MFA Late Nites

Kick off your weekend on Friday, May 10, at MFA Late Nites! This after-hours party features dancing and DJs, pop-up performances, exploring the galleries, art-making activities, and more. In celebration of the styles on view in the exhibitions “Dress Up” and “Hallyu! The Korean Wave,” you’re invited to wear your flyest outfits and express yourself through fashion. All looks—from the most in vogue to completely unique—are welcome! 

Food and Drink

Available for purchase
8 pm–12:30 am

Food Options

Comfort Food

Level 1, Shapiro Family Courtyard
Purchase comfort food tickets in advance in Sharf Visitor Center.

Full Bars

Level 1, Sharf Visitor Center
Level 2, 465 Bar and Restaurant

Wine, Beer, and Snacks

Level G, Calderwood Courtyard
Level 1, Taste

Shop

8 pm–12:30 am

Gund Gallery Shop

Level LG, Art of the Americas Wing

Bookstore and Shop

Level 1, Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art

Events and Performances

U-KEY and Kelvin Sylvester

8 pm–1 am
Level 1, Shapiro Family Courtyard

Dance the night away with DJ sets from U-KEY and Kevin Sylvester featuring lively disco, funk, and house gems that are sure to keep you grooving!

Proxima Touch

8 pm–1 am
Level 1, Shapiro Family Courtyard

Nhode Island, an innovative interactive studio, specializes in crafting immersive experiences. Check out their latest project, Proxima Touch, which transforms the walls of the MFA’s Shapiro Family Courtyard into dynamic interactive canvases. Projectors provided by Illuminus Boston.

Spotlight Talk: A Queer Eye on Dressing Up

9–9:15 pm
Level 1, Gallery 158

Join theo tyson, curator of fashion, to explore the influences and inspirations that mainstream fashion trends have derived from queer culture and history—from Donna Summer, the queen of disco, to shoe designer Thom Solo.

Heterobota: The Language of Tomorrow

8 pm–Midnight, with remarks at 10 pm
Druker 159

Hallyu became a cultural phenomenon in part due to its emphasis on technological innovation and creative expression. Today, few things exemplify that dual commitment as much the Spot robot dogs created by Boston Dynamics. In this thrilling interactive performance, artist Agnieszka Pilat passes her brushes on to two of these robots—named Basia and Omuzana—and lets them paint autonomously. This collaborative act of creation stands at the intersection between technological evolution and artistic tradition. Presented in partnership with Boston Dynamics and Hyundai Motor Company.

Diva’s Discotheque

8 pm–1 am
465 Bar and Restaurant

Grab a drink and hit the dance floor at a retro discotheque inspired by the exhibition “Dress Up.” This blast from the past features go-go dancing queer artists Violencia Exclamation Point, Pristine Christine, Aurora, Chanel Thee Angel, Candace Persuasion, and Natasha Mo dressed like celebrities such as Boy George, Miss Piggy, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, and Katy Perry, and features music from across the decades by legendary Boston DJs, L’Duke and Colby Drasher. On your way to the dance floor, stop by a pop-up art gallery featuring bold new paintings by the multitalented Drasher.

Art Making

Hydro-Dipped Beads and Bangles

8 pm–Midnight, last entry 11:45 pm
Level 1, Riley Seminar Room

Get inspired by “Dress Up,” then create your own wearable art by transferring floating marbled paint onto a wooden bangle or set of beads using a process called hydro-dipping.