French writer Edmond de Goncourt once said, “A painting in a museum hears more ridiculous opinions than anything else in the world.”

If you have an opinion to share, regardless how ridiculous it may seem, February is the month for you. During February, more than 30 museums and organizations will offer half-priced admission for those with a Museum Month pass. Now there’s no excuse to not get your culture on!

Where do you get the month-long pass? Stop by one of several San Diego county Macy’s stores beginning Feb. 1 and pick up one of the free Museum Month brochures. Enclosed in the brochure will be a Museum Month pass which must be shown in order to receive the half-priced admission. For a complete listing of the participating organizations during Museum Month, check out www.sandiegomuseumcouncil.org/museum-month.html.

From the amazing museums and organizations participating, I’ve highlighted just a few that offer art, but a little bit of par-tay! (Keep in mind, these events may not fall under the scope of Museum Month.)

On the first Thursday of every month, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) Downtown hosts TNT, or Thursday Night Thing, beginning at 7 p.m. This is always an eclectic night of live performances, music, multimedia installations and a fusion of the young and hip.

On Feb. 7, TNT features the exhibition Robert Irwin: Primaries and Secondaries, a collection of the artist’s career from the 1950s to present day. His art “investigates perception and phenomenological experience … and helped to define the aesthetic and issues of the West Coast Light and Space movement in the 1960s by exploring how phenomena are perceived and altered by consciousness.” Sounds intriguing! Also on display will be photos from Perry Vasquez’s Best of TNT Fotoaktion, an assortment of TNT photos from 2007. Admission is free for museum members, and there is a $3 suggested donation for non-members. For more information, go to www.mcasd.org/events/TNT/index.asp.

If you dig film screenings, MCASD La Jolla will have two featured films in February. On Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, check out Last Tango in Paris, “the most powerfully erotic movie ever made, and it may turn out to be the most liberating movie ever made,” according to the late New York film critic Pauline Kael. On Feb. 28, MCASD La Jolla showcases Banished, a documentary on the legacy of a Southern town’s ugly history of driving out its black residents with mob violence. Tickets are $7 for general admission to each film, and $5 for members, students and seniors. Films begin at 7 p.m.

MCASD Downtown is located at 1001 Kettner Blvd, and MCASD La Jolla is located at 700 Prospect Street. For more information about the museum, visit www.mcasd.org.

Continuing on in the film medium, on Feb. 1, the Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA) presents POP Thursdays (Photography Off the Prado), an evening series that “blends photography and film with drinks and music into a party like no other.”

This edition of POP features the 1971 cult classic Harold and Maude, a tale of two very unlikely lovers. Mingle, grab a drink at the bar and take a look at the film as it’s projected in the atrium, accompanied by a Cat Stevens’ soundtrack. If you’d rather watch the movie in its original glory, get away for a moment and take a seat in the theater. Don’t forget to peruse the gallery as well, and snap a photo in one of the antique photo booths before you leave. Admission is $6 for the general public, and free to MoPA members. The event begins at 6 p.m., and the film begins at 7 p.m. For more information, check out www.popthursdays.com.

On Feb. 24 at 5 p.m., MoPA is also the host of San Diego’s official Oscar Night Gala! Tickets are $150 - $250 per person. Check out www.mopa.org/pages/Oscar%20Night.asp for the complete 4-1-1 on this spectacular event!

MoPA is located at 1649 El Prado. For more information about the museum, visit www.mopa.org.

Although not in the month of February, the San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) presents Culture & Cocktails from 6-9 p.m. on March 13.

This event accompanies the opening of every new exhibition and brings entrancing DJ’d music, complimentary specialty cocktails, and visitors of all sorts. The featured exhibition will be Rhythms of India: The Art of Nandalal Bose (1882 - 1966), a beautiful collection of modern Indian art. Bose, who is known as the father of modern art in India, presents the 100-piece display in its first comprehensive traveling exhibition outside of Asia. Admission is $10 for the general public, and free to museum members. For more information, check out www.sdmart.org/calendar-culture-cocktails.html.

SDMA is located on 1450 El Prado. For more information about the museum, visit www.sdmart.org.

Tower After Hours, an ongoing series celebrating San Diego’s diverse ethnic culture, comes to the San Diego Museum of Man on Feb. 28 from 6-8 p.m.

This will be an exciting evening celebrating the third largest island in Europe, Ireland! Live traditional Irish music, dance, and authentic food will be provided. Admission is $20 for the general public, $15 for students, and $10 for museum members; attendees must be age 21 or older. Along with the food and entertainment, admission also includes entrance to the exhibits, as well as two drink coupons. For more information, check out www.museumofman.org/html/events_towerafter_ireland_2008.html.

The San Diego Museum of Man is located on 1350 El Prado. For more information about the museum, visit www.museumofman.org.

Although not one of the participating organizations during Museum Month, Madison Gallery is a dramatic and expansive ocean view gallery featuring “artists whose pieces range from complex, narratively driven, figurative works to extremes of meditative minimalism.”

This month, Madison Gallery features Continuum, a survey of new paintings from abstract expressionist James Verbicky. “Using infinite expanses of layered color, texture, and subtle symbolism, Verbicky taps the divine imagination to create a universal appreciation for his work. Verbicky’s work is unrestrained and evocative, drawing the audience into the thoughts and emotions of the artist himself at the time of creation. Largely a dedicated self-taught painter, Verbicky’s work is about the spontaneity and process inherent in creativity and in daily life,” according to his bio.

Madison Gallery is located at 1020 Prospect Street, Suite 130. For more information about the gallery, visit www.madisongalleries.com.