On August 4, 2012, in preparation for the West Indian-American Day Carnival, the Brooklyn Museum will celebrate Caribbean culture by showcasing performances that demonstrate the wide range of contemporary interpretations of traditional West Indian expressions.
The Brooklyn Museum's First Saturday attracts thousands of visitors to free art and entertainment programs each month. The August highlights include:
5-7:30 p.m. Music: Electronic artist Val Jeanty and saxophonist Buyu Ambroise perform their avantgarde take on traditional Haitian music and The Zing Experience plays a mix of voodoo rock, reggae, and hip-hop. Presented in partnership with the Haiti Cultural Exchange.
6 p.m. Dance: Makeda Thomas presents "FreshWater," an investigation of her personal experience of cultural identity after returning home to Trinidad and Tobago.
6-9 p.m. Gallery Talks: Museum guides and staff present lively ten-minute discussions of beloved objects throughout the Museum.
6:30-8:30 p.m. Hands-on Art: Create a lively carnival headdress with brightly colored feathers, sequins, and glitter. Free tickets available at the Visitor Center at 5:30 p.m.
7 p.m. Film: Reina de mi Misma, Queen of Myself: Las Krudas d' Cuba (Celiany Rivera-Velázquez, 2010). Documentary about a queer all-female feminist hip-hop group. Free tickets available at the Visitor Center at 6 p.m.
7:30 p.m. Music: The New International Center of Diverse Artists presents a vignette from their upcoming How We Are Connected performance, inspired by National Geographic's Genographic Project. Free tickets available at the Visitor Center at 5 p.m.
7:30 p.m. Dance Lesson: Ifetayo Cultural Arts Academy leads a workshop on Afro-Caribbean dance with live drum accompaniment.
8-10 p.m. Dance Party: DJs Beto, Mios Dio, and Thanu present iBomba, one of the top Latin underground parties in the city, spinning pan-Caribbean sounds with live percussion by Kala and Ayinsko.
9 p.m. Book Club: Trinidadian author Elizabeth Nunez discusses her novel Boundaries, about a Caribbean immigrant woman struggling to succeed in America.
9-10 p.m. Dance: Brooklyn-based dance agency League of Unreal Dancing hosts freestyle dance battles and a performance featuring the Afro-Caribbean-inspired dance form bruk up.
10-11 p.m. Late Night in the Galleries: All galleries open. Explore the Museum.
Throughout the evening, a cash bar will offer beer and wine, and the Museum Café will serve a wide variety of sandwiches, salads, and beverages. The Museum Shop will remain open until 11 p.m.
Museum admission is free from 5 to 11 p.m. and includes entrance to all galleries and events.
Some First Saturday programs have limited space and are ticketed on a first-come, first-served basis. Lines for free tickets often form thirty minutes in advance. For more information, visit www.brooklynmuseum.org. Parking is a flat rate of $4 from 5 to 11 p.m.
