The Scene: Monday night’s opening of the...

The Scene: Monday night’s opening of the Craft & Folk Art Museum in its new home, on the fourth floor of the May Co. Wilshire. CAFAM will be exhibiting in 10,000 square feet at the department store until 1992, when it moves into its permanent home, now under construction in the Miracle Mile area. The evening was also the opening of CAFAM’s inaugural exhibit, “Hands On! Objects Crafted in Our Time.”

The Buzz: An art museum in the middle of a department store? Guests were bemused by the idea. Particularly ironic was the fact that CAFAM’s own gift shop has been located outside of the building, down Wilshire Boulevard a piece.

Who Was There: CAFAM’s chairman Frank Wyle and museum director Patrick Ela joined officials of the May Co. and museum supporters to tour the exhibition space. On the fifth floor, more guests mingled at a greeting reception. Since the evening was concurrent with the May Co.’s 50th anniversary, cigarette girls in period costumes worked the crowd, handing out perfume samples, while others took Polaroid snapshots of the guests with the exhibit.

Dress Code: Anything and everything, from tuxedoes to sport shirts and jeans. The department store doormen and elevator operators wore top hats and tails.

Fashion Statement: One man wore a complete set of African robes.

Pastimes: Listening to the band on the fifth floor and swinging along with the singing group the Step Sisters. Checking out the pieces from the museum’s permanent collection, including a contemporary rocking chair and bench from craftsman Sam Maloof, a 19th- Century Japanese futon wedding set and Pedro Linares’ life-size Day of the Dead skeleton sculptures. Of course, the May Co. people didn’t mind at all if guests stopped off in menswear or electronics to do some early Christmas shopping.

Chow: A cocktail buffet with cheese, crackers, vegetables, quiche and too many people trying to get at it.

Quoted: An art museum in the middle of a department store? CAFAM director Ela thought it was completely natural--in fact that it was a positive step forward for the museum. “We were hampered by our small facility,” he said. “And here, we’ll reach people more inclined to go to a shopping center than a museum.”

Triumphs: One great touch was the trio of human mannequins near the door, who modeled authentic 1939 fashions by Adrian. The women looked like a prehistoric version of the Del Rubio Triplets.

Glitches: Too many people and not enough ventilation in the exhibition space kept guests going in and coming out again quickly.