Even though my husband and I both agree that I love art more than he does, we also both agree that a trip to a museum makes for a great date. Museums are hard to beat for providing enrichment, excellent for creating conversation, and wonderful for increasing connection.
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” ~Pablo Picasso
Whenever my husband and I travel, we try to take in the best museums. But even our local and smaller museums often have enriching exhibits. We have some of our best conversations in the quiet of a museum—whether we’re looking at propaganda posters from WWII or being astonished by the craft of handmade quilts. When we see something that we perceive as truly beautiful, it can hold us in what Joseph Campbell termed “aesthetic arrest.” Our mind goes quiet, and we enter into a sort of stillness or flow as we observe. Having this experience with your spouse can be bonding.
“This is the power of art: The power to transcend our own self-interest . . . and relate to the world and each other with more integrity, more curiosity, more wholeheartedness.”
~Maria Popova
I feel like I’m always a little surprised by my husband at museums. We get to learn more about each other as we talk about our likes and dislikes. Sometimes we like to stand in a gallery and guess what piece we think is the other’s favorite. It’s not only fun to hear when we “hit” but also when we “miss.” And it’s interesting to hear what my husband believes I’ll be drawn to. It’s a neat way to really focus on each other.
“We are less lonely when we connect. Art is connection.”
~Nikki Giovanni
Talking over what strikes us about art, even an installation of suspended foil balloons or medieval religious images, can connect us not only to the art, but to each other. Most museum experiences are peaceful, quiet, and deeply engaging. My husband and I even love sometimes wandering alone for a bit and then coming back together to share with each other what treasures we’ve discovered.
Museum date nights are among our favorites. My husband mentioned a week or two ago that he’d like to have one of our next museum date nights be to the Toyota Land Cruiser Museum—he’s passionate about cars. Even though I only care about vehicles in terms of whether or not they can get me from point A to point B, I’m excited to share yet another museum experience with him. I’ve learned that the canvas we look at doesn’t matter nearly as much as experiencing it together does.
Rebecca Clarke
Rebecca W. Clarke is a PhD student at Brigham Young University studying with Dr. Chelom Leavitt. Her research focus is religion and sexuality, and she is currently working on papers dealing with sexual sanctification, sexual flourishing, and religiosity. Rebecca has been married to Sam Clarke for 24 years and they have four children.