered. Basically, the amenity is a happy hour that does double duty, playing up the room’s gold accents and its location in the Golden Triangle, downtown’s business district. I can see the room animated with diners who prefer way-late lunches, super-early dinners or anyone who needs a little festivity at odd hours. Convivial enjoyed a well-deserved reputation for sweet endings, renown that continues at Barbouzard, where the warm date pudding is enhanced with halvah ice cream and a cardamom-infused toffee sauce. Fittingly, one dessert is designed to look like a tin of caviar. In reality, it’s tiramisu paved with chocolate pearls set with chilled oil (hence a shimmer like pricey roe) set in a tin atop faux crushed ice. Very Vegas, the confection goes by “Caviamisu.” The charm award goes to what looks like a pear robed in chocolate, named for the chef’s mother, who adored the dish. Slicing into the dessert, Poire Belle Michèle, reveals a delightful surprise: the form is shaped from hazelnut financier, diced pear, white chocolate and more, then centered in a wavy bowl of marzipan-sweetened custard sauce. El Hage says he wants to make Barbouzard a dining destination, and he’s off to a strong start. More than $4 million went into the interior whipped up by designer Olvia Demetriou of HapstackDemetriou+. The light fixtures suggest champagne bubbles, the floors are paved with stone or tiles that look like white oak, the ceiling is coffered, and the seating — plush red chairs, cinnamon-colored booths with their own sound systems — is all about your comfort. El Hage says he plans to dim the lights and use blackout shades for future brunch service. Already, a DJ emerges on Friday and Saturday nights, when the owner hopes “After Dark” catches nightcappers. Is now a proper moment to talk about luxury dining? The times are some of the most sobering I can remember in the past 25 years, what with wage hikes, the federal takeover of DC police and ICE crackdowns on immigrants. I point this out to say the word “restaurant” comes from a French verb that means “to restore” and that eating establishments are, good times and bad, the backdrop to many of our lives — indeed, some of them make life more worth living. Barbouzard aspires to help light the way. Looking forward to sharing this experience with you! ***Check out menus [here](https://barbouzard.com/menu/)*** We ask that ALL folks honor their RSVP. If you are unable to attend after sending in a YES, please update your status so that others may join. In the event our group incurs a fee for no-shows / late cancellations, your ability to RSVP for future events will be restricted. Thank you in advance for your understanding. **WAITLIST:** Meetup does not allow a waitlist for paid events. If this event fills and you are interested in adding your name to the waitlist, please send host a message through the app. \*Note: Event fee is non-refundable\* In the future, we will vary the days of the week and the types of restaurants so that we can attract many different types of diners. Feel free to make suggestions for future meet locations. All diners will pay their own tab. before departing the event. If you are unable to join us in January we hope you'll stay interested and join us for a meal in the future. Looking forward to catching up with you for a fantastic dinner at Barbouzard!

Dale Gnidovec, Curator of the Orton Hall Museum of Geology at The Ohio State University, will be presenting a program he has wanted to share with us for a long time: Plate Tectonics. His description of his program: Continents on the move - Nothing in Earth history makes sense without moving continents - it tells us why mountains, volcanoes, minerals, and fossils are where they are. This talk examines the evidence for continental drift, why it was disbelieved, and explains how the more-encompassing theory of plate tectonics was developed and eventually proven. Dale is an energetic, incredibly knowledgeable, and very entertaining speaker and this will be another wonderful program by Dale. Hope to see you there! Food and drinks will be provided at the event. Feel free to show up a little bit early to hang out and talk. Going forward our meetings will be hybrid. You can meet us in-person or attend online Join Zoom Meeting [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1) Meeting ID: 878 3656 4953 Passcode: 760812 One tap mobile +19292056099,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (New York) +13017158592,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (Washington DC) The formal presentation will start at noon

Attend a free seminar on how to have successful and lasting relationships. At this seminar you will learn: How to spot and handle negative and toxic relationships. How to get through the "rough patches" in a relationship. How to choose the right people to work with. The three things that make or break any relationship. How to make a good relationship great. All are welcome. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. Hosted by the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

Let’s meet and discuss whatever comes to mind about one of Tennesse Williams’ most famous plays.

This is a free, in-person meeting on the subject of betrayals, losses and how to get over them so you can build lasting relationships. Burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse. Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well. Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship. Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action? Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships! Break free from self imposed limitations Here we will discuss: • How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes. • Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you? • Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it? • Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love? • Fights & arguments - what's really behind them? • What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others? • How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change? • Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them? • How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about? • How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career? Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general. Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person. Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life. We look forward to having you join us! This class is sponsored by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

