MoCA CT

AAPI & Allies Happy Hour
2022-05-10 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Learn more about AAPI Westport during AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) Heritage Month, and join the organization for AAPI & Allies Happy Hour at MoCA Westport on Tuesday, May 10th!

Cocktails & Conversation | Pat Ivers & Emily Armstrong | Punk is Coming
2022-05-05 18:00 - 19:00
As part of our Cocktails & Conversation series supporting Punk is Coming, join us for an evening with Pat Ivers and Emily Armstrong
If you think all punk sounds like the Sex Pistols, have we got news for you. Pat Ivers and Emily Armstrong reach into their GoNightclubbing video Archive to share the dizzying variety of music that flourished under the “punk” banner from 1977-1980. From the dissonance and free jazz of the Lounge Lizards to the bouncy power pop of New Wavers like the GoGos, this screening of rare live performances will be followed by a lively Q&A with the filmmakers. MTV was never like this!
The event is free and open to the public but advance registration is requested.
The presentation begins promptly at 6 PM so come early to experience the exhibition and purchase a drink or custom cocktail.

Music at MoCA: Griffin Anthony (Pop)
2022-04-30 19:00 - 21:00
Don’t miss a pop performance by Griffin Anthony! Learn more and purchase tickets here.

Gallery Closed for Private Event
2022-04-30

Cocktails & Conversation | Richard Hell | Punk is Coming
2022-04-28 18:00 - 19:00
Richard Hell is a singer, songwriter, bass guitarist and writer. Hell was a founder of several important early CBGB punk bands, including Television and the Heartbreakers, after which he formed Richard Hell & the Voidoids, whose 1977 album Blank Generation influenced many other punk groups. Since the mid 1980s, Hell has devoted himself primarily to writing, publishing two novels and several other books, including his acclaimed 2013 autobiography, I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp. His Destiny Street Complete double CD version of the Voidoids’ 1982 album was released last year.
Hell will be in conversation with Rick Cooper, a reluctant attorney by day, a voracious reader of all subjects, art collector, music aficionado, and an admirer of Richard Hell and his talent, the rest of the time.
Copies of Hell’s book, I Dreamed I Was A Very Clean Tramp: An Autobiography are available for purchase on our website and can also be purchased at the event. Save time and purchase in advance; we’ll have the book ready for you at the event.
The event is free, but advance registration is requested.
The presentation begins promptly at 6PM, so come early to experience the exhibition and purchase a drink or cocktail!
REGISTER FOR IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL HERE.

Cocktails & Conversation | Monte A. Melnick | Punk is Coming
2022-04-21 18:00 - 19:00
As part of our Cocktails & Conversation series supporting Punk is Coming, join us for an evening with Monte A. Melnick: Ramones 101.

Monte A. Melnick spent over 20 years as the Tour Manager for the iconic rock band Ramones, touring the world and working over 2,200 shows. Monte will be talking about the Ramones from the beginning to the end of their long historic career. His book ON THE ROAD with the RAMONES – BONUS EDITION tells his story of what it was like to be on and off the road with the band. Monte will have a limited number of signed books available for purchase.
The event is free, but advance registration is requested.
The presentation begins promptly at 6PM, so come early to experience the exhibition and purchase a drink or cocktail!

Gallery Closed
2022-04-17
The gallery closed for the holiday.

Music at MoCA: The Figgs (Rock)
2022-04-16 19:00 - 21:00
The legendary Figgs are back for an encore performance! Learn more and purchase tickets here.

Cocktails & Conversation | Merrill Aldighieri | Punk is Coming
2022-04-07 18:00 - 19:00
As part of our Cocktails & Conversation series supporting Punk is Coming, join us for an evening with Aldighieri, considered the original video jockey, and see her rare and some never-before-seen videos of the era. She will appear in conversation with Doug Tirola, award-winning director and President of 4th Row Films.
Engage with Aldighieri, considered the original video jockey, and see her rare and some never-before-seen videos of the era. Aldighieri is a multi-award winning independent filmmaker/artist/producer-director who has been involved in many different aspects of production.
The event is free, but advance registration is requested.
The presentation begins promptly at 6PM, so come early to experience the exhibition and purchase a drink or cocktail!

