Drop-In Art Making and Activities
Clay Poem Jars
10 am–4 pm (last entry 3:45 pm)
Huntington Lawn (rain location: Druker Family Pavilion)

Sculpt your own clay vessel and inscribe it with a poem to commemorate Juneteenth.

Juneteenth Buttons
10 am–4 pm (last entry at 3:45pm)
Druker Family Pavilion (rain location: Shapiro Family Courtyard)

Use colorful collage materials and mixed media to create a wearable Juneteenth button!

Blackness Is Monumental!
11 am–4 pm
Riley Seminar Room

Join Boston-based racial justice project Wee the People for an art-filled intergenerational workshop. Using recycled materials and found objects, create your own mini monument to Black art, culture, history, and experience.

Future Masters Chess Academy
11 am–4 pm
Calderwood Courtyard

Future Masters Chess Academy uses chess to improve focus, thinking ability, and decision-making—both on and off the chessboard. Stop by and play chess. Try out a life-sized chess set and learn from masters of the game—including a state champion.

Performances
Jean Appolon Expressions: Ansanm Ansanm, Together Together
11:30 am–Noon
Shapiro Family Courtyard

Experience “Ansanm Ansanm, Together Together,” a vibrant medley of music and dance from Jean Appolon Expressions celebrating reflection, resilience, and Haitian culture. This performance uplifts the transformative power of Haitian folk dance while addressing global power and liberation. Dancers, musicians, and audiences share in a joyful expression of unity.

Performance begins with a procession in the Lower Rotunda that ends in Shapiro Family Courtyard.

Boston City Singers: Freedom
12:30–1 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard

Boston City Singers presents “Freedom,” a program of spirituals and folk songs in honor of Juneteenth. Now in its 30th season, Boston City Singers gives young people high-quality musical programming and creative development opportunities within their communities. The Tour Choir is conducted by Jane Money and Kimani Lumsden.

ArtSpark Presents A.M Music
1–1:45 pm
Gallery 168

Honor Black liberation and radical expression with performer A.M Music’s immersive experience and blending of musical genres. A.M Music raises awareness about mental health and illness within the Black community by creating music that expands conversations about representation and emotional honesty.

ArtSpark Presents Kay Wolf
2 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard

Elevate your soul with a performance from singer-songwriter Kay Wolf that masterfully combines jazz and soul, creating a soundscape as luxurious as a day of self-care. Wolf brings a modern twist to classic sounds, making her work accessible and relevant to audiences today.

ArtSpark Presents Beat the Odds
2:30 pm
Gallery 168

See students from Beat the Odds perform and show off their hidden talents. Beat the Odds serves underresourced youth in Boston’s low-income communities by providing them with opportunities to explore creativity in a safe space. Young people have access to creative tools that inspire self-awareness and encourage healing from trauma.

ArtSpark is a community-powered event series based in Boston. Through live music and accessible community classes for all ages and experience levels, ArtSpark advances racial equity in the creative arts.

Hyde Square Task Force Ambassadors: Batey Comunitario
3 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard

Enjoy a batey comunitario performance from Hyde Square Task Force Ambassadors, a dynamic ensemble of youth and teaching artists rooted in Afro-Latin traditions. Feel the energy of bomba, a genre and rich Afro–Puerto Rican tradition that creates dialogue between dancers, drummers, and song.

Storytelling
Blackness Is Monumental! Story Time
1 and 3 pm
Riley Seminar Room

Gather with Boston-based racial justice project Wee the People for a reading of author Nikkolas Smith’s award-winning 2023 picture book The Artivist, which explores how kids can combine art and activism in their daily lives. Recommended for families with children under ten.

And More!  See full schedule here: https://www.mfa.org/event/open-house/juneteenth