An Inspirational Culinary Experience At ‘For the Love of Art and Food’ Show
For the first-time ever, the Johnson Museum Club and Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC) are collaborating to host the “For the Love of Art and Food” show – a students-only event on Friday, February 15th from 8:00 – 11:00 p.m., The event will celebrate both the love of art and food the evening after Valentine’s Day with hors d’oeuvres and specialty beverages inspired by the Johnson Museum of Art’s diverse collection.
400-500 students are expected to attend this highly anticipated event. With more than 35,000 pieces of art from Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa, the chefs will discover art that sharpens their creativity and create unique dishes that are as much a feast for the eyes as the taste buds. William Kinney ‘16 and George Ayoub ‘16, two HEC student culinary managers, will lead the event. Highly enthusiastic about the event, Will said, “The Art and Food show will be a great opportunity to showcase the great talents and ideas of HEC. There are eight total h’orderves and each one draws inspiration from many pieces of art. The ideas behind each h’orderve arose from different segments of each piece of art, the fish in a painting or color of a quilt for example.”
Upon arriving at the event, students will have the option to enjoy “mocktails” inspired by Leo Villareal’s light installation “Cosmos” and the 360-views from the museum’s Asian galleries on the fifth floor. Students will receive a passport guiding them to the works of art that served as the inspiration for the evening’s dishes while Museum Club ambassadors will provide greater discussion about the works at each location. After earning stamps on their passport, students will make their way to The Wing lecture room and indulge in the artistic tastes created by HEC student managers.
The evening will also offer a studio activity allowing students to create their own works of art. In addition to the museum’s current collection, a special exhibition curated by the Museum Club will be on view featuring pieces with a focus on food and love as the subject matter. And as a special addition to the evening, the Mallin Sculpture Court, normally inaccessible after 5:00 pm, will be open (weather permitting) to allow students to engage with Cosmos from a closer perspective. Assistant Coordinator of University Programs, Kari O’Mara from the Johnson Museum, on asked about HEC said, “When the club members began planning for spring, they wanted to create events that put greater emphasis on the Museum’s collection and expanded the type of student organizations the club collaborated with.”
While the menu will be kept secret until the night of the event, guests can expect to indulge in a myriad of modern interpretations of international cuisine.
About Hotel Ezra Cornell
Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC) is an annual student-run hospitality conference that has been an 88-year tradition at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. The conference attracts hospitality industry leaders and school alumni, faculty, and students to the Cornell campus and the Statler Hotel for a weekend of networking, education, entertainment, and culinary experiences. More information about the HEC organization and conference can be found at www.hotelezracornell.com.
About The Johnson Museum of Art
The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University opened in 1973. Designed by I. M. Pei & Partners, the Museum is named for benefactor Herbert F. Johnson, a distinguished graduate of Cornell’s Class of 1922, the late president and chairman of S C Johnson of Racine, Wisconsin, and a Cornell University trustee. Today, the Museum’s permanent collection numbers more than 35,000 works, spanning six millennia and encompassing art from most world cultures. Nearly 22,000 works of art are currently accessible to the public through Cornell University’s Luna Insight online image database. For more information about please visit www.museum.cornell.edu.