Exhibition Opening Reception: Punk is Coming
2022-03-26 18:00 - 20:00
MoCA Westport announces the opening of Punk is Coming, a diverse group exhibition featuring over 30 photographers, filmmakers and artists whose work defined the punk era in late-1970’s New York City, as well as contemporary works heavily influenced by the movement, and artworks created by the era’s musicians themselves.
Punk is Coming will be on view at MoCA Westport from March 26 – June 5, 2022.
Punk is Coming is co-curated by Marian Schwindeman, Roberta Bayley, Liz Leggett (MoCA Westport Director of Exhibitions) and Ruth Mannes (Executive Director of MoCA Westport).

Featuring: Merrill Aldighieri, Amy Arbus, Pat Ivers + Emily Armstrong, William Badgley, Alex Bag, Roberta Bayley, Janette Beckman, Celeste Bell, Richard Butler, Pat Byrne, Stephanie Chernikowski, Beth Collar, Jim Fields, Jill Furmanovsky, Danny Garcia, Duncan Hannah, Tony Hope, David Johansen, Kevin Kerslake, Lynette Bean Kral, Ivan Kral, Helmut Lang, Jenny Lens, Linder, Judy Linn, Hans Neleman, Lisa Jane Persky, Thebe Phetogo, Eileen Polk, Richard Prince, Ruby Ray, Marcia Resnick, Ebet Roberts, Sheila Rock, Sue Rynski, Donna Santisi, Marian Schwindeman, Steven Sebring, Kate Simon, Penny Slinger, Patti Smith, Paul Sng, Julien Temple, Sally Webster + more to be announced soon!

Music at MoCA: Alturas Duo with Gonzalo Cortés (World Music)
2022-03-25 19:00 - 21:00
Blending South American folk worlds together, the Alturas Duo has performed internationally to great acclaim. Learn more and get tickets here.

FREE WORKSHOP with The Alturas Duo
2022-03-25 17:00 - 18:00
The Alturas Duo will lead a FREE interactive educational workshop for students ages 5-12 on March 25 at 5pm. Through the workshop, students will learn to incorporate other art mediums to deepen their understanding and create work inspired by South American folk art.
Their workshop will include short musical examples from their repertoire, and an introduction to the various instruments they play including the viola, guitar, charangos and Venezuelan cuatro. Fortunately, when their good friend Gonzalo Cortes joins, those instruments expand to include the quena (Andean flute) zampona (pan flutes) and classical flute! The workshop will explain how African, European and Native cultures came together to create South American folk music as we know it today, and how natural elements affect everything from the materials used to make instruments (armadillos, bamboo, and goat toenails to name a few!) to how musicians use their surroundings to influence their songwriting and rhythms.
Learn more and register here.

Gallery Closed For Installation
2022-03-13 - 2022-03-25
Our gallery will be closed from March 13 – March 25 as we prepare for the opening of our Punk is Coming exhibition.

Cocktails and Conversation: WestportREADS 2022 Book Discussion at MoCA
2022-03-10 18:00 - 19:00
Join other members of the community at MoCA Westport on Thursday, March 10 from 6-7 PM to discuss this year’s WestportREADS selection, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue.
The event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is requested. Please register here.
All health and safety protocols will be followed; please see our Visit page to learn more.
About The Book:
A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget. France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Thus begins a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.
The event is in collaboration with the Westport Library. Created in 2002, WestportREADS is designed to deepen engagement in literature by the community reading the featured book and joining in a book discussion and programs. WestportREADS is supported through a generous bequest by the estate of Jerry A. Tishman.

Cocktails and Conversation: WestPAC Teaching Gallery Talk | The Westport Idea
2022-03-03 18:00 - 19:00
As associated programming for The Westport Idea exhibition, join us for a teaching gallery talk with WestPAC Director of Education and Learning Gallery curator Ive Covaci. She will be joined by Cecily Anderson, a Westport Public Schools Educator.
The event is free of charge, but advance registration is requested. All health and safety protocols will be followed; see our Visit page for details.

Cocktails and Conversation: Ekphrastic Writing Workshop with Diane Lowman, Westport Poet Laureate | The Westport Idea
2022-02-24 18:00 - 19:00
As supporting programming for The Westport Idea, join us for an ekphrastic writing workshop with Diane Lowman, Westport Poet Laureate.
In ancient Greece, ekphrasis meant describing anything in vivid detail. It has come to mean writing in response to a work of art. In this workshop we will choose several of the exhibition pieces to use as prompts for writing. No experience necessary – just come prepared to observe and react!
The event is free, but advance registration is requested. All health and safety protocols will be followed; see our Visit page for details.

