MoCA CT

Art Adventures
2026-05-23 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | 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+

Sound Bath Meditation with Hummingbird Healing Center - with Lisa Pak
2026-05-26 18:00 - 19:00, 2026-06-30 18:00 - 19:00 | MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Cost: $40.00/per person
Lisa’s unique immersive Sound Bath Meditations are multi-instrumental soundscapes designed to reset your nervous system.
*Please bring a yoga mat and pillow
– Register

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 | 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+

Film Screening of Bessie (2015) In Collaboration with Avon On Tour
2026-06-04 18:00 - 20:30 | MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Cost: Free
View details And Get Tickets.

Art Adventures
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, 2026-07-11 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-07-18 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-07-25 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-08-01 12:00 - 13:30 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
Book Now: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/mocactevents/event/aradvent/
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+

Advanced Art Studio for Adults with Disabilities
2026-06-06 13:45 - 14:45, 2026-06-13 13:45 - 14:45, 2026-06-20 13:45 - 14:45 | MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Saturdays in the MoCACT art studio
1:45PM-2:45PM
Donations Accepted – suggested $25.00
Adults with disabilities
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/mocactevents/event/advanceastudifoawdisacop/
Through guided projects and open-ended exploration, artists will strengthen their personal style, experiment with mixed media, painting, drawing, sculpture, and design, and gain confidence in creative decision-making. Emphasis is placed on self-expression, independence, and the joy of the creative process, with individualized instruction that meets each artist where they are. This class encourages artistic growth, curiosity, and community while celebrating each participant’s unique voice.

MoCACT Presents: Endea Owens + The Cookout
2026-06-06 19:00 - 20:30 | MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Tickets
Detroit-born bassist and composer Endea Owens brings her electrifying sound to the MoCACT galleries for a special performance alongside Art, Jazz + the Blues—the exhibition’s final weekend, before it closes the following day. A graduate of The Juilliard School and a member of Stay Human on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Owens has performed with icons from Wynton Marsalis to Diana Ross. With Grammy, Emmy, and Peabody wins to her name, don’t miss one of jazz’s most compelling voices today.
VIP Tickets (limited to 40) include:

Table Seating (tables of 4)
Carafe of wine + water per table
Gourmet bites, courtesy of Garelick & Herbs
One signature cocktail

*Arrive at 6pm for VIP Cocktail Hour
General Admissions Tickets include:

General Seating
One drink ticket
Light refreshments, courtesy of Garelick & Herbs

*Arrive at 6:30pm
About Endea Owens
Known as one of Jazz’s most vibrant emerging artists, Endea Owens is a Detroit-raised Recording Artist, Bassist, and Composer. She has been mentored by Jazz Icons the likes of Marcus Belgrave, Rodney Whitaker, and Ron Carter. She has toured and performed with Wynton Marsalis, Jennifer Holliday, Diana Ross, Rhonda Ross, Solange, Jon Batiste, Jazzmeia Horn, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Steve Turre, to name a few.
In 2018, Endea graduated from The Juilliard School, and joined the Late Show with Stephen Colbert as a member of the house band, Stay Human. Since then, Endea has won an Emmy, Grammy Award, and a George Foster Peabody Award. Endea’s work has appeared on Jon Batiste’s Grammy Award-winning album “We Are”, Oscar-nominated film Judas and the Black Messiah, and H.E.R’s widely acclaimed Super Bowl LV performance.
Endea has a true passion for philanthropy and teaching. She has taught students across the United States, South America, and Europe. In 2020, Endea founded the Community Cookout, a non-profit organization born out of the Covid-19 pandemic that provides meals and music to underserved neighborhoods in New York City. To date, Endea’s organization has helped feed close to 3,000 New Yorkers and has hosted over a dozen free music concerts.
In 2022, she composed “Ida’s Crusade” for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. In 2023, she premiered a newly commissioned work with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, served as the MAC Music Innovator, continued her work as curator for the National Arts Club, and was a fellow with the National Jazz Museum in Harlem’s “Jazz Is Now!” program. Her debut album, Feel Good Music, was released in 2023, followed by Caught Up in This Illusion in 2025.

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.

