Westport Journal

LUCIUS
2026-06-20 19:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York) | Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, 40 Jesup Road, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Formed by lead vocalists and songwriters Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, acclaimed indie band Lucius is best known for their sinuous harmonies and highly-original, pop-noir musical artistry. The group, which includes multi-instrumentalists Peter Lalish and Dan Molad, have released three albums, and toured the globe, cultivating a passionate following for their ingenious art-pop creations and exhilarating live performances. The gifted melodicists and songwriters bring a startling level of musicianship to Lucius — which is evident in the astounding talent they’ve collaborated with over the course of their prolific 16-year career.
Released in 2013, Wildewoman, Lucius’ debut album, featured the enduring single “Two of Us on the Run” and set off a wave of critical acclaim including Rolling Stone, who called the album’s updated 60’s girl group sounds “fresh and thrilling.” On their second album, 2016’s Good Grief, the Los Angeles-based group mined their influences to create an album NPR called, “Rapturous,” and expanded their quickly growing fan-base even wider. 2022’s 80’s dance-inflected LP Second Nature, produced by Brandi Carlile and Dave Cobb, included “Next to Normal,” one of NPR Music’s top songs of the year, and the sparkling disco-gemmed “Dance Around It,” featuring Carlile and Sheryl Crow.
In addition to their work with Lucius, the GRAMMY-nominated Wolfe and Laessig are among the most sought-after vocalists in popular music. The pair are members of Joni Mitchell’s famed “Joni Jam” crew and have graced songs by dozens of contemporary and legendary artists alike including: Carlile, The War on Drugs, John Legend, The Killers, Harry Styles, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Black Pumas, Jeff Tweedy, and Ozzy Osbourne, just to name a few. In 2023, Lucius signed with Fantasy Records and will release their fourth full-length album in 2024.

Art Adventures! – Saturday Drop-In Art Class for Kids
2026-06-20 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-06-13 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-06-06 12:00 - 13:30 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Your child can join us every Saturday for a relaxed and inspiring drop-in art class at the museum! Whether your child is an experienced artist or just looking to have fun, our multi-media classes offer a creative space to explore new techniques and expression through art. Each session is designed to be fun, interactive, and hands-on, with a focus on encouraging your child’s unique artistic voice.
Each class will feature a new theme or project, including painting, drawing, sculpture, and collage so they can come back week after week to try something fresh and create their own masterpieces.
Materials are provided. Come create, connect, and have fun with art!

Chris Pierce - Juneteenth Concert - FREE SHOW
2026-06-19 19:30 - 22:00 | Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, 40 Jesup Road, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
“One of America’s most talented, gifted, and affecting artists.” — American Songwriter
Chris Pierce is a singular American voice whose songs carry equal parts soul, truth, and grace. Rooted in folk, blues, and Americana, his music speaks plainly and powerfully to the human condition, earning him a reputation as one of the most moving performers of his generation.
Pierce gained global attention when he was handpicked by Neil Young to be the special guest opener on Young’s Coastal Tour. His co‐written song “We Can Always Come Back to This” was featured in three episodes of NBC’s This Is Us, later reaching #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart.
Over decades of touring, Pierce has performed as both a headliner and sought‐after support act alongside Neil Young, B.B. King, Al Green, Steve Earle, Seal, Aaron Neville, Jill Scott, Allison Russell, the Blind Boys of Alabama, and many others. His live performances are known for their emotional depth and rare intimacy. Recent highlights include:
– Contribution of “Southern Man” to Heart of Gold, a Neil Young tribute album featuring Eddie Vedder, Brandi Carlile, Fiona Apple, and Steve Earle – A Playing for Change duet with Sara Bareilles – Sold‐out concert alongside Allison Russell – Appearances on NPR’s World Café, Mountain Stage, American Folk Show – Performances at Newport Folk Festival, AmericanaFest, Folk Alliance, MerleFest, Bottlerock, Calgary Folk Festival, Vancouver Folk Festival, and more
Pierce’s albums American Silence and Let All Who Will received widespread critical praise from NPR, Rolling Stone, Forbes, American Songwriter, No Depression, SiriusXM, The Bluegrass Situation, Americana UK, and others. American Silence was named #1 Best Folk Album of 2021 by PopMatters. Residential School” was recognized by Folk Alley as one of the 100 Essential Folk Songs.
Chris Pierce currently completing recording, mixing and mastering a new full‐length album slated for release in late May of 2026, continuing his lifelong commitment to honest songs, fearless storytelling, and music that meets the moment.

