Representing Feb. 2023 (1 of 2) in scrapbook series is The Phillips Collection. I visited Phillips…read moreCollection one time then. I had bought tickets to their Phillips after 5 event, which always occurs on the 1st Thursday of the month, for the 1st Thursday of November 2016. So, why if I had tickets for November 2016 that it's representing February 2023?
In late October 2016, I thought this Phillips Collection sounded cool, bought the tickets, and got a date to go. That Thursday morning, my date canceled saying she was sick. While sitting at my office in Columbia, MD, I was stewing with annoyance, anger, & figuring what to do. Initially, I thought I'd have to send mass texts to get someone to go. But I was like, I don't even want to schlep from my office to DC that afternoon even it wasn't going to be the date I had intended it on being.
I called the manager that November 3, 2016 morning, and manager said I could apply the tickets to any Phillips after Five in the future. What I didn't realize in November 2016 that it would be more than 6 years later that I would redeem.
In late January 2023, I noticed a Meetup group going to Phillips after Five on February 2, 2023. I was like this is the catalyst to finally redeem my tickets. I emailed them this responding to the October 30, 2016 email with the ticket:
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2023 12:01 PM
"Hi, back on October 30, 2016 I had purchased two tickets for the Phillips Collection First Thursday for November 3, 2016. On that Thursday morning, November 3rd, my date canceled on me, and I was thinking I don't really want to scramble to find someone else to go last minute. So, I called, spoke with I guess the manager, and decided I would cancel, which the person I spoke with said that feel free to use at any First Thursday in the future. Well, I've tentatively decided to use my ticket for this next Thursday, February 2, 2023. How will this work? Do I just show up and give them the print out of the original ticket?"
Thursday, January 26, 2023 4:24 PM
"Thank you for reaching out to the Phillips Collection about your inquiry on Phillips after Five. Even though your ticket was purchased seven years ago, due to the general blanket statement made in the past, we will honor this request. When you arrive for the event on February 2nd, please give your name at the will call desk and they will check you in.
In the future, when you are unable to attend an event and want to reschedule to a different date, we request that you let us know what date you want to reschedule to in advance. On the whole, we do not keep raincheck tickets in the queue indefinitely."
My experience on Thursday, February 2, 2023:
I was impressed with the multi-story building with lots of cool artwork from Impressionist (speaking of being impressed) to various contemporary works. There was a band, who was good. They also had making friendship bracelets. I had fun, met some new people from Meetup group. Overall, this was a fun night. A few of us even went to a nearby bar for drinks/food; so I got back to my car by Metro parked in Rockville pretty late for a Thursday night.
Conclusion:
I appreciated Phillips Collection worked with me in November 2016 for my initial request, and they honored what I paid for in late January 2023 even though likely a different manager. I always had in the back of my head one of these Thursdays I should use this, but going to DC on a Thursday night after work was never convenient and never had a particular catalyst to go. Also, then there was some interruption with Covid further pushing back what theoretically might've been an earlier timeline to have visited. This is a cool place, definitely worth a visit!