Members are invited to the virtual closing celebration of The Shape of Abstraction!
Celebrate the Museum’s exhibition The Shape of Abstraction from home. This exhibition features five generations of Black artists who have revolutionized Abstract art since the 1940s. Watch a curatorial presentation by Alexis Assam, 2018–2019 Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow, and craft a Miles Davis–inspired drink. Then listen along to our playlist inspired by exhibition artists’ favorite jazz musicians, and make your own Abstract art piece.
Curatorial Lecture
Learn about the exhibition and hear some behind-the-scenes stories from co-curator Alexis Assam.
Shake up a cocktail
Voodoo down cocktail
Create your own drinks inspired by Miles Davis’s songs “Voodoo Down” and “Circle.” Savor some signature ingredients popular in many jazz club cocktails.
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Voodoo down cocktail
1/4 ounce ginger syrup
1/4 ounce honey simple syrup
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce St-Germain
2 dashes orange bitters
1/2 ounce rum
1 ounce bourbonDirections
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain over ice into a double old-fashioned glass. -
Circle toddy mocktail
1 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce honey
1 tablespoon ginger syrup
11.15 fluid ounces lemon soda (like San Pellegrino Limonata)Directions
Combine lemon juice, honey, and ginger syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Pour the juice into a highball glass with ice. Top off with lemon soda, then garnish with a twist of lemon.
Listen
Many of the artists in this exhibition are inspired by jazz music’s pace and variation, and many of the works reflect this energy. Listen along to a few of the artists’ favorite jazz musicians in this playlist.
Create
Ready, set, collage! Create your own Abstract art piece inspired by artist Alonzo Davis, who is featured in the exhibition.
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Instructions
Materials
8.5″ x 11″ (or larger) piece of paper to use as a loom
Scraps of paper similar in size to the paper you’ll use for your loom (could include magazine and newspaper pages)
Scissors
Glue or tape
Colored pencils, crayons, markers, or paintInstructions
To create your loom, fold the paper in half on the short side and make cuts starting on the folded edge, leaving about a one-inch space at the bottom of the paper.
Cut approximately 10 strips of paper equal in size, about the same length as your loom and one inch wide.
Weave the first strip of paper through your “loom” using the over, under, over, under pattern.
Weave the second strip of paper through, opposite the first, using an under, over, under, over pattern.
Weave the remaining strips of paper through, alternating the pattern for each piece.
Glue or tape the ends of the papers to your loom and cut off the edges.
Using crayons, markers, or paint, decorate your paper (we suggest listening to our Spotify playlist to inspire you).
