MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Museum & Art Center was filled with art lovers and kids consulting Santa during the museum’s annual holiday party Friday evening.

The party was the kickoff for the museum’s annual membership drive and the opening reception for “Indira’s Net” which will be on display through Jan. 8. Santa also came to visit, for pictures and Christmas wishes.

Memberships were selling briskly the first half of the evening, said museum curator Ann Schempp. “One of the best I’ve seen,” she said.

“Excellent turnout,” said museum director Freya Liggett.

Indra’s Net features Big Bend Community College instructor Rie Palkovic and four friends and colleagues, who took a story from Hindu cosmology and Buddhist philosophy as the exhibit theme.

“Awesome,” said a museum visitor.

"Looks good, doesn’t it?” Palkovic said.

The Hindu god Indra covered his palace with a jeweled net, to emphasize the interconnected nature of life, and the artists used that as the basis of the exhibit, Palkovic said. Each artist created individual miniatures for the exhibit, which were then assembled in ways to highlight the connections. Palkovic said it was exciting to see the different works from each artist, “We pretty much squealed, opening the boxes — ‘look at this! Look at this one!’”

Moses Lake resident Cathy Davidson liked the way the exhibit expressed the underlying philosophy, and she’s a fan of all kinds of art. The exhibit required artists with different styles to build a harmonious exhibit, she said. “It just shows we can work together."

Art “brings color to our lives. It brings light,” Davidson said. “I think art is good for the soul. I think it gets us out of ourselves,” said John Wheaton. His wife Kim Matthews Wheaton is one of the participating artists.

Children had the chance to draw their own pictures of the reclaimed-metal mammoth sculpture that’s the museum’s centerpiece, and there were activities for children throughout the museum. Children’s art from Longview Elementary was on display, and children in the Longview choir sang selections for the holiday season.

Camas Cove Cellars sponsored a wine bar, and Nicki Krost of Cave B Winery provided the hors d'oeuvres.

The museum is sponsoring a food drive through Jan. 8. Donation boxes are at the feet of the mammoth sculpture. The food will be donated to the Moses Lake Food Bank.

The membership drive lasts through Jan. 8. Members receive a discount on artworks and museum programs.