Some words naturally pair together—ham and eggs, hand and glove, bread and butter, etc. Another such pairing that seems automatic is arts and culture. It may seem redundant, as the two words can be used interchangeably to describe similar things. Merriam-Webster notes, however, that the word art comes from Middle English, meaning “craft, principles of a craft, a field of knowledge, or one of the seven fields of study comprising the medieval school curriculum, practical knowledge, code of behavior,” whereas culture is defined as “the beliefs, customs, arts, etc. of a particular social group, place, or time.”
A museum is a place where one often finds art and culture side by side—not just visual arts like painting and sculpture, either. Many museums host special events that showcase live music, the exploration of cultural customs and fashion, and even gourmet cuisine. Such special programs are a vibrant offering to the community, providing people of different backgrounds with the opportunity to come together and experience many forms of art in a sophisticated environment.
Intelligent Fun
Museums are generally thought to be somewhat stodgy destinations, where you can go to observe displays with a quiet reverence. Trivia Night at the Timken proved otherwise—art lovers like to have fun, too! The museum’s main room has tall ceilings, a beautiful white piano, and a wall of windows. While there are galleries displaying masterpieces of classical painting on either side, the far window provides views of Balboa Park’s famously beautiful lily pond. For Trivia Night, the room was filled with tables, each with four place settings featuring servings of assorted hors d’oeuvres as well as cards for the trivia game itself.When I got there around starting time—4:30 p.m.—the room was nearly filled with art lovers, who were mingling with friends old and new, enjoying glasses of wine, perusing the galleries to spot their favorite piece of art, or nibbling on gourmet cheese and fruit to keep up strength for competing. Since the event had proved very popular in the past, this was the third time the Timken was presenting trivia night. Each time they made the questions harder to keep things enjoyably challenging for the numerous return guests. Whether tables were reserved together or paired at random, it was a good opportunity for old friends, spouses, and new acquaintances to pool their knowledge and experience to guess the random facts correctly.
After 15 minutes of mingling, guests were called to their seats for the main event: trivia. Executive director Megan Pogue read the questions and multiple choice answers, which were also projected on a large screen for easy viewing. The game was divided into four rounds with four categories: music, art, fashion, and food. There were six questions in each round, with two points per question, and two bonus questions at the end for double points. After learning the results of the first two rounds, the winners thus far were announced. At this point, there was an intermission, allowing guests to view more art, refresh their beverages, compare notes on newfound information, and help themselves to a variety of desserts before returning for rounds three and four. The top three winners were announced based on who had the most points, and those in first place, which was tied between two teams, received gift bags of Timken Museum merchandise.
The questions ranged from historical information about subjects like Michelangelo and Beethoven, to pop culture trivia, such as tidbits about Taylor Swift’s recent tours and Lady Gaga’s shoes. Many people who fancied themselves highly cultured and well informed were surprised by how many answers they didn’t know, while others who were not so confident were shocked when they guessed correctly. Instrumental background music provided just the right atmosphere.
About the Timken
Although the Timken Museum of Art is one of many museums in Balboa Park, it is called the “jewel box” of the park. Open for 60 years, The Timken houses the Putnam Collection of European Old Masters, American art, and Russian icons. These masterpieces were collected by the Putnam sisters, patronesses of art who started their collection in the 1930s. It owes its name to Henry H. Timken Jr., whose foundation provided much of the funding for the construction of the museum, which returned the Putnams’ touring collection permanently to San Diego.Balboa Park’s website notes that the Timken “offers a rare and intimate encounter with world-renowned European Old Master paintings—including works by Rembrandt, Hals, Bruegel, and others—as well as 19th-century American art and a unique collection of Russian icons.” With a small number of galleries, each curated to represent a different school of art, the Timken provides a uniquely focused presentation of classical artwork, including the only Rembrandt south of Los Angeles.
The Renaissance art is intriguingly contrasted with the mid-century modern architecture of the building, which was designed by John Mock. Considered “one of the more important examples of midcentury southern California modernism,” the bright and airy museum was flooded by natural light throughout the two-hour event.
Events and More
Trivia Night is just one example of the many special events hosted by the museum. Some are for members only, but most are open to the public. The Timken offers a broad range of membership levels, from a $50 annual rate for young adults to a $10,000 exclusive society for the dedicated art fans. Because the Timken is free, memberships as well as special events help fund the operations.The Timken offers a wide variety of programming, featuring live music, historical lectures, travel outings, panel discussions, and workshops.
On May 17, the concert in their popular “Music & Masters” series was “Birth of Impressionism: The Life, Times and Music of Claude Debussy.” The event featured a conversation with renowned violinist Nuvi Mehta, a performance of Debussy favorites by Mehta and pianist Jessie Chang, and wine, hors d’oeuvres, and dessert. Like all concerts in the series, this one explored the connection between masterpieces of visual art and masterpieces of aural art. In June, guests enjoyed “Fashion & Masters: Deconstructing Dress in the 18th Century” and “Art + Design Workshop: Ceramic Candleholders.”
For those who love classical art but don’t want to spend all day lost in a huge museum, the Timken is the perfect place to enjoy a bite-size tasting. You could easily enjoy the whole collection in an hour or two, and since it’s free for anyone to visit, it’s the perfect activity to cap a casual outing to the park. Just note the museum’s limited hours, as it’s only open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