Dirty Sock Funtime Band: Children's Series - FREE SHOW
2026-06-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, 40 Jesup Road, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Get ready! The Dirty Sock Funtime Band (DSFB) returns to the Levitt Pavilion’s Epstein Stage to blast off the Children’s Series Launch with an extra special show! Take part in this wild, musical comedy show where anything (and we mean anything) can happen and everyone is celebrated for who they are!
Join the adventures of rock n’ roll best buds Mike and Stephen, their band, The Dirty Socks, and a pink-haired sidekick, as they take on kid-sized challenges with big-sized imaginations. Mainstays on Nick Jr. and PBS, the DSFB is celebrating over 20 years of entertaining families across the world with live-action comedy, animated videos, puppetry and singalongs.
The “most innovative and imaginative children’s music ever!” – MTV
“The Best Kids Band in New York” – Time Out New York
“The most wildly innovative kids music I’ve ever heard” – Chris Baron of the Spin Doctors

Exploring the Derek Piotr Fieldwork Archive
2026-06-18 18:30 - 20:00 | Fairfield Public Library, 165 Unquowa Road, Fairfield, Connecticut, 06824, United States
Join us for a fascinating lecture with folklorist and researcher Derek Piotr, founder of The Derek Piotr Fieldwork Archive.
The Derek Piotr Fieldwork Archive was established by Derek Piotr in August 2022. The Archive contains over 1,500 audio recordings made from March 2020 onward, and preserves diverse representations of folklife; ballads, hymns, tales, poems, children’s songs, and interviews among them. The focus of this collection is on the “non-singer”: someone with no background in musical performance who can nevertheless relate a song or folkloric memory. In this lecture, Derek will walk you through the process of journeying everywhere from Iceland to Appalachia to record these songs from non-musicians, as well as the organization and development of the Archive as a web-based repository.
Please register.

Luke Tyler Shelton - FREE SHOW
2026-06-17 19:30 - 21:30 | Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, 40 Jesup Road, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Born in the new millennium, Luke Tyler Shelton makes soul-soothing rock-and-roll with all the ineffable charm of a faraway time. With a profound gift for dreaming up heavenly melodies and fantastically loose grooves, the Los Angeles native found his sound as part of a close-knit scene of young musicians and artists—a DIY-minded community whose spirit and sensibilities recall the near-mythic creative hotbed of early-’70s Laurel Canyon. Produced by Shooter Jennings (Brandi Carlile, Tanya Tucker) and Jonathan Wilson (Father John Misty, Angel Olsen), Luke’s debut body of work merges country-rock, folk-pop, and Southern soul into songs that immediately transport the audience into a state of enchanted ease.

Get Happy
2026-06-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Westport Country Playhouse will present “Get Happy!,” a concert celebrating the legendary entertainer Judy Garland. The show was nominated for BroadwayWorld’s San Diego 2021 Regional Awards for Best Cabaret/Concert/Solo Performance.
Artist, creator, and producer Jenna Pastuszek will sing music from “The Wizard of Oz,” “Easter Parade,” “Judy Live at Carnegie Hall,” “Judy at The Palace,” “The Judy Garland Show,” and more, along with sharing personal stories about Garland. Pastuszek returns to the Playhouse after starring last year in “Me, Myself & Barbra.” Music director is Joshua Zecher Ross.

A Taste of History
2026-06-17 18:00 - 19:30 | Fairfield Public Library, 165 Unquowa Road, Fairfield, Connecticut, 06824, United States
Join Tastebudsct for a culinary journey to America’s founding — a flavorful and fun way to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary! We will revisit the culinary traditions of early Americans, when simplicity, resourcefulness, and a deep connection to nature were the hallmarks of cooking styles. The tasting menu includes Johnnycakes, Traditional Wampanoag Succotash Recipe and Old Fashioned Hermits.
Please register.

