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Art gallery openings make for a great date.

Thursday Feb 03, 2005.     By Joanne Hinkel

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From Leonardo's "Mona Lisa" slyly smiling for her lover to Auguste Rodin's portrait of passion in "The Kiss," art history's established images of amour are hearty enough to endure in a culture that also embraces the belly shirt. In this month marked for having and giving Valentines, we want to help jumpstart your love life by letting you in on a little secret: Art gallery openings make for a great date. You have more options for your Friday night rendezvous than drinks and a movie, dinner and a movie, just dinner, just a movie, or just drinks. And it's an infinitely more romantic option.

What makes it la creme de la creme of dates? First and foremost, because it's a departure from the norm. If we've learned anything from Dr. Ruth or Dear Abby (depending on your taste in advice experts), it's that variety is the spice of life. Beyond the "it's something different" to do principle, there are four concrete reasons why hitting the art circuit is a smokin' hot idea for any dating duo:

No. 1 "Art, like love, is an adventure"
Like love, the gallery world is full of the unknown. What's the medium of choice: paint, marble sculpture, steel, play-doh, bubblegum? The possibilities and combinations are infinite. What topics will the artist be tackling: political, environmental, the very connect of beauty, the possibility that pink and orange do match? Though we recommend you map out which galleries you plan to hit ahead of time, using our Virtual L Navigator or weekly Can of Culture column, openings never provide a scripted experience.

No. 2 "Let's dish Da Vinci, Baby!"
Afraid of becoming that restaurant-going couple who stares at each other over the bread basket in silence? Art openings will keep you talking. From Chicago's River North district to Pilsen to the West Loop, there are exciting, weird, strange and beautiful images and objects to behold. You won't be able to help yourself from commenting. Remember, though, to avoid conversation starters like (while pointing to an abstract painting), "I could have made that;" or, "What the hell is that?" It's just bad gallery etiquette. You could, however, whisper such comments in your sweet one's ear.

No. 3 "Art is (couples) awareness"
If an artist is good enough to get a show at a Chicago art gallery, chances are she's dealing with hot topics. The scene here is focused on conceptual art (art about ideas), due in part to the presence of the very progressive School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Remember the national controversy five years ago over Chris Ofili's portrait of the Virgin Mary adorned with elephant dung at the Brooklyn Museum of Art? It had Mayor Giuliani was so up in arms he played the censorship card. But it got people.

An art gallery will rarely provoke that kind of controversy because it isn't a publicly supported institution, but, in most cases, an independent business. The result is that there's no limit to the nudity, the vulgarity, the graphicness and the exploration of naughty and taboo topics. Get to know your man's make-or-break it opinions before you make or break it together.

No. 4 "The best things in life are free"
Except for your train fare you'll hock over to get there, art opening hopping is a free activity with potential fringe benefits like complimentary wine, and, if you're lucky, crackers 'n cheese or crudites! Gallery openings generally run on Friday nights from 6-9 p.m. (though a Saturday or Sunday night fete isn't entirely unusual), and occasionally include talks with the featured artist(s), performances and/or live music. For a gallery grand slam, check for synchronized gallery openings: The PilsenEast district's galleries do so every second Friday of the month.

An opening can be reserved and quiet (River North) or it can turn into a party littered with beer cans (certain avant-garde galleries in the West Loop). Even though gallery owners are happy to have a crowd and don't expect all attendees to be interested in buying the work, which can carry a price tag that ranges from $50-$50,000, there are some unwritten opening rules to follow so as to avoid embarrassing your date.

Gallery opening dos and don'ts:

• Do feel welcome; these openings are open to the public.

• Do feel free to ask the gallery staff about the artwork.

• Do feel free to take a price sheet and walk around with it.

• Don't overstay your welcome at one gallery. If you've single-handedly emptied a bottle of wine, that's a good sign that your number is up.

• Don't talk trash about the art (the artist could be standing behind you).

• Don't hog a work of art, i.e. stand in front of it for more than a few minutes.

• Don't talk so emphatically about an artwork that you raise up your cup-holding hand and throw wine all over a painting.