It’s not often that you come across multiple bewigged Albert Einstein look-alikes digging into pie. But this was the case at the launch of the new MIT Alumni Arts Exchange (AAx), co-produced with the arts-themed networking group Opus Affair, in honor of the anniversary of Einstein’s birth and Pi Day — an unofficial holiday on March 14 that celebrates of the irrational number that begins with 3.14.
AAx aims to become a global network of MIT alumni of all ages who are involved with and interested in the arts. Already, more than 12,000 alumni have expressed an interest in this new group, according to organizers. The organization hosts a series of events throughout the year centered around a special activity, theme, or holiday.
The launch event proved an exciting opportunity for MIT alumni to network and learn more about the arts on campus. “I had no clue that the grad arts community was that huge and I was very impressed by the volume of work out there,” said Leah Brunetto ’12, a recent alumna who studied architecture and now works at the Museum of Science in Boston.
The party was held on the Media Lab’s stunning sixth-floor space with expansive views of the Boston skyline. In addition to the Albert Einstein Look-Alike contest, there was also a raffle auctioning off two, three-session classes at the popular space Danger!Awesome, an open-access studio, makerspace, and learning center in the nearby Central Square.
After the festivities, the event transitioned into the annual Grad Arts Soirée, a wildly popular exhibition and party that sees hundreds of graduate students from across MIT showcasing their creative talents. “It was great to see alumni wearing name tags with class of ’77 or ’68 talking with current graduate students, sharing stories, talking about art,” said Sam Magee, manager of Student Art Programs. “It was an absolutely amazing event.”
