Soothing jazz will flow through the galleries of the Museum of Art + Light on Friday as art, music and community come together in the heart of Manhattan. Headlining it all will be award-winning American artist Dean Mitchell as he discusses his life and most prominent artwork.
Rhythm & Hues: An Evening of Jazz & Art is an adults-only event providing evening access to almost all of the Museum of Art + Light. The event will take place from 5:30-8:30 p.m. and include access to the museum’s art galleries, as well as feature live music, food, drinks and an “Artist Talk” by Mitchell from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Kristy Peterson, vice president of learning, engagement and visitor experience at the Museum of Art + Light, is responsible for developing public programs inspired by topics included in exhibits. The museum is currently displaying multiple temporary exhibits that highlight the lives of Black Americans, which Peterson said were the inspiration behind Rhythm & Hues.
“We have an exhibition on view called Crafting Sanctuaries: Black Spaces of the Great Depression South, which is a show on loan to us from the Art Bridges Foundation of Great Depression era, black and white photographs,” Peterson said. “And we also have works on view by contemporary visual artist Dean Mitchell.”
Mitchell is an African-American painter with works featured in 13 museum collections across the United States, including the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, and currently the Museum of Art + Light. Peterson said the decision to bring in Mitchell for Rhythm & Hues wasn’t a hard one.
“Usually if you’re working with a living artist, when at all possible you want to host them at the museum during the run of their exhibition,” Peterson said. “… Jazz music plays a big influence in his work, and he’s done a series of paintings of African-American jazz musicians, so it seemed like a natural fit.”
Mitchell will speak for an hour about his life and the inspiration behind his art featured in the museum’s temporary exhibit. Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet Mitchell, who will be signing catalogs of his art.
Also featured at the event will be live performances from local jazz musicians JahVelle Rhone and Eric Brown. Rhone, who has played saxophone for 30 years, is a 2010 K-State graduate in social science, has held multiple positions at K-State since 2009 and currently works as project manager for the Sunderland Foundation Innovation Lab in Hale Library.
The two musicians will play in separate spaces of the museum to begin the event, and will end the night performing a final set together.
Though an art museum might not be the ideal destination for K-State students on a Friday night, Peterson says Rhythm & Hues is the perfect reason to visit.
“I think it’s a really unique thing to do,” she said. “… You’re getting two kind of world-class musicians in an art museum, plus food and drink, and time to actually spend looking with your friends at works of art …I know the price point can be challenging, but if you’re gonna go to Aggieville and drop $30 on a Friday night, why not come here, and you get one drink included in your admission.”
Tickets for adults 21+ cost $35, with a 10% museum member discount, and college student tickets are $25. Appetizers catered by Parkside Station and one drink ticket are included in admission.
