Community Conversation: Jazz Inspirations
2026-03-26 17:30 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
Register here: $10 general. $8 seniors + students, free for members
Beginning with a guitar performance by Tim Cole at 5:30pm, this community conversation will explore the dynamic intersection of music and the visual arts. Engaging with the works on display in Art, Jazz + the Blues, a panel of musicians, scholars, educators, and arts advocates will discuss how we “see” music and “hear” art, and how these two worlds sustain a vibrant local culture. Panelists will reflect on their formative encounters with art and music, describing their personal journeys and their current projects in our community and beyond. We’ll explore the shared language of art and music – how words like texture, color, tone, and rhythm translate across disciplines, and how a visual work of art can inspire musical composition and improvisation. With Westport regularly designated as a “Best Community for Music Education,” and known for its rich artistic heritage, the group will illuminate what it takes to sustain these arts across generations, including how today’s students engage with the traditions of jazz and blues represented in the works in the exhibition. Audience questions and engagement is encouraged!

Panelist Bios:
Richard Epstein, co-founder Jazz Society of Fairfield County, Westport Arts Advisory Committee. A Westport native and dentist, Richard and his wife Ina Chadwick founded Thursday night jazz when saxophonist Greg Wall moved here in 2014. Richard plays bassoon in the Norwalk Symphony, alto sax with the Westport Community Band, and is working on his jazz chops. He mentors young musicians in KEYS and other programs. He has served in leadership positions on the boards of many local arts organizations and the Westport Arts Advisory Committee. Richard has hosted “Sometimes Classical”, an eclectic music show on WPKN radio since 1977 that he calls his “ultimate play time”.
Kevin Mazzarella, Director of Bands, Staples High School. Kevin is a versatile trumpet performer and educator based in the NY/CT area, with credits including Carnegie Hall, Norwalk Symphony, Birdland Big Band, and Goodspeed Opera House, and extensive experience as a lead and section jazz performer. He is the Director of Bands at Staples High School in Westport, CT—affectionately known as Mr. Mazz—where he directs ensembles and teaches AP Music Theory. A dedicated jazz educator, he leads the school’s top jazz ensemble and previously directed a middle school jazz band selected as a Showcase Ensemble at the 2020 CMEA Conference. He was named Coventry Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year in 2024. Kevin holds degrees from the University of Miami, Columbia University, and the University of Saint Joseph, along with a Graduate Certificate in Trumpet Performance from the University of Connecticut. An active member of CMEA, he has presented on jazz improvisation and trumpet pedagogy, served as the 2025 NAfME All-Eastern Division Jazz Band Co-Chair, and currently serves as CMEA Western Region High School Concert Band Co-Chair.
Brian Torff, Professor of Music, Fairfield University. Brian Torff, after a career as a jazz bassist and composer that began in the 1970s, now creates music as a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and blues harmonica player. Torff has performed with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, George Shearing, Dizzy Gillespie, Erroll Garner, Mary Lou Williams, Stephane Grappelli and Marian McPartland, among others. As an author and Professor of Music at Fairfield University, Brian Torff combines his music history and Civil Rights research trips to the Deep South with dynamic songs that tell an American story. “We need to create new musical categories,” says Torff, “and I hope our music is a soundtrack to an American road trip, past and present.”
Caitlin von Schmidt, American vocalist, bassist, and designer. Daughter of Eric von Schmidt. Originally from Cambridge, Massachusetts, she moved to Tucson, Arizona to attend university in 1980 and became a founding member of the bands River Roses, Ortho 28, and Caitlin & The Stickponies. She is the niece of Bob Jones, who through his work for George Wein’s Festival Productions, was the road manager for Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Count Basie, Buddy Rich, Sarah Vaughan, Archie Shepp, and Cannonball Adderley during the 1960s, and later the longtime director of the Newport Folk and Newport Jazz festivals and a founding producer of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival. Her mother, Helen von Schmidt, Bob’s sister, was the house mother for artist housing at the early Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals, and through those connections Caitlin did summer work for the Kool Jazz Festival in New York City in the late ‘70s, and the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals in the ‘80s, ‘90s, and early aughts. She settled in Greenfield, Massachusetts in 2007 with her husband and son, and now works as the outreach and communications manager at the local food co-op.

