The Getty Center held its annual College Night event on Monday, Apr. 15 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Open to all college students across Southern California, the event included a variety of creative activities on top of the open galleries.

Some of the activities included making customized beeswax candles, decorating tote bags and print pulling stations, where students were able to paint a picture and press it onto cardstock paper.

In the museum lobby, drawing booth artists drew digital portraits of students all night long. While in the courtyard, there was live music, food and giant outdoor board games.

One of the main performances featured musician Elisa Harkins, who performed original songs in her native Cherokee and Mvskoke languages. Students gathered around the courtyard stage, mesmerized by the energetic performance, and cheering her on.

Students were also able to sign up and join 20-minute tours of different exhibitions and galleries inside the museum, such as “Blood: Medieval/Modern,” which takes visitors on a journey through different depictions and interpretations of blood throughout medieval history, as well as contemporary art to reflect on social issues.

“One of my favorite pieces is the image of the side wound of Christ from the 15th century, which I think is so visually arresting and gives us a big window into how medieval people were thinking about blood and how they were making the connection of blood and prayer which I find so fascinating,” said Larisa Grollemond, Assistant Curator of Manuscripts at the Getty.

Alongside the visual pieces, the exhibit featured other works such as Lil Nas X’s “Satan Shoes” and “Queer Blood America,” which depicts a collection tube of blood carved into a copy of a Captain America book.

“I noticed the Lil Nas X shoes at first and thought–‘Wait this is really weird,’ but decided to hop into the tour. As [Larisa] was explaining [the exhibit], it really drew my attention,” said Emily Tram, a Loyola Marymount University student.

The exhibit was spread across two different gallery sections of the North Pavilion. Even without a tour guide, students were able to explore the galleries at their own pace.

Overall, the event was an interactive opportunity for students from different universities to socialize with one another and enjoy a night among the different aspects of art that the Getty has to offer.