When Halloween is just around the corner, mysteries and things that go bump in the night are always popular. Escape the Gallery at the Albany Museum of Art is a live mystery adventure that fits in with the mood of the haunting season like wrappings on a mummy.
 
On Friday evening, a group of adventurous art lovers will face a daunting challenge at the AMA. They will have to find and decipher clues in the artwork in order to free themselves from being trapped in an art gallery.
 
“Anyone who likes escape rooms or thinks they can find ‘Da Vinci Code’ type clues in works of art will have a fantastic time,” said Annie Vanoteghem, director of education and public programming for the AMA. “The clues will be there, but can you find them, or will you be trapped forever in the art gallery?”
 
There are two Escape the Gallery adventures set for Friday, Oct 11, 2019. The first, which should take a maximum of 45 minutes, is at 5:30 pm. It is a family-friendly version suitable for parents and children.
 
The second adventure starts at 6:30 pm and is more challenging.
 
The escapes have been designed by James Carnegie, who has years of experience leading local RPGs (role playing games) such as Dungeons & Dragons.
 
“This is the first time we’ve tried to mix art with a good mystery,” Vanoteghem said. “If guests like it, we may scare up a few more Escape the Gallery challenges in the future.”
 
If the thought of being trapped in an art gallery makes your neck tingle, at least the cost isn’t scary. You can test your wits for $10 if you’re an Albany Museum of Art member, or $15 if you’re not a member yet.
 
Both escape adventures will take place in the East Gallery, where works by 15 college faculty members are on display in the juried Educators as Artists exhibition. The show includes work by faculty members from Florida State University, Albany State University, Valdosta State University, Georgia Southwestern State University, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Andrew College and Thomas University.
 
This is the final days of the Educators as Artists exhibition, as well as exhibitions Figure Forward in the Haley Gallery and Fragments of a Violent World in the West Gallery. All three close after a final showing on Saturday.
 
Figure Forward is a different look at the way the female figure has been depicted in art. It includes the work of three Atlanta area artists—William Downs, Jaime Bull and Jill Frank.
 
Fragments of a Violent World is a collection of nano photography by Michael Oliveri. He uses powerful microscopes to create sculpture-like imagery of insects.
 
Admission to the AMA galleries is free. The AMA is open 10 am-5 pm Tuesdays-Fridays and noon-5 pm on Saturdays.