Art Adventures
2026-03-28 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-04-04 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-04-11 12:00, 2026-04-18 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-04-25 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-05-16 12:00 - 13:30 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
Book Now: https://checkout.mocact.org/EventAvailability?EventId=401
Your child can join us every Saturday for a relaxed and inspiring drop-in art class at the museum!
MoCA/CT Art Studio Classroom – entrance in back
$25.00/per child
Ages 4+

Guided Tour of the Brubeck Collection (Members Only)
2026-03-31 11:00 - 12:30 | Wilton Library, 137 Old Ridgefield Road, Wilton, CT, United States
Members Only Exclusive
Explore one of the world’s premier jazz archives during a guided visit to The Brubeck Collection at Wilton Library, led by curator Michael Bellacosa and archivist Julie Hughes. 60-90 minutes. Wilton Library, 137 Old Ridgefield Road, Wilton CT. (Limited to 12 attendees. Transportation not included.)
Book Now: https://checkout.mocact.org/EventAvailability?EventId=16001

Adult Workshop with Peri Pfenninger
2026-04-09 12:00 - 14:00 | MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Visualizing Sound Art Workshop: Jazz, Blues & Abstract Expression
Thursday, April 9, 2026
AND/OR
Friday, April 10, 2026
12PM-2PM
$85.00 per person per session, register here.
Adult class
As jazz and blues soundscapes fill the studio, students will create two original 2D artworks, translating rhythm, mood, tempo, and emotion into dynamic compositions. Through guided exercises, you’ll learn how to use line, color, shape, texture, movement, and composition to support creative freedom and spontaneous expression.
This workshop is designed for adults of all experience levels and encourages playful experimentation, personal interpretation, and bold artistic exploration.
What to Expect:
Live music-guided creative prompts
Instruction in rhythm and key art elements
Creation of two abstract artworks
A relaxed, social Lunch & Learn atmosphere
Art materials included.
Bring your own snack and drink to enjoy while you create.
Come ready to listen, feel the rhythm, and let the music move your brush!

National Poetry Month Event: Art + Sound
2026-04-09 19:00 - 20:30 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
National Poetry Month Event
Art + Sound
Thursday, April 9, 7:00–8:30pm
Register here: $30 general admission, $20 for seniors and students, and $15 for members
In conjunction with Art, Jazz + the Blues, Art + Sound highlights the synergy between poetry, sound, and visual arts through the work of local creatives. This April, MoCACT celebrates National Poetry Month by hosting spoken word performances within the galleries to examine how these disciplines interact.
The night features poet Sahmra Sawyer, who will perform original pieces written in response to the artworks in the exhibition alongside works from poets who inspire her. Accompanied by soft jazz music playing in the background, the event also features local artist Lauren Clayton, who will live-paint a large-scale canvas to translate the spoken words and themes of the exhibit. Following this event, the original artwork made that night by Lauren Clayton will be available for purchase. Guests can also enjoy food from the 29 Markle CT food truck. 29 Markle CT Restaurant is a Bridgeport staple known for its sophisticated take on soul food and seasonal ingredients, bringing a local culinary perspective to the evening.
The Experience
The Introduction: Opening remarks on how music, poetry, and art have always been intertwined in the Westport community.
Act I: Sahmra Sawyer begins her performance, weaving her words through the exhibition.
Intermission: A break to enjoy light refreshments, walk the galleries, and catch a vibe with the community.
Act II: The conclusion of the night’s poetry and the completion of the live-painted work.
Sahmra Sawyer is a Norwalk native, Sahmra has grown into a Spoken Word Poet better known as Supreme Divinity. Supreme has performed at renowned venues like TheaterWorks in Hartford, CT; Bijou Theater in Bridgeport, CT; Nublu in New York City; Brooklyn Poets, and was featured on Fox 61 in 2023 for the “Rooted in Resilience” Juneteenth special.
She is the Founder and Host of, We’ve Got Something to Say, a thriving poetry platform and community collective based in Bridgeport, CT. Her mission is to create safe spaces where voices are heard using her skills as an MSW student, the transformative power of storytelling, and community, to foster healing and connection.
Lauren Clayton is the founder of Studio 162 and a graduate of the Cooper Union School of Art. A Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholar alum and recipient of the Miller Brewing Company’s Urban Entrepreneur Grant, Lauren’s work is known for its bold color and storytelling. Beyond her studio, she is a fixture in the local art scene, dedicated to mentoring design students and advocating for non-profits through her creative work.
This event is made possible by the generous support of Absolute Best Home Care in Westport, CT.

Sahmra Sawyer: Lauren Clayton:

Adult Workshop with Peri Pfenninger
2026-04-10 12:00 | MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Visualizing Sound Art Workshop: Jazz, Blues & Abstract Expression
Friday, April 10, 2026
12PM-2PM
$85.00 per person per session, register here.
Adult class
As jazz and blues soundscapes fill the studio, students will create two original 2D artworks, translating rhythm, mood, tempo, and emotion into dynamic compositions. Through guided exercises, you’ll learn how to use line, color, shape, texture, movement, and composition to support creative freedom and spontaneous expression.
This workshop is designed for adults of all experience levels and encourages playful experimentation, personal interpretation, and bold artistic exploration.
What to Expect:
Live music-guided creative prompts
Instruction in rhythm and key art elements
Creation of two abstract artworks
A relaxed, social Lunch & Learn atmosphere
Art materials included.
Bring your own snack and drink to enjoy while you create.
Come ready to listen, feel the rhythm, and let the music move your brush!

