There’s a new after-hours spot for live music, cocktails and some seriously elevated conversation: the Museum of Modern Art.
In a nod to the non-tourists who may want to unwind with its world-class collection of art on weeknights, the museum is extending its evening hours to 9 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays beginning July 1 through August. And if you go on Uniqlo Free Friday Nights, the usual $25 admission will be waived from 4 p.m. to closing time.
All of MoMA’s permanent collection and exhibition galleries will stay open late, but it’s the seasonal perks of its outdoor Sculpture Garden that you’ll appreciate most. Start your evening at the new pop-up Garden Bar serving cocktails and snacks, or you can toast your summer nights at the museum’s newly expanded second-floor Espresso Bar, which serves wine in addition to coffee after 5:30 p.m.
For the “Thursday is the new Friday” crowd, MoMA is your perfect destination for Summer Thursdays, an outdoor concert series in the Sculpture Garden that starts at 6:30 p.m. Like all summer evening events, it’s free with museum admission. The same team that curates the up-and-coming artists at MoMA PS1 will be stacking the stage with performers who span genres from punk to Afro-beat.
After you’ve gotten your groove on, head inside to explore the museum’s recently opened exhibition on the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, or the uplifting retrospective of feminist artist Louise Lawler.
If you can stomach more current events, there’s a collection of new acquisitions that wrestle with global anxieties called “Unfinished Conversations.” If you can’t, the museum is hosting a summer-long sci-fi film festival called “Future Imperfect” beginning July 17.
Note that there is one exception to the late hours on Saturday, July 15, when the museum will close at 5:30 p.m. Besides that, enjoy all the modern art fun your brain can handle.