**History** The Columbus Museum of Art traces its roots to 1878, when it was founded as the Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, becoming the first art museum chartered in Ohio. A group of civic leaders established it to bring touring exhibitions and build a public collection. In 1887, it merged with the Columbus Art School (now CCAD) fostering a long partnership in arts education. Initially without a permanent home, the museum operated from temporary spaces until 1919, when art patron Francis C. Sessions deeded his Victorian mansion on East Broad Street to house the growing institution. As collections expanded in the early 20th century, the need for a dedicated building became clear. The Sessions mansion was demolished, and a new Italian Renaissance Revival structure was erected on the same site, opening to the public in 1931. This elegant building, with its grand steps and arches, remains the museum's core today and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. Key early acquisitions, like the Ferdinand Howald Collection of modernist works, helped establish its focus on American and European art. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the museum evolved significantly. It added the Ross Wing in 1974 for exhibitions and renamed itself the Columbus Museum of Art in 1978 during its centennial. A major renovation and expansion completed in 2015 introduced the Margaret M. Walter Wing and Center for Creativity, emphasizing interactive experiences. In 2018, the donation of the Pizzuti Collection and its Short North building expanded the museum's reach into contemporary art, solidifying its role as a dynamic cultural hub. The Columbus Museum of Art boasts a strong collection of late 19th- and early 20th-century European modern art, featuring well-known masters like Claude Monet, whose Impressionist landscapes capture light and atmosphere in ways familiar to many. Visitors can also encounter works by Henri Matisse, renowned for his bold use of color, and Edgar Degas, famous for his graceful depictions of ballerinas and everyday scenes. The museum's early Cubist holdings include pieces by Pablo Picasso, offering glimpses into his revolutionary fragmented style that reshaped modern art. On the American side, the collection highlights iconic figures such as Edward Hopper, whose evocative paintings of urban solitude and quiet American life are widely recognized, and Norman Rockwell, celebrated for his heartfelt illustrations of everyday Americana that have appeared on countless magazine covers. These accessible works by household-name artists provide an inviting entry point for those new to art museums, blending European innovation with distinctly American storytelling. **Summary** For this event, we will tour the [Columbus Museum of Art](https://www.columbusmuseum.org/), which is always free on Sundays. Afterward, we will head over to the nearby, highly-rated, and popular Gemüt Biergarten for drinks and food. Columbus's art museum is not large, and we won't need to rush through in order to see everything. However, it's a little windy (with a long "i") and maze-like in spots, and if you've never gone through it before, it can be a little confusing at first. **Tickets and Pricing** The Museum is free on Sundays. **Parking** The short answer here is that you can park for free (in the Safe Auto lot) when you visit the Museum on weekends. The longer answer is that the Museum has a dedicated parking lot, whose entrance and exit are on E Gay St, just north of Broad St. You can see this parking lot [here on Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Columbus+Museum+Of+Art+Parking/@39.9648853,-82.9882364,18.67z/data=!4m14!1m7!3m6!1s0x883888d20177f111:0xbf595a71d9d8c8c5!2sColumbus+Museum+of+Art!8m2!3d39.9642074!4d-82.9878972!16zL20vMDM0Z3F6!3m5!1s0x883888d21f05e00f:0xb72a56e4ac2d4fba!8m2!3d39.9651763!4d-82.9881746!16s%2Fg%2F11f3pdx3tx?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTIwOS4wIKXMDSoKLDEwMDc5MjA3MUgBUAM%3D). This parking has normally been $7, unless you buy something either in the Museum's gift shop or café, in which case it's $5 (you have to bring your receipt to the Museum's front desk to get this discount). However, the Museum is currently in the process of upgrading their parking lot's intercom (or some such), and until such time as this is completed, parking in this lot is free. Once this upgrade is complete, though, the charge is likely to increase from $7 to $10. This upgrade is supposed to be done by the time we run this event, but given how these things work, I wouldn't be totally surprised if it's not complete by then. You'll know the lot is free if the gate arms to both the entrance and exit are fixed in a raised position when you arrive. However, there's a large parking lot for Safe Auto on the other side of N Washington Ave, between Boone St and Hutton Pl. You can see this parking lot [here on Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/39%C2%B057'54.4%22N+82%C2%B059'13.9%22W/@39.9651069,-82.9884087,18z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d39.965105!4d-82.987191?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTIwOS4wIKXMDSoKLDEwMDc5MjA3MUgBUAM%3D). Visitors to the Museum may always park for free in this lot on weekends. **The End of History** After completing our dissertation in [Art Appreciation](https://www.facebook.com/groups/879880336006462/posts/1734229683904852/), we'll head over to the highly-rated [Gemüt Biergarten](https://www.gemutbiergarten.com/) for [drinks and food](https://www.gemutbiergarten.com/#full-menu). The brewery is located in [Olde Towne East](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Olde+Towne+East,+Columbus,+OH/@39.9600896,-82.9935095,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x883888c29b9d98cb:0x55fc96810facc832!8m2!3d39.9579938!4d-82.9761254!16s%2Fm%2F026vlz4?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTIwOS4wIKXMDSoKLDEwMDc5MjA3MUgBUAM%3D), and its actual address is [734 Oak St, Columbus, OH 43205](https://www.google.com/maps/place/734+Oak+St,+Columbus,+OH+43205/@39.9633755,-82.9808618,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x883888c53426d289:0x4aec638d8a5195d4!8m2!3d39.9633755!4d-82.9808618!16s%2Fg%2F11c4wy250w?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTIwOS4wIKXMDSoKLDEwMDc5MjA3MUgBUAM%3D). Gemüt Biergarten has a free parking lot that isn't small but also isn't huge. Street parking, however, is always free across Columbus on [Sundays and holidays](https://www.columbus.gov/files/sharedassets/city/v/1/public-service/right-of-way-permit/on-street-parking-out-of-service-policy-and-procedure-final-8.15.2022-signed.pdf), so I think we'll be okay with parking. The bigger issue may be the weather. The brewery has a good-sized outdoor patio that is covered and heated in the winter. However, that doesn't mean this patio will be warm. The inside of the brewery is "okay-sized," but again, the brewery is popular and by the time we get there, we may have no choice but to sit outside. If it's cold, I can and will ask them to fire up some of their additional outdoor heaters, which I think should be enough, but please bring something to keep you warm just in case we end up outside. Finally, while food at the Biergarten can be a little overpriced, in my experience it is excellent, and you are likely to enjoy whatever you get. We should be there by 1:00 if you can't make the Museum and just want to meet us for drinks.