Art After Dark in April
-Highlights African art, music, literature, and tradition also planned: a special presentation ab0ut dale chihuly’s persian sea-life ceiling before it is de-installed to prepare for new norton construction
WEST PALM BEACH, FL (March 23, 2016) – The Norton Museum of Art is presenting exciting programming during its Art After Dark series on Thursday evenings to celebrate popular exhibitions and installations before their scheduled closings, or the de-installation of works in the collection in preparation for major construction set to begin this summer.
April highlights include programs in conjunction with the exhibition, Njideka Akunyili Crosby: I Refuse to be Invisible, (on view through April 24). Prof. Ugochukwu-Smooth C. Nzewi, Curator of African Art at Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, will discuss Akunyili Crosby’s fascinating, large-scale work on April 14. Also that evening, the Osundara Yoruba Dance Theater will lead audiences on a musical journey through Nigeria via rhythm and dance, directed by High Chief Nathaniel B. Styles, Jr.
The following week, on April 21, Glenn Tomlinson, William Randolph Hearst Curator of Education, will present Dale Chihuly: Making Waves, a Curator’s Conversation in conjunction with Earth Day, and in advance of the artist’s popular Persian Sea Life Ceiling being taken down and stored during New Norton construction. Tomlinson will discuss the artist and his remarkable work, which features more than 600 colorful, glass-blown, marine-themed pieces, and has delighted countless visitors to the Norton. Persian Sea-Life Ceiling will be on view through May 1, 2016.
Here are April Art After Dark themes and additional highlights:
April 7/ Majestic Mountains
Laurie Barnes, Elizabeth B. McGraw Curator of Chinese Art, discusses the exhibition, Majestic Mountain Retreats: 17th- and 18th-Century Monumental Chinese Landscapes; Esteemed musician Ann Yao performs traditional Chinese music on the zheng, or Chinese zither, one of ancient China’s most revered instruments. A long, horizontal plucked zither, the zheng epitomizes the sound of the ancient East. Also in conjunction with this exhibition, a special Sketchbook Thursday presents Brush and Ink, where participants will create narrative brush and ink illustrations.
April 14 /RAW Ingredients The evening begins with a tour of the Recognition of Art by Women (RAW) exhibition, Njideka Akunyili Crosby: I Refuse to be Invisible, and is followed by an Exhibition Lecture about the artist’s work by Curator Ugochukwu-Smooth C. Nzewi. Also on the schedule: A performance by the Osundara Yoruba Dance Theatre, and a screening of the brief documentary, Fantastic Man (30 minutes), which investigates Nigerian musician William Onyeabor, a man shrouded in mystery and myth.
April 21 / Earth Day Aside from the Earth Day-related Dale Chihuly: Making Waves presentation, the evening also includes the screening of the BBC documentary, Planet Earth| Episode 1: From Pole to Pole (51 minutes). The Quiet Villagers, a “retro lounge trio,” perform a blend of mid-century bossa nova, cocktail jazz, Caribbean rhythms, electronica, and more! The trio features Laura Sue, “the Silver Nightingale,” on flute; Johnny O’io on vocals and guitar; and Bob Taylor on percussion. This is also one of the last opportunities to take a docent-led tour of tour of the special exhibition, Njideka Aklunyili Crosby: I Refuse to be Invisible.
April 28 / Next Generation Art After Dark celebrates the future – the future generation, that is, and includes a performance by Plumosa School of the Arts students titled Words and Music. Talented elementary school pupils from this arts academy show off their skill in choir, strings, piano, and drama. Forest Hill Community High School Students in the Norton School Partnership present their research into selected works of art from the Museum Collection. Docents lead tours of Youth in Sculpture and Painting, and O’Keeffe, Stettheimer, Torr, Zorach: Women Modernists in New York. A screening of the documentary, Adora Svitak @ IdeaCity10: Let Kids Be Kids? (25 minutes), questions traditional notions of childhood and discusses the achievements of today’s youth. A DIY art project, Fantasy Figure, encourages participants to take inspiration from the work of artist Wangechi Mutu, and create a collage-style fictional figure full of color and abstract patterns.
For complete details, visit www.norton.org/artafterdark.
about the norton museum The Norton Museum of Art is a major cultural attraction in Florida, and internationally known for its distinguished Permanent Collection featuring American Art, Chinese Art, Contemporary Art, European Art and Photography. The Norton is located at 1451 S. Olive Ave. in West Palm Beach, FL., and is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Closed on Mondays and major Holidays). General admission is $12 for adults, $5 for students with a valid ID, and free for Members and children ages 12 and under. Palm Beach County residents receive free admission every Saturday with proof of residency. For additional information, please call (561) 832-5196, or visit www.norton.org.