It was my friend’s birthday and, true to (artsy-fartsy) form, I wanted to pass on something special.

It’s not every day that you make friends that stick around. And this one’s been part of my life for years.

So I surprised her with a framed photo that I snapped, (regally) walking down the stairs of a gallery we visited this past winter. The venue? The Fotografiska museum, in NYC.

We went there for the day, four of us, where we soaked up the goodies of photographer LaChapelle, snippets of which you can see right here, in a post I threw together after (giddily) getting home.

But I also added something else to the birthday gift lineup, which made it extra special (I think).

We had visited a few galleries in Soho for my friend’s actual birthday (as you can see in the reel I’m sharing along with this). Amongst them was an exhibit she REALLY loved (and that the group voted as their favorite, at the end), by Azita Moradkhani, a Tehran-born Brooklyn resident who touched us with incredible art. In it, she juxtaposes intimate & vulnerable images with those of oppression, meant as subtle expressive interpretation of her old and new home.

Anyhoo, the generous Azita (she’s a professor of art, folks!!) added a special twist to my friend’s birthday.

She sent me an audio message, to accompany my gift, warmly extending her own wish for my friend. I mean, how amazing is THAT?!?

I thought so. And thankfully, so did my friend.

(If you want to take a stab at either of the two challenges posed in the reel, leave your answers below, in the comment section!)