February Recess Art Camp
2022-02-21 13:30 - 16:30
Offered to kids aged 4-7 the week of February 21st. You may enroll your child for the morning session 9:30a-12:30p or the afternoon session from 1:30p – 4:30p. Pack a nut-free snack and lunch for the morning session. Pack a nut-free snack for the afternoon session. Dress to get messy!
REGISTER NOW: https://mocawestport.coursestorm.com/course/february-recess-art-camps

Cocktails and Conversation: Wildenstein Plattner Institute Discussion on Tom Wesselmann | The Westport Idea
2022-02-17 18:00 - 19:00
As supporting programming for our The Westport Idea exhibition, join us for a free discussion led by Huffa Frobes-Cross, Tom Wesselmann catalogue raisonné project manager at the Wildenstein Plattner Institute, NYC and Paris.
The Wildenstein Plattner Institute, Inc. is a non-profit foundation dedicated to the study of art history and to fostering the accessibility, cataloguing, and digitization of archival materials that support critical research in the field.
The event is free, but advance registration is requested.
All safety and health protocols will be followed; see our Visit page for details.

Featured Image: Tom Wesselmann (1931-2004), Still Life #53 (1964), Westport Public Art Collections, Gift of the artist.

Cocktails and Conversation: Co-Curator Talk featuring Kathleen Motes Bennewitz | The Westport Idea
2022-02-03 18:00 - 19:00
Join us on Thursday, February 3 for a discussion of The Westport Idea exhibition and its featured artists, led by exhibition co-curator, and Town Curator, Kathleen Motes Bennewitz. The event is free, but advanced registration is requested.
All health and safety protocols will be followed; please see our Visit page to learn more.

Image Credits (L to R):

Paul Camacho (1929 – 1989), Boy’s Head, 1964, Oil on canvas, Westport Public Art Collections, no. 54, Gift of the artist, by 1965.
Ralph L. Boyer (1879 – 1952), Self-Portrait, 1942, Casein and oil on canvas mounted on artist’s board, 22.5 by 16.5 inches, Westport Public Art Collections, no. 1586, Gift of the Rebecca Boyer Merrilees Revocable Management Trust, 2013.
Richard Hunt (born 1936), Untitled, circa 1972, Color serigraph, Artist’s proof, 22.5 by 30 inches, Published by Dorsky Gallery, New York, NY, Westport Public Art Collections, no. 1952, Gift of the Dorsky Gallery Curatorial Programs, 2021
Norma Minkowitz (born 1931), Nothing to Nothing, 1986, 4 by 12 inches, Knitted and crocheted fiber, stiffened with resin, and window screen, Westport Public Art Collections, no. 736, Gift of the artist, 1999,

THINGSILOVE203 Pop Up at MoCA
2022-02-03 17:00 - 20:00
THINGSILOVE203 will be at MoCA Westport on Thursday, February 3 to share their amazing range of high-end fashion and home accessories with the community. Stop in to shop, purchase a cocktail, and stay for our Cocktails and Conversation event!
All health and safety protocols will be followed; see our Visit page to learn more.

Opening Reception For The Westport Idea + Identity Exhibitions
2022-01-28 18:00 - 20:00
SAVE THE DATE! Join us for the opening reception of our Winter Exhibitions. The event is free and open to the public.
All health and safety protocols will be explicitly followed.
Learn more about the exhibitions here.

POSTPONED TO AUGUST 2022: Heida Hermanns Piano Competition
2022-01-13 - 2022-01-15
Please note that the Heida Hermanns Piano Competition has been moved to August 11 – 13. All previous ticket purchases will be honored for the rescheduled event.

No Exhibition On View: Installation In Progress
2022-01-09 - 2022-01-27
The gallery will be closed through Thursday, January 27 for installation of our new exhibition. The Academy and Bar MoCA will be open, and special events will still be held.

