Third Thursdays

Stop by the Museum every Third Thursday for free admission to the galleries from 4 till 8 p.m. Enjoy our fall exhibitions and the following free-to-all activities. (For a complete listing of all Third Thursday happenings downtown visit www.downtownallentown.com.)

5:30–7 p.m.
Cheers, Allentown! Tasting with One Hope Wines
Cheers, Allentown! Start your evening at the museum with good taste and good friends in our upstairs Art Ways Lounge. Must be at least 21 years of age.

5:30–7 p.m.
Artist workshop with Femi J. Johnson
Drop-in and join us for workshops with artist Femi J. Johnson. Use paint and collage to explore issues of identity in relation to Carrie Mae Weems: Strategies of Engagement. Bring your own photograph, memento, or imagery from home to incorporate into your artwork.

6 p.m.
Film: Central Park Five
A documentary that examines the 1989 case of five black and Latino teenagers who were convicted of raping a white woman in Central Park. After having spent between six and thirteen years each in prison, a serial rapist confessed to the crime.

6–6:45 p.m.
Guided gallery tour and discussion of Carrie Mae Weems: Strategies of Engagement (in English)
No reservation is needed to join this free tour of our special winter exhibition–just drop in!

Directly following the docent tour, in-house curator Claire McRee will lead a discussion centered on From Here I Saw What Happened and I Cried. In this powerful series of photographs, Weems combines historic images of African Americans with her own poetic text. Weems’s unflinching exploration of slavery’s far-reaching legacy is challenging but also carries a message of resistance. Visitors will be able to participate in conversation and ask questions.

6–7:30 p.m.
Drop-in Trivia
Test your knowledge and win prizes every Third Thursday with our Arts and Culture Trivia. Questions span from 16th century art to contemporary culture, and prizes are awarded at the end of each round.

6:30–7:30 p.m.
Live music by fajjr+ali
fajjr+ali is an indie pop duo that makes meaningful and contemporary music while putting a new spin on what an American pop group can look like. What sets them apart is their unique heritage. In this day and age of diversity in the United States, the presence of Middle-Eastern and Asian artists is still scarce, especially in the contemporary music scene. With constant media focus on the Middle East and Muslim women, fajjr+ali hope to dispel stereotypes often associated with their backgrounds while simultaneously making good music.

Fajjr Khan was born and raised in the rural hills of Schuylkill County in Pennsylvania and is the daughter of Pakistani parents. Trained in both acting and singing, her passion for music and performance has been influenced by the array of genres and cultures of her life and family, which is reflected in her diverse writing style and vocals.

Ali Andre Ali grew up in Massachusetts and is the son of an Arab-American man and a Bostonian-Irish woman. This unique blend simultaneously exposed him to the eastern sounds of Arabic music and the classic rock of his parents’ generation through to the pop and hip-hop of today. Also trained in theater, Ali combines his natural storytelling ability with his unique composition to create poetic and relatable music.

Poetry slam on Third Thursday March
4–8 p.m.

Stop by the Museum every Third Thursday for free admission to the galleries from 4 till 8 p.m. Enjoy our fall exhibitions and the following free-to-all activities. (For a complete listing of all Third Thursday happenings downtown visit www.downtownallentown.com.)

5:30–7 p.m.
Cheers, Allentown! Tasting with ONEHOPE Wines

Cheers, Allentown! Start your evening at the museum with good wine and good friends in our upstairs Art Ways area. ONEHOPE is a company that pairs charity with wine. A portion of the proceeds from every ONEHOPE wine goes to a strategically matched nonprofit organization. To date, they have donated more than 3 million dollars to organizations like Gateway for Cancer Research, the Trevor Project, and P.S. Arts. Must be at least 21 years of age.

5:30–7 p.m.
Art Activist Studio on Women’s History

6 p.m.
Film: Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision
Another Oscar-winning film, this 1994 feature by Freida Lee Mock (whose latest, Anita, just hit theaters) is about the life of one of the most accomplished architects in America, man or woman. The fact that Maya Lin is a woman did cause some controversy with her design being chosen for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. That she was then only twenty, an undergraduate at Yale, and Asian American were also sore spots for many conservative voices, whose opposition we hear. The doc focuses on that project, though there’s some about her designing the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery as well.

6–6:45 p.m.
Guided gallery tour of Carrie Mae Weems: Strategies of Engagement
No reservation is needed to join this free tour of our special winter exhibition–just drop in!

6–7:30 p.m.
Drop-in Trivia

Test your knowledge and win prizes every Third Thursday with our Arts and Culture Trivia. Questions span from 16th century art to contemporary culture, and prizes are awarded at the end of each round.

6–8 p.m.

Women of Words: Slam Poetry Night
Inspired by the work of Carrie Mae Weems, the Allentown Art Museum presents a night of powerful women poets. These acclaimed poets will weave words together that address identity, power, society, and art. Featuring Yolanda Wisher, Ashley Davis, and Raena Shirali.

Muhlenberg Dance on Third Thursday April
4–8 p.m.

Stop by the Museum every Third Thursday for free admission to the galleries from 4 till 8 p.m. Enjoy our fall exhibitions and the following free-to-all activities. (For a complete listing of all Third Thursday happenings downtown visit www.downtownallentown.com.)

5:30–7 p.m.
Cheers, Allentown! Tasting with Country Seat Spirits Distillery

Cheers, Allentown! Start your evening at the museum with good spirits and good friends in our upstairs Art Ways area. County Seat will be providing samples of some of their many varieties of spirits and a signature cocktail to kick the night off.

Participating persons must be at least 21 years of age.

5:30–7 p.m.
Artist workshop with Femi J. Johnson

Drop-in and join us for workshops with artist Femi J. Johnson. Use paint and collage to explore issues of identity in relation to Carrie Mae Weems: Strategies of Engagement. Bring your own photograph, memento, or imagery from home to incorporate into your artwork.

6 p.m.
Film: COLORED FRAMES
A look back at the last fifty years in African American art, Colored Frames is an unflinching exploration of influences, inspirations, and experiences of black artists. Beginning at the height of the Civil Rights Era and leading up to the present, it is a naked and truthful look at often ignored artists and their progenies.

6–6:45 p.m.
Guided Gallery Tour of Carrie Mae Weems: Strategies of Engagement

No reservation is needed to join this free tour of our special winter exhibition–just drop in!

6–7:30 p.m.
Drop-In Trivia

Test your knowledge and win prizes every Third Thursday with our Arts and Culture Trivia. Questions span from 16th century art to contemporary culture, and prizes are awarded at the end of each round.

6–8 p.m.

Muhlenberg Dance

In the true liberal arts tradition, the Muhlenberg Dance Program is dedicated to teaching how to think about the art of dance and its connection to the larger world. Students will engage with works of art from throughout the museum by presenting individually choreographed dances which will highlight the dynamic relationship between the performance and visual arts.