Before reopening its doors to the public, the museum will invite visitors back for free outdoor activities.
The MFA is finally inviting visitors back to the museum! Although its opening day is yet to be announced the museum is launching a free outdoor film and concert series that will last all throughout September. AS part of its ‘September Nights’ series, the MFA will be holding in-person movie nights in its Fenway parking lot in collaboration with Roxbury International Film Festival and Boston Latino International Film Festival. It’ll also be livestreaming two concerts showcasing local performers!
“We’re excited to offer our spaces—both on the MFA’s campus and on our digital platforms—for Bostonians to enjoy the art of film and music together,” said Makeeba McCreary, Patti and Jonathan Kraft, Chief of Learning and Community Engagement, in a press release. “We’re proud to continue our partnerships with the Roxbury International Film Festival and Boston Latino International Film Festival and to support local musicians at a time when there are so few opportunities to enjoy live performances.”
The movie screenings will require visitors to reserve their free movie tickets ahead of time–a maximum of two per order—available on mfa.org at 10 am on the Monday before each Thursday event–and will, of course, enforce social distancing rules. All audience members will be required to wear their own face mask and maintain the required security distance while at the parking lot. Audience members are also allowed to bring their own blankets, low chairs (less than three feet high), picnic basket and nonalcoholic beverages to enjoy during the screenings. Hand sanitizing stations will be available on-site.
According to the MFA, the outdoor film screenings will be followed later in the month by a virtual presentation of the 22nd annual Roxbury International Film Festival, hosted on the MFA’s website from September 30 through October 5.
Check out the full lineup for ‘September Nights’:
Remember the Titans, Thursday, September 3, 7:30 pm-9:30 pm.
This stirring true story stars Academy Award winner Denzel Washington as Herman Boone, the newly appointed football coach at T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia. In 1971, Boone made history as the leader of the first racially integrated high school football team to win a state championship, becoming a symbol of unity and progress for the community along the way. Told from the team’s perspective, Remember the Titans highlights the resiliency and power of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Anjimile and Oompa, Friday, September 11 at 7:30 pm
Anjimile is a Boston-based queer and trans singer-songwriter whose music draws on their early experiences with racism and homophobia while growing up in a suburb outside Dallas, Texas. They were named a Music Artist to Watch by NPR in 2019, and their debut album, Giver Taker, is available starting September 18. Oompa is a poet, rapper, and educator, whose work reflects her experiences growing up queer and Black in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood. She was a finalist at the 2016 National Poetry Slam and received the Unsigned Artist of the Year award at the 2018 Boston Music Awards. Her second full-length album, Cleo, was released in 2019.
You can stream it on MFA’s Facebook and YouTube as well as mfa.org.
Selena, Thursday, September 17, 7:30–9:30 pm
Directed by Gregory Nava (USA, 1997, 127 min.). English and Spanish with open captions in English. This biographical drama recounts the life of recording artist Selena Quintanilla. Played by fellow Latin pop star Jennifer Lopez, Selena was a Texas native who showed musical talent at an early age and went on to become a chart-topping Tejano superstar and Latin-American icon, all before her tragic murder at the age of 23.
Miranda Rae and Naomi Westwater, Friday, September 25, at 7:30 pm
Cambridge-born Miranda Rae is a self-taught R&B vocalist. Growing up in South Florida, she took inspiration from artists such as Sade, Jill Scott, Adele, India.Arie, and Erykah Badu to create a sound all her own. Her second EP, Excuse My Baggage, is available for streaming on all major platforms. Naomi Westwater is a Jamaica Plain–based singer-songwriter and producer whose work combines Americana and electronic indie music. As a queer woman of color and modern-day mystic, Naomi incorporates empowerment, nature, and magic into her music. She is currently at work on a new EP about race, endometriosis and climate change in America.
You can stream it on MFA’s Facebook and YouTube as well as mfa.org.
See also: 55 Things To Do In Boston Before You Die
[Featured image: @mfaboston, Instagram]