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Stephan Early as Rockwell (left) and Greg Philippi as Koko Man, the blind musician in 2002 UCLA a

They’re here, they’re queer, and they’re blind dating. The first gay Art to Heart was out in the open at an event filled with UCLA students, eclectic music, finger snacks and art.

Our two blind daters for this week were McCreigan Michaelis and Raul Conde. Michaelis, a fifth-year music and Russian studies student, describes himself as an honest and caring guy. Conde, who describes himself as quiet and reserved, but with an adventurous side, is a fifth-year anthropology student.

Strangely, the two showed up wearing the exact same shirt – not generally a problem encountered on heterosexual dates. At first shy at their meeting, the two began to slowly ease into their comfort zones as the night progressed.

“When I first met Raul, I thought he was an attractive guy,” said Michaelis. “At first the date seemed a little forced and awkward, but once we were at the gallery, it seemed to ease up.”

The date started off with a long journey into the heart of downtown Los Angeles, smack in between the Fashion District and Skid Row. Not exactly the safest place in the city of angels, it nevertheless served as the site for Cupid’s workplace.

Arriving at “Terrain,” a student exhibit and reception in an urban-chic loft, the two were introduced into a world coupling together UCLA art pieces and student musical talents.

“The art exhibit was in an amazing location – from the outside, it looked a little dumpy, but when we got in, it was decorated really well and had an amazing view of the city,” said Conde.

“Terrain” showcased student art ranging from wooden sculptures to drawings and photos and created a stage for two UCLA bands: One AM Radio and The Two.

When the two weren’t knocking over art (they accidentally bumped into one of the sculptures, much to their chagrin), they were walking around appreciating the artistic creations, sipping on their gin and tonics, or listening intently to the music.

“What really impressed me was the music,” said Michaelis. “As a music major, I’m primarily interested in classical, but it was a great change to hear the violin and electric guitar being played together – they’re two instruments that I wouldn’t have thought would go well together, but (One AM Radio) made them sound amazing.”

While they both enjoyed the exhibit, they did feel a little out of place sometimes, surrounded by an edgy, artsy crowd.

“It was a great show – sort of like avant-garde art,” said Conde. “But I think it was geared more to an artistic audience rather than a general college audience. I think you have to be in some sort of art school to understand the art because I was a little lost.”

While Conde and Michaelis enjoyed the environment in the very spacious Manhattan-style apartment, the two said it wasn’t the prime location for a blind date.

“It was an amazing location, but I think there were too many distractions to really talk to just one person,” said Michaelis. “We didn’t really get a chance to talk alone because we would see people we know and start talking to them.”

Everything in the apartment helped set the mood for the “Terrain” theme, according to Michaelis. All of the pieces, ranging from slabs of sod covering the kitchen counter to the wood sculptures, provided a consistent, earthy tone to the show.

“The art was great – it’s even better because I have some friends in the art school who I see working on their pieces and it’s nice to see the finished product after seeing how much work really goes into them,” said Conde.

From their night of critiquing art to listening to the intertwining of violin and electric guitar, the blind daters had an experience they won’t forget.

“I’ve never really been on a blind date, so this was pretty exciting,” said Conde. “McCreigan was a cool guy – the conversation kept going, some awkward pauses, but I mean overall, it was nice meeting a new guy.”