Isle of Klezbos: Pride Concert - FREE SHOW
2026-06-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, 40 Jesup Road, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Lauded by New York Magazine for “cutting edge klezmer,” and the L.A. Blade as “rapturous and rollicking,” the band specializes also in re-grooved standards, obscure vintage soundtrack gems, and genre-defying originals.
Isle of Klezbos approaches Yiddish musical traditions with loving irreverence and profound respect.
Now in their 27th year and counting, with a touring history from Vienna to Vancouver, they recently released their celebratory album “Yiddish Silver Screen”(Zilberne Kino) with a launch party concert at Joe’s Pub. This album follows up their award-winning debut “Greetings from the Isle of Klezbos” and their acclaimed concert recording “Live From Brooklyn”.
With repertoire ranging from rambunctious to swinging to ethereal, Isle of Klezbos has been seen and heard on HBO, NPR, CBS Sunday Morning, PBS and “The L Word,” as well as enjoying collaborations with artists such as Jill Sobule, Gregg Bordowitz and the Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling Scissor Sisters. The ensemble’s own Off-Off Broadway hit J. Edgar Klezmer: Songs from My Grandmother’s FBI Files was praised by The New York Times for lively score & smart writing.

1776 at 250: Celebrating America's History with Song & Story
2026-06-16 18:30 - 20:00 | Fairfield Public Library, 165 Unquowa Road, Fairfield, Connecticut, 06824, United States
Join us for an engaging lecture hosted by Professor Gil Harel, exploring the iconic musical 1776 in the context of America’s 250th birthday in 2026. This talk will delve into how the musical, first performed in 1969, vividly portrays the struggles and compromises surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence, capturing the revolutionary spirit of the nation’s founding. As we approach the semiquincentennial, Professor Harel will discuss how 1776 not only celebrates America’s birth but also confronts its complexities, such as the debate over slavery, as seen in powerful songs like “Molasses to Rum.”

Golf, Mahjong, Canasta Tournaments
2026-06-15 09:00 - 17:00 | Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Westport Country Playhouse hosts golf, mahjong, and canasta tournaments at Birchwood Country Club in Westport on Monday, June 15. Fundraiser in support of Westport Country Playhouse.

Seth Sikes: Everything's Coming Up Rainbows - A Broadway Pride Concert w/s/g Rose Levine - FREE SHOW
2026-06-14 18:00 - 21:00 | Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, 40 Jesup Road, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Seth Sikes, one of New York’s standout cabaret performers, brings his signature charm and mischief to songs made famous by broadway female icons like Judy Garland, Bernadette Peters, Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand, and Patti LuPone. Big voices, bigger feelings, and just the right amount of trouble—these diva anthems and torchy tales of love and loss get a fresh spin that’s equal parts reverent and a little bit naughty. The New York Times calls him “a hit with audiences and critics alike.”
Seth Sikes is one of New York’s most popular young nightclub performers. Hailed as “the best male singer of his generation” by Theatre Scene, Sikes has been selling out venues since his 2014 debut Seth Sikes Sings Judy Garland, which won Broadway World’s Best Tribute Show Award. Reviewers were equally enthusiastic towards his follow-up show Seth Sikes Sings Liza Minnelli. The New York Post said, “It was a heartfelt concert. Sikes has a heap of fans and his audiences are always tightly packed and brimming with enthusiasm for his booming, jazzy renditions of their favorite songs.”
During the pandemic, Sikes created a series of music video parodies that went viral with hundreds of thousands of views and counting. His most recent video, “Ring Them Bells,” was selected to close the globally watched Liza Minnelli 75th birthday tribute.
Sikes also works in the theatre behind the scenes. He was Associate Director for The Band’s Visit and The Nance on Broadway. He directed the original musical Bunked!, which won Outstanding Musical at the New York International Fringe Festival in 2010, as well as The 7th Annual Broadway Beauty Pageant. Sikes performed Off-Broadway in Fame on 42nd Street.

