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Common, Kehinde, Bri Blvck and Others at Bklyn Museum's First Saturday

Futura Noir: A bevy of exciting Black History Month programming kicks off at Brooklyn Museum's First Saturday
Black History Month 2020 at Brooklyn Museum
(l to r): Artwork by Kehinde Wiley, Chat with Common and a performance by Bri Blvck, all part of First Saturday’s Black History Month program at the Brooklyn Museum

Black History Month kicks off at Brooklyn Museum's First Saturday with "Futura Noir," a bevy of programming that explores the impact of black art on contemporary culture and the American experience.

This months, as with every month, the museum will offer an all-ages experiential engagement through hands-on art projects for children, live music, artist talks, film screenings and a number of exhibitions.

The exhibition Jacques-Louis David Meets Kehinde Wiley will take a front-seat on Saturday with a curator-led tour and a scholar talk, as well as an art gardening project and music performance inspired by Wiley's work.

Catch a vibe with hip hop violinist and neo-soul singer/songwriter Bri Blvck through her thought-provoking, sultry harmonies and bass lines. She is known for seducing crowds with a mix of upbeat synth-filled hip-hop and R&B.

Also, rapper and actor Common will participate in a "fireside chat" around the importance of mental and physical health, moderated by Peloton Cycling Instructor Tunde Oyeneyin. (Note: 200 free tickets will be available in the auditorium line at admissions at 5:00pm)

Check out the full schedule of events below:

SOUND BATH: ANCESTRAL HEALING

5—6 pm

Join HealHaus, a Black-owned holistic wellness studio that advocates for mental health, inclusivity, and diversity within wellness. Omar Davis begins the evening with an intention-setting, followed by a relaxing sound bath with singing bowls, facilitated by Phyllicia Bonanno.


MUSIC: TOPAZ JONES

5—6 pm

Singer and rapper Topaz Jones creates his own island of infectious funk and quick-witted wordplay with a sound that is a true hybrid of all things funk, rap, and blues.


CURATOR TOUR

5:30 pm

Lisa Small, Senior Curator, European Art, and Eugenie Tsai, John and Barbara Vogelstein Senior Curator, Contemporary Art, lead a tour of the exhibition Jacques-Louis David Meets Kehinde Wiley.


SCHOLAR TALK: NIAMA SAFIA SANDY

6 pm

Delve into the interconnected histories of Napoleon, Haiti, and Brooklyn with anthropologist and curator Niama Safia Sandy. Using the lens of the exhibition Jacques-Louis David Meets Kehinde Wiley, Sandy explores themes of race, power, nationalism, and imperialism. Seating is limited and first come, first served.


REAL PEOPLE: A FIRESIDE CHAT WITH COMMON

6 pm

Artist, actor, and activist Lonnie Rashid Lynn, a.k.a. Common, draws on his personal journey to highlight the importance of mental and physical health in our communities. Moderated by Peloton Cycling Instructor Tunde Oyeneyin. 200 free tickets in Auditorium line at Admissions at 5 pm.


HANDS-ON ART

6—8 pm

Cultivate self-care by starting your own urban garden. Decorate planters and fill them with flowers, all inspired by Kehinde Wiley's work. 330 free tickets in Hands-On Art line at Admissions at 5 pm.


TEEN POP-UP GALLERY TALKS

6:30—7:30 pm

Our Teen Apprentices host ten-minute talks about works by Black artists on view in our American Art galleries.


MUSIC: NILES LUTHER

7 pm

Niles Luther, cellist, composer, and musical director for Kehinde Wiley, is joined by other musicians to perform works by Jean-Baptiste Barrière and Ludwig van Beethoven, as well as his original score for Wiley's film Tahiti.


MUSIC: NVR SLEEP

7:30—10 pm

Enjoy sets by the NVR Sleep collective in advance of the second season of DRMRS.FM. Creators Rodney Hazard, Mikey, Fab Roc, and ClassicNewWave blend vibrant DJ sets featuring dancehall, reggae, soca, hip-hop, R&B, electronic, world music, and positive vibes.


FILM: SECOND EULOGY: MIND THE GAP

8 pm

Filmmaker Billy Gerard Frank tells the story of his father, weaving a tale of family, estrangement, memory, and loss to explore queer Caribbean identity in this short film (2019, 40 min.), which debuted at the 2019 Venice Biennale. Screening followed by a talkback with artist and activist Renee Cox, artist Christopher Udemezue, and the filmmaker, moderated by writer and curator Ebony L. Haynes. 330 free tickets in Auditorium line at Admissions at 7 pm.


POETRY READING

8 pm

Catch Brooklyn-based poets Osyris Antham, Chanice Hughes-Greenberg, and Cyre?e Jarelle Johnson as they share their original work that centers themes of roots, resilience, and representation. Seating is limited and first come, first served.


MUSIC: BRI BLVCK

9 pm

Be electrified by violinist Bri Blvck as she plays her own unique and unparalleled sound: sultry neo soul with a mix of upbeat synth-filled hip-hop and R&B.




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