Brooklyn Museum First Saturdays April 2023

For twenty-five years, Brooklyn Museum has hosted First Saturdays—monthly evenings of free programming welcoming visitors from central Brooklyn and beyond—at the Brooklyn Museum. Join the first Saturday of February–August and October, 5–11 pm. Advance registration is required. Admission is subject to capacity at the time of your arrival.

Registration is required and includes Museum general admission. Purchase separate tickets to Thierry Mugler: Couturissime for $25. Member tickets to the exhibition are free.

Theme: Rhymes with Brooklyn

Celebrate National Poetry Month and the fiftieth anniversary of hip-hop with a lineup of poets and artists who activate language’s power to connect and express.

For access needs, including ASL interpretation, please email us at access@brooklynmuseum.org.

Schedule
BROOKLYN POP-UP MARKET
Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor
5–9:30 pm
Stop by our market to shop one-of-a-kind, handmade items from more than thirty artisans and vendors from across Brooklyn, featuring artwork, jewelry, fashion, home and apothecary goods, and more.

MUSIC: LINDA DIAZ
Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Lobby, 1st Floor
5–6 pm
Raised on the Lower East Side and the winner of NPR’s 2020 Tiny Desk Contest, Linda Diaz brings her lush jazz- and R&B-influenced sound to the Museum.

HANDS-ON ART: BLACKOUT POETRY
Great Hall, 1st Floor
5–7 pm
Inspired by Roberto Lugo’s Brooklyn Century Vase (2019), redact text to compose a blackout poem that explores your personal legacy.

POP-UP POETRY: BELLADONNA*
Luce Center for American Art, 5th Floor
5:30–6:30 pm
Feminist collaborative Belladonna* invites poets Mirene Arsanios, Erica Hunt, and Celina Su to read their original work.

FILM: POETIC JUSTICE
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium, 3rd Floor
6–8 pm
Don’t miss a screening of this cult classic romantic drama (John Singleton, 1993, 109 min.), which is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary. Starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur and featuring poetry by Maya Angelou, the film is based on Tupac’s relationship with Ann Marie Adams, who frequented Brooklyn Moon Cafe in Fort Greene and studied at Brooklyn College. This program may not be suitable for all audiences.

DANCE: ENTER THE LITE
Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor
6–7 pm and 8:30–9 pm
Take part in an immersive, authentic litefeet dance experience curated by Mindlezz Thoughtz, featuring performances by Team Rocket, ARNSTAR, and Tah Swag.

POP-UP POETRY: EMPOWERMENT AVENUE
Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Forum, 4th Floor
7–8 pm
Empowerment Avenue, an organization dedicated to supporting incarcerated artists in getting their work into mainstream venues and contributing creatively to the abolition movement, invites poets to respond to the theme of “art and hip-hop.” This program features readings by Demetrius Buckley, April Harris, and Lucinda Karma.

MUSIC: DJ LAYLO
Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor
7–10 pm
DJ Laylo, host of A Party Called Rosie Perez, returns to First Saturday with her mix of salsa, merengue, and hip-hop influenced by her New York City upbringing.

TEEN TALKS
Arts of the Islamic World Galleries, 2nd Floor
7–8 pm
Teen staff share highlights from the Arts of the Islamic World galleries, with a focus on works related to literary practices and poetry.

MUSIC: KALA AND THE LOST TRIBE
Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Lobby, 1st Floor
7–8 pm
Multi-intrumentalist and poet Arianna “Kala” Brame honors the “Lost Tribe” of ancestors with a sound that includes influences from jazz and African percussion.

MUSIC: #SAMPLESALEMUSIC
Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Lobby, 1st Floor
8:30–10 pm
#SampleSaleMusic, curated by poet Tai Allen, celebrates jazz and hip-hop’s influence on music and culture. Expect to bob your head and dance to the DJ and live band!

POETRY SLAM WITH DJ JIVE POETIC
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium, 3rd Floor
8:30–10 pm
Poet and educator Jive Poetic, who has spun at Nuyorican Poets Cafe and Brooklyn Poetry Slam, helps close out the night with a special First Saturday Poetry Slam, last hosted in 2013.