MoCACT Sessions: Miki Aoki, solo piano
2026-04-11 17:00 - 18:30 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
Pianist Miki Aoki transforms the recital into a vibrant dialogue across time. From Bach’s architectural clarity (reimagined by Busoni) to Poulenc’s modern wit, Clara Schumann’s intimate lyricism, and Chopin’s poetic fire, this program bridges tradition and reinvention. An evening of elegance, bold expression, and fresh perspective.

Tickets

ECCB Salon Series
2026-04-23 19:30 - 20:30 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
East Coast Contemporary Ballet returns to MoCA with an excerpt from their upcoming Spring Season that will be followed by an artist talk-back with the audience.
ECCB’s dynamic mixed repertory season includes a premiere that is currently being created in collaboration with Italian artist Luca Serasini and is inspired by his sculpture “Waiting for Angels.” This contemporary ballet will delve into the modern-day anticipation for help and guidance in the face of personal and societal anxieties. The work will inspire audiences to ask themselves, In what ways do we have agency over our future and how impactful is the sentiment of hope in our darkest moments?
Don’t miss this intimate evening of captivating contemporary dance and a rare opportunity to explore a work in progress and speak directly with the choreographers and dancers.
Tickets

Mic at the Museum
2026-04-30 18:00 - 20:00 | MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Calling all teens! Join us for Mic at the Museum, a Teen Open Mic Night on April 30 from 6–8 PM, organized and hosted by the MoCACT Teen Council. Teens are invited to take the stage and share music, poetry, comedy, spoken word, or any creative act in a relaxed, art-filled space. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Come perform, support your friends, and enjoy a fun evening celebrating teen creativity!
Sign Up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfWkMNHBV-u87thZ7W0D2TtFu-kTnGjyc0sN9BUdp5Rj5R2dw/viewform?usp=header

Art Adventures
2026-05-02 12:00 - 13:30 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
Book Now: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/mocactevents/event/aradve/
Your child can join us every Saturday for a relaxed and inspiring drop-in art class at the museum!
MoCA/CT Art Studio Classroom – entrance in back
$25.00/per child
Ages 4+

Inside Art + Jazz with WPKN
2026-05-02 18:00 - 19:30 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
MoCACT welcomes you into its entry gallery space to enjoy music and the arts in an intersecting social event. Guest DJ Jim Motavalli will play a curated selection of songs throughout the night in conjunction with our current exhibition, Art, Jazz + the Blues.
A freelance journalist whose jazz writing appears in the New York City Jazz Record, Jim is also the author of nine books and serves as a radio host and publicity director for the listener-supported WPKN—described as the “greatest radio station in the world” by The New Yorker. Throughout the evening, he will guide the journey by introducing each album segment with the stories and historical context that define these recordings. His curated set features a narrative thread through the genre, including:

Art Tatum – “Tea for Two”
Charlie Parker – “Donna Lee”
Jaco Pastorius – “Donna Lee”
Thelonious Monk – “Well, You Needn’t”
Horace Silver – “Song for My Father” (alongside Steely Dan’s “Rikki, Don’t Lose That
Number”)
Miles Davis – “All Blues” (alongside Tim Buckley’s “Strange Feeling”)
John Coltrane – “Giant Steps”
Eric Dolphy – “Warm Canto”
Chet Baker – “Time After Time”
Johnny Hartman – “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning”
Art Ensemble of Chicago – “Odwalla”
Dave Brubeck – “Blue Rondo à la Turk”

Tickets

One Degree of Separation: Jazz in ConnecticutA Community Conversation with Tom Duffy and Wayne Escoffery
2026-05-07 18:00 - 20:00 | MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
TICKETS

In conjunction with the exhibition Art, Jazz + the Blues, One Degree of Separation: Jazz in Connecticut explores the vibrant lineage of jazz in Connecticut and its influence on the global stage. This community conversation brings together two titans of the Yale School of Music, composer and conductor Thomas Duffy and Grammy-winning saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, for an intimate look at the history of jazz at Yale and beyond.
The program will weave together personal stories of mentorship and collaboration with a live musical interlude featuring Escoffery on the saxophone. Against the backdrop of jazz’s social and political history, Duffy and Escoffery will discuss how the genre serves as a bridge between the university, the community, and the world.
About the Speakers

Thomas Duffy
Thomas Duffy is a Professor in the Practice of Music and Director of University Bands at Yale University, where he has been a pillar of the musical community since 1982. An acclaimed composer and conductor, Duffy’s work sits at the intersection of music, science, and social impact. He is the creator of the award-winning “Duffy-Honan Intervention,” a musical training tool for nursing students, and has led the Yale Bands on twenty-two international tours across twenty-three countries. A former Deputy Dean of the Yale School of Music, he has been awarded the Yale Tercentennial Medal and the Elm/Ivy Award for his advocacy and leadership in the arts.

