Vernissages

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A gathering held to preview artwork before public exhibition, often with refreshments and speeches
2. an informal celebration of artistic creation, enabling artists to engage with their audience
3. a special event that provides insight into the artistic process and encourages dialogue about the exhibits

Etymology: The custom behind this word was practical before it was social: artists in France would varnish their paintings on the day before a show opened, the last touch before the works went on the wall. That job, done in the studios, gave the French "vernissage," formed from "vernir," meaning to varnish, with the noun-forming ending "-age." The sense then moved from the act of varnishing to the event itself, so the word came to name the preview at which the varnished pictures were first seen. Over time the gathering grew into the invitation-only evening it is today, with drinks and speeches, while the varnish that gave it its name became a footnote. "Vernissages" is simply the plural, one such evening per exhibition.