WINTER BIRTHDAY LUNCH + O'KEEFFE & MOORE AT THE MFA

My mom’s January birthday happened to intersect with the closing weekend of the Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore exhibit at the MFA, which gave us the idea to celebrate her birthday at the museum. Our plan was to drive in, catch the show, and have a leisurely lunch in the atrium.

I’m grateful we made it before the show closed. The exhibit looked at O’Keeffe and Moore in parallel and explored the artists’ uses of nature, form, shape, and environment in their work. While their mediums were different, it was clear they were both inspired by their environments. I found myself getting lost in her still life scenes with found objects from the dessert or discovering a new detail in the larger-than-life floral petals paintings while trying to refrain myself from touching Moore’s sizeable sculptural works.

Following the exhibit, we enjoyed a light lunch at the New American Cafe. We ordered miso-roasted cauliflower with aioli; Japanese roasted eggplant with pesto; and pear, prosciutto, and burrata over crispy bread. It was our first time eating in the atrium and we were impressed. After lunch we explored a few more galleries (I highly recommend the “Deep Waters” exhibit), partook in the photo booth, and headed home. It was such a special way to celebrate a winter birthday and I’ve been thinking about the show ever since.