(Museum Members Preview) Looking for History: Rick Shaefer and Ellen Harvey
2026-06-25 16:30 - 18:00 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
LOOKING FOR HISTORY
Rick Shaefer: Colossi — On view June 25 – November 15, 2026
Ellen Harvey: The Disappointed Tourist — On view June 25 – August 2, 2026
Michael Borders: Connecticut Industry — On view August 13 – November 15, 2026
RESERVE : (Rick Shaefer: Colossi + Ellen Harvey: The Disappointed Tourist): Thursday June 25, 2026 from 6–8pm (Members Preview, 4:30-6pm)
MoCACT presents Looking for History featuring three artists, Rick Shaefer, Ellen Harvey, and Michael Borders—each presented in their own dedicated gallery space at varying intervals over the course of the exhibition from June 25 to November 15, 2026. In recognition of the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026, the Museum invites visitors into distinct yet interconnected conversations about our nation’s past, present, and potential future.

Looking for History- Opening Reception for General Public
2026-06-25 18:00 - 20:00 | MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
LOOKING FOR HISTORY
Rick Shaefer: Colossi — On view June 25 – November 15, 2026
Ellen Harvey: The Disappointed Tourist — On view June 25 – August 2, 2026
Michael Borders: Connecticut Industry — On view August 13 – November 15, 2026
Opening Reception: (Rick Shaefer: Colossi + Ellen Harvey: The Disappointed Tourist): Thursday June 25, 2026 from 6–8pm RESERVE
MoCACT presents Looking for History featuring three artists, Rick Shaefer, Ellen Harvey, and Michael Borders—each presented in their own dedicated gallery space at varying intervals over the course of the exhibition from June 25 to November 15, 2026. In recognition of the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026, the Museum invites visitors into distinct yet interconnected conversations about our nation’s past, present, and potential future.

Cornelius String Quartet
2026-06-28 16:00 - 17:30 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
Tickets
Rooted in the musical communities of Connecticut and greater New York, this accomplished quartet unites four distinguished artists whose careers span concert halls, conservatories, and chamber stages across the United States and Europe. The quartet will perform works by Mozart, Glass, Beethoven and more!
Hafez Taghavi and Emily Garrison lead on violin, each bringing exceptional range to the ensemble. Taghavi has performed at venues from the Kennedy Center to concert stages in Vienna, Salzburg, and Leipzig, and serves on faculty at the Interharmony International Music Festival in Italy. Garrison’s credits include a Grammy Award-winning recording with the Albany Symphony and the world premiere of Wayne Shorter’s jazz opera Iphigenia, and she is an active member of the Lotus Chamber Music Collective.
Juliana Chetcuti lends the viola’s distinctive warmth and depth. Chetcuti has garnered recognition in both the bluegrass and classical music communities through her appearances with the American Folk band Gold Rush and her regular collaborations with the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, she conducts the award-winning Ridgefield Middle School Symphonic and Chamber Orchestras, which were recently featured in the Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA) Annual In-Service Conference.
Cellist Gjorgj Kroqi — whose musical journey spans the conservatories of Albania and Austria and stages across Europe and Connecticut — anchors the ensemble with authority and precision. He also serves as conductor of the Sinfonia Orchestra for the Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestras.

A Journey Through Westport History: A Conversation with Author Bob Weingarten
2026-07-07 18:00 - 19:30 | MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
MoCACT and the Westport Book Shop invite Members and friends to an exclusive evening with author Bob Weingarten celebrating the publication of his new book, Westport, Connecticut: The Old and New Historical Accounts, 1639–2025.
Join us for A Journey Through Westport History: A Conversation with Author Bob Weingarten on Tuesday, July 7 from 6-7:30pm. In conjunction with the opening of our new exhibition, Looking for History, this special program offers Members and friends an opportunity to explore the stories that have shaped our community.
Enjoy a casual reception with wine, soft drinks, and light bites. Meet the author, have your copy signed, and enjoy sharing Westport memories with fellow community members.
Guests will also be among the first to purchase the book before it becomes available to the general public the following day.
Space is limited; please RSVP by July 1.
=> RESERVE
Sponsored By:
MoCACT
Jodi Felton, President
Robin Jaffee Frank, Executive Director
Westport Book Shop
Jocelyn Barandiaran, President
Katherine Caro, Manager

