My friend who is an artist, invited me for a drink at a private club that she is a member of, so we met there on Friday night. I knew about it’s existence because I remember reading about it when it first opened. The story was that since the founders wanted their membership to be a mixture of well-to-do executive types, plus people from the artistic community who would add an element of interest and diversity, they had determined a pricing structure that allowed artists into the club for a cost that reflected their income. Otherwise many would not have been able to afford, or chosen not to pay, the membership fees. I’m not sure how this is administered nowadays, however I recall when it first opened that the artists they had selected to be in their club had been sent an invitation and there was quite a bit of joking in the media about who had been invited and who had not.
I have to say that private clubs are not really part of my personal experience, so when my friend mentioned that we should have a drink there I was curious to see what it was like, so I took her up on the offer. I had walked by it many times before, situated as it is in my neighbourhood, on the top floor of a renovated old brick building. From the street you get a glimpse of an intriguing looking outdoor patio up there.
It turned out to be quite nice, with an assortment of areas to sit in, good music on the sound system and friendly staff. We took a little tour to look around, though we couldn’t go to one floor because there was a private function being held there, and the outdoor patio was closed for the winter. I took these photos which are a bit dark because I didn’t want to use flash, as to not bother the other people there, and also not to look like I was a keener-weiner, all wanting to take pictures of everything! (which actually, I was a little bit).
It was funny and as though there had been a memo, that we both dressed in black and red!
So there it is … a peek inside a private club!
Thanks for checking it out.
xo loulou
