Smart Art

Feel like getting some culture this week? Even though visiting the Phoenix Art Museum might not make the best crazy night-out story the next day, it is the perfect place to relax and see some cool art. And hey, it won't cost you a penny.

The museum is free from 3 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays, which makes it a lot easier to convince your friends to join you for some research. The museum features large collections of art from many geographical regions and time periods. There really is something for everyone - they even have a special exhibit on graffiti, and one room devoted wholly to fashion design.

When my friends and I showed up at 4 p.m., the museum was pretty empty, save for a few families and some elderly couples. After seeing out some of the exhibits, we wanted to check out the café. Unfortunately, the Art Museum Café closes for lunch at 3pm, but they serve pastries and drinks until 5pm, so we stopped off to grab a bite around then. By the time we wandered back to the exhibits later in the evening, there were more people around, and it was a much younger crowd.

We ended up staying for much longer than we expected - there was so much to look at, and the fact that we kept getting lost didn't help. But later in the evening was definitely more fun, it felt younger and hipper to be there at night, so we were glad we stayed. If you're looking for some free entertainment, you can't get much better than the Phoenix Art Museum - and maybe you won't brag about it to your friends, but you may be able to impress your professors.

— Megan Hunt