MFA Boston To Celebrate Juneteenth With Free Outdoor Activities, 'Summer Of Soul' Screening And Virtual Panel

Press release from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston:

May 21, 2021

BOSTON - On June 19, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), is hosting a day of outdoor programs to celebrate Juneteenth—the oldest nationally recognized commemoration of the ending of slavery in the U.S.—and honor the contributions of Black artists, scholars and creative voices to the City of Boston. Drop-in activities will include art making, Spotlight Talks focused on artwork by the MFA’s artist-in-residence Rob Stull and musical performances curated by BAMS Fest, hosted by D.Ruff and featuring The Mike Christmas Collective, Jordan Carter Band, SeeFour and DJ Baby Indiglo. In the evening, the MFA will host a free outdoor screening of Summer of Soul, presented in partnership with the Roxbury International Film Festival, before the film’s wide release in theaters and on Hulu on July 2.

Juneteenth is sponsored by Chase. Additional programming support is provided by The Lowell Institute. Sunset Cinema is sponsored by Chase. The Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro Film Program at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is funded by the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation.

“Our first in-person celebration in over a year will offer an incredible opportunity for Bostonians to gather together as a community," said Makeeba McCreary, Patti and Jonathan Kraft Chief of Learning and Community Engagement. "We’re grateful to be able to mark Juneteenth with BAMS Fest and the Roxbury International Film Festival, and look forward to working toward a brighter future for our city.”

Additionally, on June 16 at 6 pm, the MFA will host a virtual panel discussion titled "Disruption by Design: A New Path to Liberation."

The free outdoor screening of Summer of Soul—a stunning documentary from director Questlove featuring unearthed footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival—is part of the 23rd annual Roxbury International Film Festival (June 17–26) which takes place virtually on mfa.org and in person this year. RIFF is the largest festival in New England dedicated to celebrating films by, for and about people of color.

On June 19, the Museum will also provide transportation between the MFA, the National Center for Afro-American Artists and the Slave Narrative of Willie Mae live show at the Blair Lot in Nubian Square.

Juneteenth dates back to June 19, 1865, when news of the Civil War’s end reached Galveston, Texas—nearly two and a half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The MFA has hosted a community celebration marking the holiday since 2013.

This press release was produced by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The views expressed are the author's own.