Guest Speaker: In Pursuit of A World Free From The Shackles of Gender-Based Violence
2022-01-06 18:00 - 19:00
Wrap up the When Caged Birds Sing exhibition with a discussion on gender-based violence with Human Rights Lawyer and Advocate Kristine Herman. Come early to enjoy our weekly happy hour at Bar MoCA from 5 – 7 PM.
The event is free, but advance registration is requested; please register below.
Please note that proof of COVID vaccine, or of a negative test result, is required for entry. Please review our Visit Page for our policy.
More about Kristine Herman:
Kristine Herman is the Managing Director of Policy and Advocacy at a large legal nonprofit organization. She is responsible for leading the strategic policy initiatives, communications, and advocacy activities at the city, state and federal levels.
For more than two decades, Kristine dedicated her career to advancing systemic reform at the intersection of law and human rights in the United States and internationally. Kristine has served as a guest reviewer for the International Journal of Transitional Justice; was on the Editorial Board of Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work; a Fulbright Specialist in Fiji; and Guest Lecturer delivering an annual intensive course on Gender & the Law: A Global Introduction at the University of South Pacific Law School. She has worked on gender justice and human rights issues in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Australia, and throughout Europe and the United States
Kristine earned her B.A. at Antioch College, her MSW at Tulane University, and her J.D. at Northeastern University.
Tickets

MoCA Westport Closed
2022-01-01
MoCA Westport is closed on January 1, 2022 in observance of New Year’s Day.

POP UP SHOP: THINGSILOVE203
2021-12-27 09:30 - 13:00
On Monday, December 27th from 9:30 AM – 1 PM, pop into MoCA for a one-day pop-up shop featuring THINGSILOVE203! Shop their collection of high-end fashion and home accessories – All our favorites will be on display and ON SALE. Find the perfect hostess gift, or purchase what you really wanted for yourself this holiday season.
Dropping the kids off for Winter Recess Art Camp on the 27th? Join us in our lobby!

Winter Recess Art Camp
2021-12-27 09:00 - 2021-12-31 15:30
Pre-K-3rd graders may enjoy a morning (9:30a-12:30p) or afternoon session (12:30p-3:30p) or spend the entire day, any day of the week of Dec. 27th. Remember to pack your child with a nut-free snack, lunch, water bottle, and dress them to get messy!
REGISTER NOW: https://mocawestport.coursestorm.com/course/winter-recess-art-camps

MoCA Westport Closed
2021-12-24 - 2021-12-26
The Museum will be closed from 12/24 – 12/26.

Coming Back from Covid with Creativity Coach Naomi Vladeck (Free Intensive Workshop)
2021-12-16 17:00 - 19:30
Offered to Adult Participants on Thursday, December 16th from 5pm-7:30pm
Free! Register Here:https://mocawestport.thundertix.com/orders/new?performance_id=2770796
We all benefit from time to reflect on the impact of change on our lives, and the impact Covid has had is no exception. MoCA invites you to the return of Naomi Vladeck, creativity coach and resilience expert, in a live 2.5 hour workshop presentation to learn a framework for change that supports our letting go of what was, and moving through transition with creativity, awareness and with supportive others; so that you can travel a new path forward that is rich with learning, possibilities and action.
This experience is designed to be restorative! Bring a journal, wear comfortable clothes, and bring a blanket and/or yoga mats for a brief meditation.
If you are curious, but not 100% sure if this workshop is for you, Naomi invites you to email her through her website and she’ll respond to your inquiry. Learn more about Naomi at creativitymatterscoaching.com.

Mark O'Connor's An Appalachian Christmas Concert
2021-12-09 19:00 - 21:00
BUY TICKETS NOW.

Mark O’Connor’s An Appalachian Christmas concert: Grammy-winning composer and fiddler Mark O’Connor has created several arrangements of Christmas classics and fashions a wondrous mixture of both instrumental and vocal music in bluegrass and other American music genres. Concertgoers are treated to fresh takes on traditional songs with a few original compositions included. His renditions are playful and joyous, but can be strikingly earnest too.
Having toured An Appalachian Christmas ten years, O’Connor and his ensemble have a dynamic energy on stage that bring their individual expertise to holiday themes and classics in the most delightful and musically satisfying way! Mark O’Connor’s touring ensemble includes his wife Maggie O’Connor on fiddle and vocals as well his son Forrest O’Connor on mandolin, guitar and vocals.
Mark O’Connor’s An Appalachian Christmas album (2011) reached the #1 ranking on Billboard’s Bluegrass Album charts. Hailed by critics from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Los Angeles Times as a top 10 album of the holiday season, it has become a perennial classic Christmas recording.
“All Christmas music should be played so elegantly on violin” — Boston Globe
“Heavenly” – Associated Press
“Elegant” – New York Times
