Every 3rd Thursday of the month, join us for a live virtual event featuring art from the MFA’s special exhibitions and Collection galleries. Make an art-inspired signature cocktail ahead of time (we’ll provide the recipe), and enjoy a specially curated art tour from home!

Featured exhibition — Explore the Vaults: Black Portraits

Although thoroughly dependent on its context, portraiture has powerful capacities for self-definition. Explore the Vaults: Black Portraits spans two very different approaches to the portrait tradition: contemporary works on paper, and historical vernacular photographs. Taken together, this exhibition presents varied approaches to visualizing Black identity and experiences.

The historical vernacular photographs in the exhibition include tintypes, gelatin silver prints, and albumen prints, as well as a family album. They provide not only a view into the domestic lives of Black families after the emancipation of enslaved Americans in 1862 through the early twentieth century, but also create a link to contemporary artists. Among these is Whitfield Lovell, who collects and uses vintage photographs in his work.

Signature cocktail — Harlem Cocktail (Get recipe here)

As the first curator at the MFA to focus on Modern and Contemporary art, Katherine Pill has worked to bring new ideas to diverse audiences. Currently, she is a member of the curatorial team behind the second iteration of the four-venue exhibition featuring regional artists, Skyway 20/21: A Contemporary Collaboration. Before joining the MFA, Pill was assistant curator at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City.

Free for MFA members, and $10 for not-yet members (members must register and log in to receive discount).