MFA Open House | Juneteenth

The Museum of fine Arts Boston hosts an open house with free admission for Juneteenth!

In partnership with Citizens, admission to the MFA—including access to “Hokusai: Inspiration and Influence”—is free for all Massachusetts residents on June 19 in honor of Juneteenth, the oldest nationally observed commemoration of the ending of slavery in the US. Join us for performances, participate in art-making activities, catch a talk, and see “Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina,” a new exhibition honoring the work and legacy of the enslaved men, women, and children who crafted stoneware storage vessels in Old Edgefield for roughly 50 years before emancipation.

Events and Activities

Drop-In Art Making: Pottery | 10 am–4 pm | Huntington Avenue Lawn

Create a decorative pot or bowl inspired by “Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina” using air-dry clay.

Resource Fair |10 am–4 pm | Shapiro Family Courtyard

Drop by to meet representatives from Big Sister Boston, the MFA, and more to learn about the resources and programs they offer.

Just Joy: Story Time and Installation | 11 am–4pm (every 15 minutes) | Riley Seminar Room, 156

Meet the owner of Lit for Black Kids, an online bookstore and literary advocacy organization, and participate in literary experiences all day! See the Just Joy installation, view prerecorded virtual story time from everyday authors, enjoy in-person story time every 15 minutes, and get there early for limited-quantity Lit swag!

Welcome Remarks | 1:15 pm | Shapiro Family Courtyard

Hear from Matthew Teitelbaum, Ann and Graham Gund Director; Lisa Murray, Massachusetts president, Citizens Bank; and Ellice Patterson, Executive Director, Abilities Dance Boston

Abilities Dance | 1:30 and 2:30 pm | Shapiro Family Courtyard

See repertory work by performers of Abilities Dance, a local dance company that promotes intersectional disability rights in the greater Boston area and beyond, featuring music by Andrew Choe.

REPRISE | 2:15 and 3:30 pm | Edward H. Linde Gallery (Gallery 168)

Join poet and artist Golden for REPRISE, a call-and-response performance that maps Black un-American lineage. Explore what’s possible through the individual act of naming oneself and one’s people here in the US, as a way forward against anti-Black allegiance. Responding to “Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina,” Golden uses work by enslaved potters and poets, conversations with family in Maryland and Virginia, and their own photographic self-portraits as portals to consider Black life.

The City Talks: The Legacy and Future of Juneteenth | 2:30–3:30 pm | Edward H. Linde Gallery (Gallery 168)

Join Boston-based students, thinkers, and program leaders for a youth-focused discussion centered on the legacy and future activism of Juneteenth. Participants include moderator Corey DePina, Program Director of Zumix and Teaching Artist , and panelists Luz Juliana Marquez, ZUMIX participant; Akilah Villers-Jean, MFA Teen Arts Council member; and Nia Nolan, Artist for Humanity Teen Artist.

Collective Resistance, Memory, and Freedom | 3:30 pm | Shapiro Family Courtyard

Composer and producer Walter Robinson shares live concert excerpts from his prize-winning gospel folk opera Look What a Wonder, about the life of Denmark Vesey, who was born into slavery in the 18th century and became a community leader and activist. And see a music video of the Boston Children’s Choir performing the song “Harriet Tubman” from Robinson’s hip-hop musical Moses in Harlem.

When: 
Monday, June 19, 2023 10am-5pm
Prices: 
FREE Open House
Phone: 
617.267.9300
Art Academy Summer Program at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly MA

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Wenham Museum Spring/Summer Sports Sale

Spring & Summer Sports Sale at Wenham Musseum in Massachusetts
Back by popular demand! After a successful inaugural sale in 2024, Wenham Museum’s Spring & Summer Sports Sale returns for its second year. In keeping with the Museum’s former Attic Treasures Sale tradition, the Spring & Summer Sports Sale brings the community together for a fun and...
10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Friday, March 28

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Wenham Museum Spring/Summer Sports Sale

Spring & Summer Sports Sale at Wenham Musseum in Massachusetts
Back by popular demand! After a successful inaugural sale in 2024, Wenham Museum’s Spring & Summer Sports Sale returns for its second year. In keeping with the Museum’s former Attic Treasures Sale tradition, the Spring & Summer Sports Sale brings the community together for a fun and...
10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Music Together - Friday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
10:30 am to 11:15 am

Saturday, March 29

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Teen Naturalist Club at IRWS: Spring/Summer Series

Join Mass Audubon for their Teen Naturalist Club at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield Massachusetts!
Explore a variety of local ecosystems, learn more about a wide range of natural history topics, and do real wildlife data collection and conservation projects in this exciting club for teens!
8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Music Together - Saturday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
9:15 am to 11:15 am

Nice n' Easy Hike at Breakheart Reservation

Nice and Easy winter hike at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus Massachusetts
Join the Park Interpreter for this weekly guided hike! Each trip will highlight natural and historic features unique to Breakheart. Hikes are moderately paced and range from 2-3 miles over sometimes uneven and rocky terrain. Best for ages 8 years and up. Meet at the Visitor Center.
9:30 am to 11:30 am

Wenham Museum Spring/Summer Sports Sale

Spring & Summer Sports Sale at Wenham Musseum in Massachusetts
Back by popular demand! After a successful inaugural sale in 2024, Wenham Museum’s Spring & Summer Sports Sale returns for its second year. In keeping with the Museum’s former Attic Treasures Sale tradition, the Spring & Summer Sports Sale brings the community together for a fun and...
10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Sunday, March 30

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Wenham Museum Spring/Summer Sports Sale

Spring & Summer Sports Sale at Wenham Musseum in Massachusetts
Back by popular demand! After a successful inaugural sale in 2024, Wenham Museum’s Spring & Summer Sports Sale returns for its second year. In keeping with the Museum’s former Attic Treasures Sale tradition, the Spring & Summer Sports Sale brings the community together for a fun and...
10:00 am to 6:00 pm