Brooklyn Museum First Saturdays August 2023

Kick off the countdown to Labor Day and celebrate the global influence of the Caribbean diaspora!

This program is free; registration is required and includes Museum general admission. Tickets are released on a rolling basis. If sold out, you can also attend by purchasing tickets to the Africa Fashion exhibit for $25. Member tickets to the exhibition are free.

Theme: Celebrating Caribbean Community

Schedule
MUSIC: OLIVIA K & THE PARKERS
Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Lobby, 1st Floor
5–6 pm
Helmed by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Olivia K, this band brings its all-Brooklyn fusion of soul, jazz, gospel, and art rock to the First Saturday stage.

HANDS-ON ART
Brooklyn Museum Plaza
5–7 pm
Create Caribbean carnival-inspired masks. (Rain location: Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor)

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

TEEN TALKS: ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ART
Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
5:30–6:30 pm
Join the Teen Museum Apprentices as they host ten-minute pop-up talks in our Egyptian Galleries.

POETRY: BROOKLYN CARIBBEAN LITERARY FESTIVAL
American Art Galleries, 5th Floor
6–7 pm
The Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival copresents a lineup of Caribbean poets—Urayoán Noel, Saida Agostini, and Mervyn Taylor—ahead of its annual festival in September.

PERFORMANCE: EROL JOSUÉ PRESENTS PÈLERINAJ
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium, 3rd Floor
6–7:30 pm
Ordained as a Houngan (Vodou priest) in his teens, Erol Josué, Director General of Haiti’s Bureau of Ethnology and Artistic Curator of New York City’s inaugural Haitian Heritage Parade, presents Pèlerinaj, an immersive exploration of his personal pilgrimages. The performance features stunning visual effects, sacred Vodou chants, and traditional rhythms with elements of rock, jazz, and EDM. Presented in partnership with The Melanin Project.

MUSIC: DJ INO
Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor
7–10 pm
Vibe to a set by DJ InO celebrating a range of music from the islands and beyond, including Afrobeat, amapiano, reggae, soca, and kompa. (Rain location: Beaux-Arts Court, 6–7 pm)

MUSIC: OUT N BAD AND FUNKY REGGAE HOUSE PARTY
Steinberg Family Sculpture Garden, 1st Floor
7–10 pm
Revel with DJ KYE and queer Caribbean nightlife duo Funky Reggae House Party as they host this outdoor fete celebrating a range of Caribbean music styles, from dancehall to soca. (Rain location: Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor)

TALK: MEET YOUR SENATOR
American Art Galleries, 5th Floor
7:30–8:30 pm
Flatbush-born New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie chats with our Codirector of Education, Shamilia McBean Tocruray, about art advocacy, affordable housing, and Senator Myrie’s journey to politics and public service.

MUSIC: PLEZI RARA
Brooklyn Museum Plaza
8–9 pm
Vibe with Plezi Rara’s vibrant showcase of Haitian rara music. Starting on our outdoor plaza, the Brooklyn-based band leads a festive procession that combines music with messages of freedom and liberation. Presented in partnership with The Melanin Project.

FILM: THERE ALL ALONG: WOMEN OF TRINIDAD & TOBAGO BLACK POWER
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium, 3rd Floor
8:30–10 pm
Watch There All Along (Keisha Thompson, 2020, 34 min.), the story of women who participated in the 1970 Black Power Revolution in Trinidad and Tobago. The film reflects on their impact through firsthand accounts. Followed by a talkback with the director and Professor Lisa Paler-Holzmann.

MUSIC: ADH
Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Lobby, 1st Floor
9–10 pm
Close out the night with ADH and his unique genre of Afro-hop, a blend of Afrobeat and hip-hop.