Gallery Talk with Rick Shaefer
2026-07-09 18:00 - 19:00 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
Gallery Talk with Rick Shaefer
Thursday, July 9, 6–7pm
Register Here: $25 General admissions, $15 for seniors and students, free for Museum Members
In conjunction with Looking for History, join exhibiting artist Rick Shaefer for a guided tour of Colossi on Thursday, July 9, at 6pm.
During this one-hour walkthrough, Shaefer will lead Museum visitors through the exhibition, sharing insights into the inspiration, historical references, and creative methods that inform the works on view. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a discussion about the artist’s concepts, materials, and techniques.
Shaefer’s exhibition at MoCACT includes selections from three ongoing bodies of work: the Colossi, Refugee Trilogy, and Liberty Dismantled series. These works collectively examine the transhistorical themes of migration, displacement, national identity, and the tension between ideals of freedom and the realities of division.
Also on view are two short videos that offer a close read of two major drawings from the Colossi series, The New Colossus and Siege. The videos, created specifically for this exhibition, offer visitors a deeper understanding of the historical precedents, symbolism, and formal techniques that shape the artist’s practice. Together, these works invite reflection on the structures — both physical and metaphorical — that impact our world and our relationships with one another.

The CORA Foundation Community Conversation with Ellen Harvey + Dan Woog
2026-07-16 17:30 - 19:30 | MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Reserve: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/mocactevents/event/thecorafoundationcommunityconversationwithellenharveydanwoog/
Join us for an evening inspired by Looking for History, MoCACT’s summer exhibition featuring Ellen Harvey’s The Disappointed Tourist. This special program brings the exhibition’s themes of memory, loss, and place into a local context, inviting audiences to reflect on the spaces that have shaped—and disappeared from—our shared landscape.
Moderated by journalist and 06880 founder Dan Woog, the conversation features an interview with artist Harvey alongside preservation advocate Ed Gerber (Historic New England). Together, they will explore the cultural and emotional significance of lost places, from global landmarks to beloved Westport institutions.
For the MoCACT Looking for History exhibition, Harvey has created four new paintings based on local submissions: The Remarkable Book Shop, Cedar Brook Cafe, Bloodroot, and Allen’s Clam House, which will serve as a starting point for a broader community dialogue.
The evening will also include brief presentations from selected community participants sharing their own “lost places,” adding personal perspective and storytelling to the discussion. As our Disappointed Tourist Guide, Woog will present the award selections. Categories include “Gone Too Soon,” “Place You Thought Would Last Forever,” “What a Cool Hangout!” “Just One More Bite,” followed by an audience vote to crown one favorite missed location.
Submit your story to 06880 here.
Schedule:

5:30 pm – Doors open
5:45 pm – Introductory remarks
6:00 pm – Program begins

About Ellen Harvey
An internationally recognized artist, the British-born, Brooklyn-based Harvey has exhibited at major museums, including the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum der Moderne Salzburg. Frieze selected The Disappointed Tourist at Turner Contemporary in Margate as one of the five best institutional shows in the UK in 2021. The exhibition was most recently featured at the Chicago Architecture Center before opening at MoCACT.
About Dan Woog
Dan Woog is a lifelong Westport resident who has chronicled the town for decades, beginning with his writing for Staples High School publications. Since 2017, he has published the widely read 06880 blog, whose tagline, “Where Westport meets the world,” reflects its blend of local news, features, history, and photography. The site attracts up to 20,000 daily readers. In 2021, “06880” became a nonprofit foundation dedicated to educating and strengthening the Westport community.
A full-time freelance writer, Dan’s work has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, and Sports Illustrated. He is also the author of 18 books, including a comprehensive 380-page history of Staples High School.
About Ed Gerber
Ed Gerber is a longtime preservation advocate whose leadership has shaped historic preservation efforts across Connecticut. He is the past president of the Westport Historical Society (now the Westport Museum for History and Culture) and former vice chair of the Historic District Commission. A member of the Board of Trustees of Historic New England, he serves as an ambassador for Connecticut and founded the Edward F. Gerber Urban Preservation Fund, which supports restoration of historic homes in urban communities statewide. Gerber also restored his own 1764 Sturges-Wright House. In 2023, he was honored with a medallion presented on behalf of President Biden in recognition of his 50 years of volunteer service.
About the CORA Foundation
The CORA Foundation is dedicated to safeguarding and celebrating culture and heritage.The foundation works on a global scale to support projects that protect, elevate, and interpret culture and heritage in all its forms.

