Experience the special exhibition Jeffrey Gibson: the space in which to place me after hours and groove to the beat between two performance stages on two levels of the museum. With musicians selected to complement Gibson’s vibrant artworks and converse with his powerful themes, PAST + FUTURE = PRESENT, Pt. 2 features M’lynn, a Dallas-born Cherokee Nation soul singer whose smooth and sultry vibes make even a summer night seem cool on the Lobby Stage.

Upstairs on the Oculus Hall Stage, Red Lake Ojibwe Joe Rainey combines traditional pow wow singing with techno, industrial, hip hop, dub, and noise, after which a high-energy DJ set by Teme-Augama Anishnabai club maven and Native music afficionado deesco closes out the night. Beverages and snacks are available for purchase in our outdoor olive grove bar and concessions area.

The thoughtfully selected line-up of musicians for PAST + FUTURE = PRESENT, Pt. 1 and Pt. 2, most of whom have hit the club, concert, and tour circuit within the past decade, optimistically points audiences to a future of freedom and liberation by bringing respect for culture and ancestry into the present through song and sheer presence of will. Over the course of the two-part festival-style series, hip hop, experimental, pow wow, indie, electronic, and soul music coexist like the vibrant and inspirational words and colors in Jeffrey Gibson’s PAST + FUTURE = PRESENT (2024) and seven other flag artworks on view in the exhibition.

–