THE DISCO BISCUITS
2026-06-13 18:30 - 22:00, 2026-06-12 18:30 - 22:00 | Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, 40 Jesup Road, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
The Disco Biscuits are a band of transformation and invention. Now 3 decades after their first launch, the Philadelphia-based group remains the pioneers of “Trance-Fusion” – bridging the gap between electronic dance music and jam rock – while consistently looking for new sonic boundaries to break and avenues to tell stories within.
With two rock operas (1998’s Hot Air Balloon / 2000’s Chemical Warfare Brigade) and a space opera (2024’s Revolution In Motion) amongst the 9 full-length studio albums under their belt, The Biscuits are musical force of nature, having played thousands of shows and not showing signs of slowing down any time soon with even more new music on the horizon.
With a constant touring schedule and ever-transforming live shows, The Disco Biscuits’ soul belongs as much to marathon dance parties as it does to live improvisational journeys. They employ emerging technologies to help them create music that is 100% human although, perhaps, not entirely of this planet.

Cheese Fries & Chili Dips - A comedy about mental wellness
2026-06-12 17:30 - 20:30 | Westport Woman’s Club, 44 Imperial Avenue, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
A hilarious and heartfelt comedy about bipolar disorder, mental wellness, and the voice that never takes a day off.
Join us at the Westport Woman’s Club for an evening of laughter, insight, and meaningful conversation. Cheese Fries & Chili Dips is a unique theatrical experience that blends comedy and candor to explore the realities of living with bipolar disorder and the challenges of mental wellness. Through humor, heart, and relatable storytelling, the play offers an engaging look at the inner dialogue many people experience while helping to reduce stigma around mental health.
Whether you’re interested in theater, mental health advocacy, or simply looking for an entertaining evening out, this special performance promises to be both thought-provoking and uplifting. We hope you’ll join us.

GREENSKY BLUEGRASS
2026-06-11 19:00 - 22:00 | Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, 40 Jesup Road, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
For two decades now, Greensky Bluegrass have been building an empire, brick by brick. They are widely known for their dazzling live performances and relentless touring schedule, but that is only the tip of the complex tale of the five musicians that make up Greensky Bluegrass: Anders Beck [dobro], Michael Arlen Bont [banjo], Dave Bruzza [guitar], Mike Devol [upright bass], and Paul Hoffman [Mandolin]. The five are connected through a deep bond, just as they are seasoned road warriors, they’re a band of brothers who have seen each other through decades of ups and downs, personal and collective highlights, and the moments when life turns it all upside down. These are real people having real experiences. As with traditional bluegrass, they write about their own contemporary day-to-day happenings, emotions, and experiences in the modern world.
The band’s underground die-hard fans pack out venues across the country. They travel in droves and sell out multiple-night show runs at iconic venues like Red Rocks and The Ryman.
“As songwriters and musicians, we have a need for people to be on board, we’re not just regurgitating the same shit,” explains Bruzza. Hoffman adds, “we aren’t a band all for money. We did it for romantic reasons such as love, catharsis, and because it mattered to us and the listeners. It would be easy to make decisions based on our needs to eat or the desires of others, but that’s not doing it for love. We love what we do, and we’re grateful for the love we receive in return from the people listening.”
Bruzza continues, “I hope they know we’re doing this for us and them.”

West Point Concert Band: Celebrating America's 250th - FREE SHOW
2026-06-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, 40 Jesup Road, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Join the West Point Band for an evening of patriotic music celebrating the United States Semiquincentennial. Featuring everything from Broadway classics and bluegrass to energetic marches and soaring American melodies, this concert promises a memorable evening celebrating the American spirit.
Comprised of graduates from America’s finest music schools, the West Point Concert Band is a versatile ensemble that continues to entertain and inspire audiences through innovative programming and world-class performance in concert and ceremonial settings. The ensemble can be heard around the Greater Hudson Valley, New York City, and throughout the United States. Its storied history features performances for U.S. Presidents, heads of state, and foreign dignitaries. The band is regularly invited to participate in high-profile events in the New York metropolitan area at locations such as Yankee Stadium, MetLife Stadium, and the Statue of Liberty.
The Concert Band performs concerts, military ceremonies, and at athletic events for the United States Corps of Cadets. The band regularly supports cadet activities at the United States Military Academy, including Graduation Week, Reception Day, Cadet Summer Training, and coaching the Cadet Spirit Band. Additionally, the band collaborates with the English, Geography, History, and Philosophy departments as useful teaching resources at West Point.
The Concert Band has performed at major venues including David Geffen Hall, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Tanglewood, and the Meyerson Symphony Center. The band has been showcased with the New York Philharmonic, continuing a long-standing collaboration between the United States Army’s oldest band and America’s oldest orchestra. It also maintains a close association with the New York Yankees, utilizing the full performing ensemble and chamber groups for high-profile games. Members of the Concert Band have also been featured on the History Channel, Fox News, CNN, ESPN, and the NBC Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks. As performers and educators, the musicians of the West Point Band continue to present provocative performances while providing the Corps of Cadets with a piece of living history.
The Levitt Pavilion proudly presents the West Point Concert Band in 2026 as part of our programming celebrating the United States Semiquincentennial.