Architectural Elegy: A Mourning Ritual for Lost Spaces
2026-07-23 18:00 - 19:00 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
Architectural Elegy: A Mourning Ritual for Lost Spaces
A Visual Performance Art
Thursday July 23, 2026 from 6-7pm, doors open at 5:30pm
Register Here: $25 General admissions, $15 for seniors and students, free for Museum Members

In response to The Disappointed Tourist, Ellen Harvey’s on-going project of painting lost places, Dannielle Tegeder of Hilma’s Ghost will lead a meditative ceremony with Ellen Harvey honoring demolished and disappearing buildings through collective remembrance. Participants will create ephemeral memorials by drawing or writing about a place they miss and sharing brief stories of places that shaped their lives. Drawing inspiration from Harvey’s practice of preserving the overlooked, participants will honor our forgotten spaces through a knotting ritual creating a temporary community to support each other in our grief. The ritual closes with a moment of silence for the places and structures that once held our histories.

Duration: 60 minutes | All materials provided | Participants are invited to dress in mourning or black (not required) | All are welcome

Ellen Harvey’s The Disappointed Tourist, currently on view at MoCA/CT, is an ongoing project of painting lost places submitted by the public in response to the question: “Is there someplace that you would like to visit or revisit that no longer exists?” To date, Harvey has painted over 320 sites from over 40 countries, ranging from the locations of happy memories to traumatic sites of loss and destruction.

About Hilma’s Ghost
Hilma’s Ghost was founded by Dannielle Tegeder and Sharmistha Ray in 2020 and for over five years, this initiative explored feminism, spirituality, and collective practice through exhibitions, curatorial projects, and community-based programming. The duo is known for Abstract Futures Tarot, presented at The Armory Show in 2021, as well as the acclaimed exhibitions Cosmic Geometries and Chromagick. Through workshops and online initiatives, they have built an international community of more than 6,000 participants. Their work has been featured in The New York Times, Hyperallergic, and Artnet, and they have upcoming projects in Mexico City and New York through the MTA Percent for Art program.

About Exhibition Artist, Ellen Harvey
Ellen Harvey is a British-born Brooklyn-based conceptual artist whose work ranges from guerrilla street interventions to immersive institutional installations and large-scale public artworks. She has exhibited extensively in the US and internationally, including the 2008 Whitney Biennial. Solo museum exhibitions include the Chicago Architecture Center, Turner Contemporary (UK), Museum der Moderne Salzburg (Austria), Barnes Foundation (Philadelphia), The Bass (Miami Beach), Groeninge Museum (Bruges, Belgium), Corcoran Gallery of Art (Washington DC), Pennsylvania Academy of Art (Philadelphia), Laznia Centre for Contemporary Art (Gdansk, Poland), Butler Gallery (Ireland), among others.

About Visiting Performer, Danielle Tegeder
Danielle Tegeder is a Brooklyn-based artist born in Peekskill, New York. Since earning her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1997, she has exhibited extensively in the United States and internationally. Her work has been featured at major institutions including PS1/MoMA, the New Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Her drawings are included in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, and her work is held in several permanent collections. Tegeder has also received numerous residencies and awards, including support from Yaddo and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation.

Fairfield County Dance Festival
2026-07-30 18:00 - 20:30 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
The Fairfield County Dance Festival is an annual open-air summer performance series that is entirely free of charge. Gather your family and friends, grab your picnic chairs, pack dinner and drinks and enjoy an evening of dance and music under the stars!LIVE MUSIC AT 6 PM EACH EVENING!Curated for and touring throughout Fairfield County, Connecticut, this dance festival enables greater accessibility to the arts and promotes community engagement. In addition to East Coast Contemporary Ballet and Thomas/Ortiz Dance, the touring festival features other local artists, guest dance companies, and musicians from NYC and New England.
RESERVE

Looking for History — Michael Borders Reception
2026-09-10 18:00 - 20:00 | MoCACT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, 06880, United States
LOOKING FOR HISTORY
Rick Shaefer: Colossi — On view June 25 – November 15, 2026
Michael Borders: Connecticut Industry — On view August 13 – November 15, 2026
Opening Reception: (Michael Borders: Connecticut Industry): Thursday September 10, 2026 from 6–8pm RESERVE
MoCACT presents Looking for History featuring three artists, Rick Shaefer, Ellen Harvey, and Michael Borders—each presented in their own dedicated gallery space at varying intervals over the course of the exhibition from June 25 to November 15, 2026. In recognition of the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026, the Museum invites visitors into distinct yet interconnected conversations about our nation’s past, present, and potential future.

Encaustic Collage with Leslie Giuliani
2026-09-17 18:00 - 20:00 | MoCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
Cost: $75.00 per adult
In this class, we’ll explore the ancient yet contemporary medium of Encaustic—beeswax-based paint that also serves as a versatile adhesive—to create unique collages.
– Register
