ArtVisual Art

Hearts for Art

If you love art (and I know you do), get thee to a museum and show your love this Valentine’s Day! Institutions across the U.S. are putting their hearts on their sleeves (and floors and walls), inviting visitors to send love to their favorite works of art.

For example, the Denver Art Museum wants you to leave valentines for your favorite pieces. Drop a paper heart on the floor near those you love, snap a photo, and tag it with #denverartmuseum and #heartsforart to declare your devotion.

They’ve also got little paper heart cutouts you can use to frame your best shots:

The Oakland Museum of California provides step-by-step instructions for the lovelorn:

Step 1: Pick up a paper heart from the basket in OMCA’s Gallery of California Art. Hold it close and feel the love.

Step 2: Get giddy. Proclaim your love and make it official by placing your heart on the floor in front of a work of art you love.

Step 3: Snap a photo of your heart placed next to your artwork crush, and post it to your favorite social media site, using the hashtags #IHeartOMCA and #HeartsForArt. Don’t forget to give OMCA some love, and tag Oakland Museum of California (@oaklandmuseumca)​ in the post.

The OMCA is also tracking which pieces get the most love!

The St. Louis Arts Museum has paper hearts at the information desk for easy lovin’.

The Cranbrook Art Museum held a whole Hearts for Art Family Day today! They’re still sharing the love all weekend through Valentine’s Day, too.

Do you like illuminated manuscripts? I like illuminated manuscripts.

Are you still lookin’ for love in different places? Visit your local museum and ask! Even if #HeartsForArt isn’t on their radar for this year, maybe they’ll participate in 2018. Or you may be pleasantly surprised to find your love reciprocated!

Other participating museums include: Columbus Museum of Art, Philbrook Museum of Art, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Dallas Museum of Art, Crystal Bridges Museum of Art, Nelson-Atkins Museum of ArtParrish Art Museum, Ann Arbor Art Center, Baltimore Museum of Art, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, and the National Gallery of Art.

Beth Voigt

Beth is a graphic designer in Chicago, a superhero in her own mind, and absolutely nothing on TV. She wrangles fonts professionally, pummels code amateurishly, and has been known to shove fire in her face for fun. Fond of volunteering, late-night bursts of productivity, and making snacks, she dislikes grocery shopping and sticky public transit and is only on her second smartphone. Her opinion is that you should try everything twice; if you don't like it, you were probably doing it wrong the first time around. If external links are your thing, here are links to Twitter and Instagram, and you can support her ongoing weirdness by buying her a coffee or six.

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