A Tailor Near Me
2026-06-08 19:00 - 20:30 | Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Westport Country Playhouse will present a Script in Hand playreading of “A Tailor Near Me,” a warm and wise comedy written by Michael Tucker, best known as a Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated actor for the television series “L.A. Law,” on Monday, June 8, at 7 p.m. Tucker will appear in the reading, joined by other “L.A. Law” alumni – Jimmy Smits and Jill Eikenberry.
westportplayhouse.org

Jumaane Smith Quartet - FREE SHOW
2026-06-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, 40 Jesup Road, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
JUMAANE SMITH’s widely critically-acclaimed 2024 album, “Come on Home,” remained in the top 50 on the Jazz Week chart for 9 straight weeks. He has performed on 5 GRAMMY Award-winning records (selling more than 60 million copies), 2 Emmy Award-nominated TV performances, the GRAMMY Awards with Stevie Wonder, in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (trumpet solo), and more.
Jumaane has spent the last several years touring and recording with Michael Bublé as lead trumpeter/vocalist and featured soloist and tours with his own band to such world-class venues as Jazz At Lincoln Center, Birdland Jazz Club, Tanglewood, Vail Jazz Festival, The Blue Note, Java Jazz Festival, Rochester International Jazz Festival, Catalina Island Jazz Festival, and many more.
Jumaane Smith’s critically-acclaimed debut album, “I Only Have Eyes For You,” featured special guests Michael Bublé, Jackie Evancho, and Naturally 7. His sophomore album, “When You’re Smiling,” was released to much praise in January 2020. “Come on Home” featured Smith’s highly lauded soul-jazz and blues originals backed by his stellar organ band and received resounding praise, including a 4 Star review from DownBeat Magazine.
As a composer, Smith has scored music for films such as “Handsome Harry” (starring Steve Buscemi and Jamey Sheridan) and the documentary “Being in the World,” as well as for his own recordings and the interactive sheet music company Tomplay.
Smith has worked with musical legends such as Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Alicia Keys, Jon Batiste, Kamasi Washington, Theo Croker, Etienne Charles, and Michael Bublé (as featured trumpet/vocals soloist). As a full scholarship recipient at the Juilliard School of Music’s Jazz Studies program (2001-2005), Wynton Marsalis was Smith’s primary trumpet teacher.

Pinkalicious
2026-06-07 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-07 13:00 - 14:00 | Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Back by popular demand in Westport Country Playhouse’s Family Festivities series… Pinkalicious The Musical!
Pinkalicious can’t stop eating pink cupcakes despite warnings from her parents. Her pink indulgence lands her at the doctor’s office with Pinkititis, an affliction that turns her pink from head to toe – a dream come true for this pink-loving enthusiast. But when her hue goes too far, only Pinkalicious can figure out a way to get out of this predicament.
Audience members are encouraged to dress as their favorite “Pinkalicious” character!

