You expect to see oils and pastels, gouaches and the works of the great masters with cutting-edge modern artists at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. But tango performances? Full-scale dance parties? With cocktails to boot?
And full-scale dance parties as homage to photographer Zoe Strauss, with hot live music? Three of them this winter alone?
An exhibition of Strauss' much-heralded stark and gritty works opens at the museum Jan. 14. And to celebrate Strauss' Philadelphia roots, the museum will sponsor dancing not in the streets, but in its grand interior.
Maybe 2012 is the year to discover that Friday nights are devoted to "Art After 5," a weekly ceslebration of the great art to be found in the museum's galleries, and also of music, live performances, and yes, even food.
The concept has turned out to be inspired, according to Sara Moyn, manager of evening programs for the museum. "Back in 2001, we were reaching out to an audience that may not have taken advantage of the museum, wondering how to attract that constituency," Moyn said. "That's when we decided to stay open later on Friday nights and offer programming that would extend beyond just the visual arts."
The intention then, as now, was to encourage "after-hours" visitors to explore the galleries, many of which remain open. Another goal is drawing visitors through relationships between music and the visual arts.
Special Friday night events this winter are tied to the museum's "Zoe Strauss: Ten Years" exhibition, displayed until April 22. Strauss is a native Philadelphian known for her 10-year photography project in a space below I-95 in South Philadelphia. She often turns her lens on woebegone people and places in this region.
On Jan. 20, Art After 5 will offer a Philadelphia Dance Party honoring Strauss, with the city's fabled DJs Jerry Blavat and King Britt offering lots of funk, hip-hop and Afro-Tech.
Blavat, "The Geator with the Heater," is a name synonymous with Philadelphia music. He's been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia's Hall of Fame because of his decades-long radio career.
Record producer Britt was awarded a 2007 Pew Fellowship in the Arts and he is looking forward to filling the museum with dance music. "I've been blessed to have played in venues all over the world, but playing in the Philadelphia Museum of Art will be my first DJ gig in a museum," says Britt, who is particularly pleased with the appearance because of his long friendship with Strauss.
Two other dance parties are dedicated to the Strauss exhibition. On Feb. 3, native Philadelphia DJ Cosmo Baker will offer hip-hop, disco, rock, funk, and reggae. On March 2, the West Philadelphia Orchestra and drummer Chris Powell will entertain with another Strauss tribute.
After 5 visitors typically gather in the Great Stair Hall, and according to Moyn, they include families, singles, and seniors. "The singles, particularly, seem to enjoy this setting as a terrific and different place to socialize," says Moyn.
The planners were obviously onto something. These days, as many as 800 visitors swarm into the Art After 5 programs, which run almost every Friday night, year-round.
The winter series begins Friday. If you've ever dreamed of doing a tango in a glorious spot, here's your chance. "Tango Night" features that sensuous dance form with music by the JP Jofre New Tango Quartet. The program includes dances by tango professionals from New York's Dances of Vice, with appearances by Sergio Segura and the Strictly Tango Dance Company.
The evening will focus on a dance form rooted in the era between 1890 and 1910, when a large influx of immigrants flooded Buenos Aires, bringing with them cultural traditions that evolved into tango.
"The dance form has been transformed and changed over the years, but has never lost its sensuous and romantic quality," said Shien Lee, whose entertainment company has brought tango to the museum five times since 2009. "The events have drawn a diverse group, all of whom share the beauty of this dance form," says Lee, who encourages both newcomers and veterans to participate.
The diverse Art After 5 offerings include an appearance by singer/songwriter Avi Wisnia on Feb. 24. Wisnia's inspiration comes from American folk music and 1950s West Coast jazz and pop.
Wisnia, who has been hailed for his compositions and poetic lyrics, loves making music in "such a grand alternative space."
"The space is just so immersed in culture, and the Great Stair Hall is itself a breathtaking experience," said Wisnia, who performed at the museum last year.
The Art After 5 experience can include food prepared by the museum's culinary team under the auspices of Starr Events, with appetizers, small plates, and cocktails available for purchase.
"One of the goals of this program is to offer people who are often working longer and longer hours a chance to know the museum," said Moyn.
And another goal: "We want people to realize that we're not a dull or intimidating place, because we're definitely not."
Art After 5
Art After 5 is offered from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Fridays at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Programs run from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. and are repeated from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. Free with $16 museum admission. Information: 215-684-7506 or e-mail artafter5@
philamuseum.org.
Winter Series Schedule
Friday - Tango Night
Jan. 13 - Jazz pianist Eldar Djangirov
Jan. 20 - Philadelphia Dance Party with King Britt, Jerry Blavat
Jan. 27 - Django-a-Go-Go Festival
Feb. 3 - Philadelphia Dance Party with Cosmo Baker
Feb. 10 - Marco Pignataro Trio with bassist John Patitucci
Feb. 17 - Ralph Peterson, Curtis Brothers
Feb. 24 - Avi Wisnia
March 2 - Philadelphia Dance Party with West Philadelphia Orchestra
March 9 - Japan Night with the all-girl band the Suzan
March 16 - Percussionist Cyro Baptista
March 23 - Jazz pianist Orrin Evans
March 30 - The Other Philly Sound, Jazz.EndText