Wayne Escoffery
Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Wayne Escoffery is a master of the tenor and soprano saxophone and a perennial winner of the Downbeat Critics Poll. Currently the Director of Jazz Ensembles at Yale University, Escoffery’s career has seen him perform alongside legends such as Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and the Mingus Big Band. A New Haven native and protégé of Jackie McLean, he founded the Black Art Jazz Collective and has toured the globe as a premier sideman and bandleader. His most recent album, Alone (2024), featuring Gerald Clayton and Ron Carter, has been hailed by critics as a masterpiece, receiving 5 stars from The London Times.

Art Adventures
2026-05-09 12:00 - 13:30 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
Book Now: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/mocactevents/event/aadventu/
Your child can join us every Saturday for a relaxed and inspiring drop-in art class at the museum!
MoCA/CT Art Studio Classroom – entrance in back
$25.00/per child
Ages 4+

MoCACT Sessions: Karisa Chiu, violin and Frederic Chiu, piano
2026-05-16 19:00 - 21:00 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
Experience an evening of expressive brilliance with internationally acclaimed violinist Karisa Chiu—celebrated for her “distinctive and fascinating intellect” and prizewinning virtuosity—and renowned pianist Frederic Chiu, whose expansive career and imaginative programming have captivated audiences worldwide. Together, they bring depth, nuance, and electrifying artistry to a program spanning Fauré’s elegance, Prokofiev’s intensity, and Bright Sheng’s evocative contemporary voice.

Tickets

Art Adventures
2026-05-23 12:00 - 13:30 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
Book Now: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/mocactevents/event/aradventu/
Your child can join us every Saturday for a relaxed and inspiring drop-in art class at the museum!
MoCA/CT Art Studio Classroom – entrance in back
$25.00/per child
Ages 4+

Film Screening: "Jazz on a Summer's Day" with Q+A
2026-05-28 18:30 - 21:00 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
Film Screening of 1959 Jazz on a Summer’s Day
Followed by a Q+A with Brian Kane
Thursday May 28 at 6:30–9:00PM
Film duration: 1h 25m
Register Here: $20 general admission, $10 seniors, $10 students, and free for members

Experience the intersection of jazz history and visual art at MoCACT on Thursday, May 28, at 6:30 PM for a screening of the 1959 documentary Jazz on a Summer’s Day directed by photographer Bert Stern. The film captures the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, documented in vibrant color and high-fashion style. Rather than a standard concert film, it unfolds as a visual poem that interweaves legendary musical performances with scenes of the coastal crowds and the America’s Cup yacht races. This landmark documentary serves as a cinematic extension of our current exhibition, Art, Jazz + the Blues, bringing the same energy and rhythm found in our galleries to the screen.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Brian Kane, a scholar of music theory and philosophy who specializes in the intersection of sound, improvisation, and 20th-century jazz. Kane brings a unique perspective to the film’s legacy, exploring how these legendary performances continue to resonate within the history of American art. Brian Kane is Professor of Music and Film and Media Studies at Yale University. He earned his PhD from UC Berkeley and was a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia University before joining Yale University. He teaches and writes about jazz, sound, media, and technology—and how the ways we listen influence how we understand the world. He is the author of two books published by Oxford University Press: Sound Unseen: Acousmatic Sound in Theory and Practice (2014) and Hearing Double: Jazz, Ontology, Auditory Culture (2024). Kane leads Yale’s Sound Studies Working Group and is a founding editor of nonsite.org, an online journal of arts and ideas.
As you watch the film, you will recognize the very figures who served as direct muses for several artists in our exhibition. The film features Louis Armstrong, a vital inspiration for Richard Hunt, Faith Ringgold, and Tracy Sugarman, alongside Thelonious Monk, whose improvisational genius influenced Sam Gilliam and is captured in John H. Nichols’ Pianorama in our larger gallery space. Additionally, the appearance of Mahalia Jackson highlights her profound impact on the work of Romare Bearden. Join us for an evening of legendary film and insightful conversation.

Brian Kane

Art Adventures
2026-05-30 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-06-06 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-06-13 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-06-20 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-06-27 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-07-04 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-07-11 12:00 - 13:30 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
Book Now: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/mocactevents/event/aadventure/
Your child can join us every Saturday for a relaxed and inspiring drop-in art class at the museum!
MoCA/CT Art Studio Classroom – entrance in back
$25.00/per child
Ages 4+

Camp MoCA Summer Camp
2026-06-15 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-15 09:00 - 2026-08-17 15:00 | MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Full Day 9-3 and Half Day 9-12:30.
