Montclair Art Museum Hosts Free First Thursday Night April 6

MONTCLAIR, N.J. - March 24, 2017 - PRLog -- Enjoy a night out at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM) with free general admission, live music, art activities and tours, dynamic seasonal programming, and a full-service bar at Free First Thursday Night, April 6, 5–9 p.m.! Free First Thursday Nights are made possible by TD Bank.

The April event spotlights Matisse and American Art, the Montclair Art Museum's highly acclaimed special exhibition on the relationship between French master Henri Matisse and American artists. A special exhibition fee of $6 applies for this exhibition. Arrive early to beat the crowd—to ensure the best viewing experience, capacity is limited within the exhibition space. Free First Thursday Night features several ways to take a deeper dive into the exhibition, including a film screening of An Essay on Matisse with Ken Mandel at 7 p.m., roaming docents available to provide more information on the art on view, and a 6:30 p.m. tour of the complementary exhibition Janet Taylor Pickett: The Matisse Series.

In partnership with Arts Unbound (AU) and Opportunity Project (OP), a new community exhibition No Limits: Emerging Artists from Arts Unbound spotlights 17 artists with disabilities. Headlining the exhibition is Jason Towns, one of OP's longtime members and an artist-in-residence at MAM for over 13 years. Additional featured artists include Sybil Archibald, Gary Berson, Ida Ballard, Amy Charmatz, Danielle Hark, Alex Higgs, Tim Jackson, Annette Kushen, Maria Mineo, Karen Porcelli, Theda Sandiford, Daniel Stern, Avary Waldron, Andrew Weatherly. David Wiley, and Tom Yezza. Meet and greet the artists and celebrate their accomplishments at an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m.

Live music in the galleries will be provided by Pedro Giraudo's Tango Trio. After two decades performing with the most important interpreters of tango in the United States, Pedro Giraudo debuted his own Tango Orchestra in July 2015 at Lincoln Center. The Pedro Giraudo Tango Orchestra features some of the finest tango musicians of today to interpret tangos ranging from the great traditional, classic tangos, to more modern tangos and original compositions.

The Art Bar at MAM, a cornerstone of Free First Thursday Night, is presented in partnership with Krug Catering at Orange Lawn Tennis Club. Try new signature cocktails, or sip wine while taking in the art in Lehman Court. The exclusive beer of Free First Thursday Night is NJ Beer Co. and Museum members receive an exclusive discount at the bar. Grab a bite from April's featured food trucks Empanada Guy and Thai Elephant Food Truck!

Don't miss the opportunity to get creative at Free First Thursday Night, with art activities including MAM's Yard School of Art Draw Along Workshop, a free session with a clothed model and guided art instruction with Julian Tejera. Kids' Creativity Center allows parents to enjoy the full Free First Thursday Night experience while kids are engaged in art-making. During this drop-off workshop, children (ages 5+) will learn to use fine art materials in an age-appropriate project led by experienced art educators. Class fee of $25 per child includes themed project, small-group art instruction, and all materials. One-hour time slots can be reserved in advance at montclairartmuseum.org; advance tickets also receive a $5 discount on additional children.

Free First Thursday Nights take place the first Thursday of the month (October–June) from 5 to 9 p.m. For an up-to-date schedule of upcoming Free First Thursday Nights, visit montclairartmuseum.org/free-first-thurs-nights (https://www.montclairartmuseum.org/free-first-thurs-night...). The special exhibition fee for Matisse and American Art will apply for visitors who want to see that exhibition during March–June First Thursday Nights. General admission to the evening and wide variety of activities will remain free.