With a history that extends back to one of its first mentions in Geoffrey Chaucer's Parlement of Foules, written in 1382, Valentine's Day holds a sentimental place in our hearts every year on Feb. 14. This week, JustArts previews four events that are perfect for a Valentine's Day excursion for you and your sweetheart. With events and activities at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Brandeis's own Rose Art Museum and the Boston Public Library, there is no limit to arts events to attend on this special day and the weekend following.

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Museum of Fine Arts: 'Boston Loves Impressionism'

On Valentine's Day, Boston Loves Impressionism opens at the Torf Gallery at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The exhibit is composed of 30 impressionist works chosen by people who voted online for their favorite pieces. In the spirit of Valentine's Day surprises, the exhibit will not be unveiling the top pieces until Feb. 14. As part of the opening weekend festivities, the exhibit will hold three gallery talks on the 14th. At 1 p.m., curator of the exhibit Emily Beeny will give a talk entitled "Impressionism Comes to Boston." Henry Augustine Tate, a professor of art history at the Berklee College of Music, will speak on works that focus on the themes of love and romance in poetry and painting in his talk "Love and Lovers at the MFA" from 6 to 7 p.m. Finally, from 7 to 8 p.m. Christopher Gilbert will hold a talk called "Broken Hearts" that will discuss broken-hearted themes in works from Greek coins to medieval panels to Cubist masterpieces.

Valentine's Day events will continue for three days at the museum and the exhibit Boston Loves Impressionism will be open through May 26. General admission to the museum is $25 and for seniors and for students it is $23. University students will get in free with a Brandeis ID. All events taking place for the opening weekend are free with admission.

Handel and Haydn Society

On Feb. 15, join the Handel and Haydn Society for a romantic night of classical music at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Their website notes that although Vivaldi's violin concerti are very wellknown in the music community, his cello concertos are a little more obscure. The website states that "[t]he [cello] was just on the cusp of gaining recognition as a worthy solo vehicle when Vivaldi pushed the limits of cellists' technique with some of his 27 cello concerti." The performance will feature four works by Vivaldi as well as works by Purcell and Durante for strings, lute and harpsichord. Cellist Concertmaster Aisslinn Nosky and keyboardist Ian Watson will lead Guy Fishman and the principal players from the Handel and Haydn Society in concert. The concert will take place in Remis Auditorium, from 2 to 3 p.m. Admission is $16 for members of the museum, students and seniors, and $20 for general admission. 

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Rose Art Museum's spring opening

On the eve of Valentine's Day, stop by the Rose Art Museum between 5 and 8 p.m. for a special reception for the museum's spring opening. In addition to the opportunity to view select pieces from the museum's permanent collection, visitors will be able to see five new exhibitions for the first time, presenting a range of mediums and created by artists from all over the world. These new exhibitions include Chris Burden's The Master Builder, Mika Rottenberg's Bowls Balls Souls Holes, Collection in Focus: The Threshold of Recognition and Rose Projects 01A, Wols and Charline von Heyl's The Matter that Surrounds Us, as well as the second installment of the Rose Video projects, Rose Video 02: Mark Boulos and Josephine Meckseper. Some of the themes explored in these new collections of works include bodies and viscerality, architecture and structure, as well as visual and conceptual design. The museum's spring opening will certainly make for the perfect outing for those who enjoy intellectual and emotional engagement with art.

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Annual Storytelling Festival at the Boston Public Library

For those who prefer the emotionally and culturally interactive format of storytelling, the Third Annual Boston Storytelling Festival is the perfect event to kick off Valentine's Day weekend. At the Rabb Lecture Hall at the central branch of the Boston Public Library, the festival will offer programming from morning until late afternoon on Saturday, Feb. 15-and all with free admission. In the morning, until lunchtime, there will be a lineup of traditional storytellers performing, followed by personal storytellers for the 21st century in the afternoon, and the day will finish off with storytelling workshops. The workshops offered include "From Page to Stage" and "Personal Narrative." In addition to the workshops, there will also be folk and fairy tale-telling during the day, and a themed poetry slam.

The day will be sponsored by the Boston Public Library and massmouth, Inc., a nonprofit organization that seeks to promote the art of storytelling. On a holiday that celebrates love stories, this festival is an ideal excursion for those who wish to commemorate their own personal stories.
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