MMoCA Nights

ISTHMUS PICK

Friday, April 8 through Sunday, April 10, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art

It’s been a decade since MMoCA moved into a new Cesar Pelli-designed facility at the Overture Center, and the museum is celebrating with a slew of activities over three days. For details, visit mmoca.org.

press release:

MMoCA Nights: 115 Years Old and 10 Year Building Anniversary

Friday, April 8 • 6–11 pm

Celebrate MMoCA's founding 115 years ago, and 10 years in the iconic, Cesar Pelli-designed building on State Street during this special MMoCA Nights. Admission to this Anniversaries Celebration MMoCA Nights is FREE for everyone. Guests can explore exhibitions in four gallery spaces, and enjoy special offerings and activities, including:  

Conversation with Cesar Pelli 6:30 pm: Join us for the first Stephen Fleischman Lecture with internationally renowned architect Cesar Pelli. Pelli is known for designing some of the world's most prestigious and recognizable buildings and was engaged to design both the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and the Overture Center for the Arts.

While lecture hall reservations are full, overflow viewing is available based on a first come, first served basis. Seating will begin at 5:45 pm.  

Drop-in Tours: Frank Stella, 7:45 pm and 8:45 pm: MMoCA's curators lead 15-minute discussions of Frank Stella Prints: A Retrospective (7:45 pm) and William Kentridge: The Heart has Its Own Memory (8:45 pm).  

Poetry Speaks Readings, 8–8:45 pm: For Poetry Speaks, poets from across Wisconsin were invited to submit works that animate, celebrate, and deliberate on the value of the arts. Chosen by Sara Sadie Busse and Wendy Vardaman, proprietors of Cowfeather Press and Madison's fourth Poets Laureate, the resulting poems are displayed throughout the weekend-long celebration in the museum's lobby and on State Street. A reading by a selection of participating poets takes place in the State Street Gallery from 8 to 8:45 pm.

DJ Nick Nice, 6–11 pm: Dance through MMoCA's history with DJ Nick Nice in the museum's iconic lobby. Guests may feel the urge to turn the lobby into a dancefloor from 9–11 pm as the event swings from an anniversary party to an after party.  

Make Your Own Museum!, 6 pm, 7 pm, 10 pm: Put your architectural skills and creativity to the test by joining us in making your own mini museum and other artistic creations.  

Rooftop Cinema Highlights, 9pm:   MMoCA's anniversary is the perfect occasion to showcase a short program of favorite films from the Rooftop Cinema series:

Powers of Ten (New Version) (Charles and Ray Eames, USA, 1977, 16mm, 8 min.)

Breakaway (Bruce Conner, US, 1966, 16mm, 5 min.)

Neighbours (Norman McLaren, Canada, 1952, 16mm, 9 min.)

Associations (John Smith, UK, 1975, 16mm, 7 min.)  

Drop-in Tour: Behind the Scenes at MMoCA, 9:45 pm: Experience MMoCA behind-the-scenes by visiting areas of the museum usually available only to staff.  

Catering by Fresco: Throughout the night, enjoy hors d'oeuvres moments and cocktail specials from MMoCA's rooftop restaurant, Fresco.