MoCACT Presents: Endea Owens + The Cookout
2026-06-06 19:00 - 20:30 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Experience an electrifying evening with Grammy, Peabody, and Emmy Award-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader Endea Owens, one of jazz’s most exciting contemporary voices. A member of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s house band Stay Human, Owens has performed with icons including Wynton Marsalis, Diana Ross, and many others.
Joined by her dynamic ensemble, The Cookout, Owens brings a high-energy performance rooted in jazz, soul, and community spirit. With music from her acclaimed albums Feel Good Music (2023) and Caught Up in This Illusion (2025), this is a powerful, feel-good concert not to be missed.
VIP Tickets (limited to 40) include:
– Table Seating (tables of 4)
– Carafe of wine + water per table
– Light snack
– One signature cocktail
General Admissions Tickets include:
– General Seating
– One drink ticket (includes wine or sparkling water)

Free First Saturdays
2026-06-06 11:00 - 17:00 | Westport Museum for History and Culture, 25 Avery Place, Wesport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
First Saturdays are a great opportunity to experience what we have to offer at the Westport Museum free of charge on the first Saturday of each month.
Young visitors can enjoy a scavenger hunt in the museum, the diorama of Westport featuring an audio tour by Joanne Woodward, coloring pages, colonial games and more. Adult visitors will enjoy our wide array of exhibits.

Film Screening of Bessie (2015)
2026-06-04 18:00 - 20:00 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
MoCACT welcomes the Avon Theatre’s Avon on Tour for a special screening of HBO’s Emmy Award-winning Bessie (2015), starring Queen Latifah as legendary blues artist Bessie Smith. Presented in conjunction with our exhibition Art, Jazz + the Blues, the film offers a powerful portrait of the music, artistry, and era that inspired works on view here through June 7. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience the film in the galleries alongside Eric von Schmidt’s Blues Women, which features Smith’s likeness.

Grainger Historic House + Peony Garden
2026-05-30 13:00 - 14:30 | The Glass House, 199 Elm Street, New Canaan, 06840, United States
As part of the national commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary, The Glass House will, for the first time, open the 1783 Grainger House and its celebrated peony and iris garden for public tours. The house sits on one of New Canaan’s earliest registered land parcels and was originally known as the Finch House, named for the early New Canaan family who farmed the land.
Purchased in 1990 by David Whitney, partner of Philip Johnson, the house has been carefully restored to its 18th-century form. Whitney furnished the home with significant modernist art and design, elements that remain on view today, including a striking window etching by artist Michael Heizer. He also created a remarkable garden, planting a rare collection of perennial peonies and irises, and installing a sculpture by artist Alessandro Twombly.
Together, the house and garden vividly illustrate the dialogue between early American architectural traditions and the 20th-century art and design that define The Glass House.

Film Screening: "Jazz on a Summer's Day" with Q+A
2026-05-28 18:30 - 21:00 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Film Screening of 1959 Jazz on a Summer’s Day
Followed by a Q+A with Brian Kane
Thursday May 28 from 6:30–9:00PM
Film duration: 1h 25m
Registration: $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.

Sound Bath Meditation with Hummingbird Healing Arts
2026-05-26 18:00 - 19:00 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Lisa’s unique immersive Sound Bath Meditations are multi-instrumental soundscapes designed to reset your nervous system. They typically begin with a short guided meditation to relax the participants as they lie down on yoga mats with blankets, bolsters and eye pillows. As the soothing sounds wash over the participants—hence the term “sound bath”— Lisa allows the Himalayan bowls, gongs, crystal bowls, drums, rainsticks, percussion, nature sounds and her voice to work their magic. Coming out of the Sound Bath, the participants often feel more relaxed, reset and refreshed.
*Please bring a yoga mat and pillow

53rd Westport Fine Arts Festival
2026-05-24 10:00 - 17:00 | Other, 20 Jesup Road, Westport, CT, 06880, United States
The 53rd Westport Fine Arts Festival returns to downtown Westport on Saturday and Sunday, May 23–24, 2026. Presented by the Westport Downtown Association, this nationally recognized juried event brings together more than 150 regional, national, and international artists exhibiting original work across 15 media categories, including painting, photography, sculpture, glass, ceramics, printmaking, fiber, and more. All artwork is available for purchase at a range of prices and styles, making it an ideal destination for collectors and first-time buyers alike.
The festival is free and open to the public, with on-site food vendors, live entertainment, and hands-on art activities for children and adults.
For more information and a full artist directory, visit westportdowntown.com/fine-arts-festival.
More: https://westportdowntown.com/fine-arts-festival
