Providence evenings get you humming

PROVIDENCE - Think of it as an updated Friday evening attitude adjustment.

Instead of meeting friends at the sports bar, consider heading to the Rhode Island School of Design for a little live music, free hors d'oeuvres, and a cash bar set amid the Museum of Art's Main Gallery.

On the second Friday of every month but July and August, the museum offers its Music Friday program. This month the featured artist will be Carlos de Leon, a Latin jazz group from Providence whose eponymous leader has played with Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez (you can sample the band's music on its website).

This month marks the start of the second season for the series, which is exclusively for those 21 and older. The museum also offers a special exhibition for the event and this month will feature the work of author and illustrator David Macaulay, a RISD alumnus and faculty member.

"It is from 5:30 to 8:30 with the idea that it is an after-work excursion before going out to dinner or more partying," says Matthew Montgomery, the museum's director of marketing and communication. "Guests range from 21 to 80 with a broad mix of types - from artsy to sophisticated to single to married to professional to Bohemian."

And maybe even a few sports bar refugees.

RISD Museum of Art, 224 Benefit St., Providence, 401-454-6500, www.risdmuseum.org. Museum members $5, nonmembers $8.

PAUL S. MAKISHIMA