EVENTS

See MoMA's collection, visit the summer exhibitions, and enjoy live music in the Sculpture Garden (sets begin at 6:30 p.m.). Regular Museum admission applies.

This year's MoMA Nights music series draws from local and international sources with an eye to the global cross-pollination of styles and genres. A singer from Brazil takes cues from American pop, while a Congolese guitarist forms a breakthrough collaboration in Paris. A tribute to an avant-garde avatar borrows a Japanese form of poetry and involves 100 composers, and a musical legend from Sierra Leone mixes it up with bandmates in Brooklyn. Each of the innovators in this nine-concert series started with a powerful artistic vision and has traveled the globe to realize it.

The series is the fifth organized in collaboration with Olivier Conan, programmer and co-owner of Barbès performance space (barbesbrooklyn.com).

In the event of rain, the Sculpture Garden will close, and music will take place in Theater 1, with the exception of August 9, when the rain location will be The Agnes Gund Garden Lobby (standing room only).

Please note: Sculpture Garden and indoor seating are limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tonight’s Music Performance: Third Coast Percussion presents REVOLUTION: The Cage Century
David Skidmore, Peter Martin, Robert Dillon, Owen Clayton Condon, percussion

The Chicago-based percussion quartet Third Coast Percussion hails the centenary of avant-garde composer and musician John Cage, playing early Cage works and the world premiere of a major collaborative work, RENGA:Cage:100. It was at MoMA in 1943 that John Cage received his first major New York City showcase; the all-percussion concert he organized and in which he performed featured works by Cage, Lou Harrison, Henry Cowell, and others. This evening will not replicate that historic program, but will instead feature Cage works from that period, as well as the premiere of a truly Cagean new work. RENGA:Cage:100 is based on the traditional Japanese poetry practice of renga, in which several poets write a collaborative work; Cage drew on the practice in a number of compositions. The work includes miniature contributions from 100 contemporary composers, including Christian Wolff, Missy Mazzoli, Steven Mackey, Glenn Kotche, Augusta Read Thomas, Joan La Barbara, and Mason Bates, among others.

This event is part of MoMA's John Cage Day, celebrating the centenary of legendary artist, composer, philosopher, and writer John Cage with a series of readings, performances, musical compositions, and personal reflections by poets, writers, musicians, and scholars. See all events here.

Snacks and beverages in the Garden
Seasonal snacks and specialty cocktails, draft beer, wine, and nonalcoholic beverages are available for purchase in the Sculpture Garden on Thursday nights. The Garden Bar, located at the northeast corner of the Sculpture Garden, also sells local gelato and sorbet, ice cream sandwiches, cookies, wine, beer, and specialty cocktails. In the event of rain, a cash bar will be available indoors.

Terrace Dining (rain or shine)
The fifth floor’s Terrace 5 serves Chef Lynn Bound’s light, seasonal cuisine overlooking the Sculpture Garden. An a la carte menu is offered indoors, as well as a special "urban picnic" fixed price menu on the terrace during the summer months, which includes cured meats, cheeses, salads, sweets, and more (with optional wine pairing). Seatings are offered from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Reserve at cafes@artfoodny.com and include name, preferred time, number of guests, and phone number. The "urban picnic" menu is $32 per person (excluding beverages, sales tax, and service)—10% MoMA member discount not applicable.