You already know about UpBeat on the Roof, the awesome and free concert series that takes place on the roof of the Tang Museum at Skidmore each summer. But did you know the Tang is also offering a Family Saturday Program series throughout the summer, as well as behind the scenes tours on Thursdays? And did we mention both of those programs are also at no charge to the public? Find out who will be performing at tonight’s UpBeat on the Roof and get the inside scoop on the other exciting happenings at the Tang this summer.
Happening Tonight (July 13th): UpBeat on the Roof Presents Decoda
You can see Decoda perform on the roof of the Tang tonight at 7pm! (UpBeat on the Roof has moved from Fridays to Thursdays.)
Decoda is a chamber ensemble from New York City that consists of virtuoso musicians, entrepreneurs, and passionate advocates of the arts. The ensemble is currently in their fourth of year of the summer intensive at Skidmore College, a program that offers young musicians a chance to see multiple performances and engage in meaningful networking with the community.
UpBeat on the Roof is now in its 17th season! You can catch a wide mix of artists from across the Capital Region every Thursday.
Summer Family Saturday Programs
Happening every Saturday from now through August 19th you and your family can join in Family Saturdays! Take part in a hands-on art activity followed by a brief tour of one of the exhibitions. All materials are provided and the programs are free! Family Saturday activities are appropriate for ages five and up.
Reservations are highly encouraged – space is limited and the programs are quite popular!
Schedule
July 15th: 4th Annual Frances Day – There will be food, music, tours, and art-making, including a 3-D sculptural collage using world maps as building materials. (No reservations are needed for this event.)
July 22nd: Wacky Wagons – Wagons will be created out of cardboard, markers, spools, and white-out will be used as paint.
July 29th: Cabinets of Curiosity – Wooden cabinets will be constructed out of cardboard boxes with little trinkets added out of various materials to put on the shelves.
August 5th: Make an Audio Cassette Cover – Colorful cassette covers will be created.
August 12th: Make a Flag – Flags will be made out of felt using images of people and animals together.
August 19th: Beads, Beads, Beads – Make necklaces, belts, and other accessories out of beads, pipe cleaners, buttons, and more.
Public Tours on Thursdays Through the Summer
Have you ever wondered about the artwork at the Tang that they’re perhaps not showing in the exhibitions? This summer the public has a special opportunity to tour the spaces where the majority of the Tang’s 9,000 pieces of artwork and cultural objects are stored when they aren’t part of an exhibition. This exclusive look at the inner workings of the Tang will be eye-opening in terms of what really makes them a teaching museum.
All tours begin at noon in the museum’s atrium and are free!
Schedule
July 13: A Behind the Scenes Tour with Tang Guide Qilin Zhao, ’18
July 20: Curator’s Tour with Assistant Director for Curatorial Affairs Rachel Seligman of current exhibitions
July 27: Curator’s Tour with Dayton Director Ian Berry of current exhibitions
August 3: A Behind the Scenes Tour with Tang Guide Nell Mittelstead, ’18
August 10: Curator’s Tour with Assistant Director for Curatorial Affairs Rachel Seligman of current exhibitions
August 17: Collections Tour with Head Registrar and Collections Manager Elizabeth Karp and Assistant Registrar for Collections Jessica Lubniewski of the Tang Teaching Museum’s Collections Storage Area and Print Study Room
August 24: Curator’s tour with Mellon Collections Curator Rebecca McNamara of Other Side: Art, Object, Self
Exhibitions
Installation view, If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day: Collections of Claude Simard. Photo Courtesy of Jeremy Lawson.
Get an idea of what exhibitions are going to be up in the Tang before you head over to check out all the awesome art. Here’s what’s going on:
Janine Antoni & Stephen Petronio: Entangle (through July 16)
This is the final part in the three-part exhibition featuring Honey Baby, in which spectators recline to view a film inspired by motion in utero, capturing a folding and tumbling male body suspended in a honey-filled environment.
Elevator Music 33: Up = Out: A Sun Ra Mixtape
A “mixtape” celebrates the music of Sun Ra. You can hear tracks from Planet Earth, Pleiades, Spaceship Lullaby, Nebulae, I am an Instrument, Sun Song, and Spontaneous Simplicity.
The Young Years
The Young Years is a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Skidmore Jazz Institute. See works of art that have been recently acquired by the museum that reflect elements of the Jazz Institute and its founder, Don McCormack.
Liz Collins – Energy Field, with Guest Artist SKOTE
This art installation has been created as a community gathering space to encourage congregation, conversation, and study.
If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day: Collections of Claude Simard
Learn more about Simard, an influential figure in the international art community. This exhibition features art and artifacts spanning centuries and continents, intended to represent a global web of artistic production.
Other Side: Art, Object, Self (opens August 12)
This exhibition will examine ways in which artists use materials – paint, glass, marble, fabric, found objects, and even their own bodies – to spark a crucial look at national, cultural, and self-identity.
