Friday nights are going to get a little frisky as a museum in downtown Los Angeles takes a peek into the art of wooing and the sex lives of various animals and plants.
The Natural History Museum’s First Fridays series turns 18 this year and kicks off a season dubbed “From Feeling to Pheromones” on Friday, March 1 with an evening focused on “Animal Love.”
“We’re looking at the forces that shape the behaviors of lifeforms large and small. We’re looking at reproduction, propagation in the natural world and the sex lives of other species. Basically what keeps the planet alive and thriving,” said Joel Quizon, program manager for the museum.
First Fridays is the museum’s popular annual series that is a mix of science lectures, live music and a cocktail party. Each year, it falls under a different theme and since First Fridays is 18 and technically an adult, the series is looking at love in nature with a total of four events through June.
Opening night will include a discussion by evolutionary biologist Dr. Patty Brennan, who will talk about the various ways animals are preoccupied with attracting that special someone. Some of the discussions that night will include the dating life of dolphins, who hook up not just to reproduce but for social reasons as well.
“It’s going to be a lot of really interesting things we don’t always think about,” Quizon said.
Since the night is all about love, DJ Senay M. Kenfe, who specializes in soul and R&B slow jams, will be setting the right mood. There will also be live performances by Jamaican-American singer Jesse Boykins III and soul musician Annahstasia. To keep the good vibes going, there will be an indoor Sensory Lounge, which will mix visual art and soundscape in the Grand Foyer.
However, the series is also about science and will still be family friendly, Quizon said.
“We just want people to celebrate the intersection of nature and culture with us,” he said.
First Fridays continues April 5 with “The Nature of Gender,” which will look at the myths and assumptions about gender in the natural world. On May 3, it’s all about plant love and artificial replication with “The Plant Clones are Coming.” It ends June 7 with “How we Multiply,” which looks the affects of population growth.
Natural History Museum’s First Fridays
When: 5-10 p.m. March 1, April 5, May 3 and June 7
Where: The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles
Tickets: $20; For more information on forthcoming First Fridays events, go to nhm.org.
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