Sleeping inside one of Edward Hopper's hotel room paintings

As part of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts' "Edward Hopper and the American Hotel" exhibition, the curators have created a brilliant installation and visitor experience that's seemingly made for Instagram. They built a physical version of Hopper's above painting "Western Hotel" (1957) and offered overnight stays inside the artwork. The overnight packages sold out very quickly. The New York Times' Margot Boyer-Dry was one of the first guests:

Every detail here was inspired by Edward Hoppers 1957 painting Western Motel, which has been brought to vibrant, three-dimensional life. The only thing missing is the mysterious woman whose burgundy dress matches the bedspread. But thats where the museum guest comes in.

I was the second person to stay in the museums Hopper hotel room, essentially becoming its subject for a night. (Before it sold out through February, the room cost anywhere from $150 a night to $500 for a package, including dinner, mini golf and a tour with the curator.) My time there was short a standard stay runs from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. and awkward. I had traveled all day to reach Richmond, and these pristinely basic quarters were the main event. Ultimately, it reminded me of every other hotel room Ive ever stayed in...

Ellen Chapman, a Richmond resident who stayed the night before I did, was more focused on the novelty of an art overnight. Ive always had that childhood fantasy of spending the night in a museum, she said. The remarkable part for me was waking up, drinking my coffee and looking at this amazing exhibit right next to me.

Every detail of Edward Hoppers Western Motel has been brought to life at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, where you can spend the night https://t.co/z9K4oefHIS

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 22, 2019