Jazz Appreciation Month
Jazz History explored through exhibitions and public programming.
April was designated as Jazz Appreciation Month by the Smithsonian Institution to celebrate one of the greatest artistic inflection points in American history. This month is meant to inspire artists and enthusiasts alike to participate in jazz — whether it be through performance, study, or observation. The de Saisset chose to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month with two events: Jazz Appreciation Family Day and College Night, both organized in conjunction with our current exhibition Jazz Greats: Classic Photographs from the Bank of America Collection provided by Bank of America’s Art in Our Communities® Program.
On Saturday, April 14, the de Saisset Museum held Jazz Appreciation Family Day, co-sponsored by Bank of America and San Jose Jazz. The afternoon featured live performances, artmaking activities, a scavenger hunt, and San Jose Jazz’s instrument petting zoo.
The live music performances set the tone for Jazz Appreciation Family Day. We saw performances from San Jose Jazz’s High School All Stars, SCU’s own Jazz Combo, and local jazz vocalist Ren Geisick who brought us a wonderful quintet. Each band provided their distinctive voice in the interpretation of jazz music.
Family Day also offered a wide range of artmaking activities. Outdoors, guests could create unique prints through scratch foam printmaking, or let loose with Pollock-inspired watercolor drip paintings. Inside the museum, guests could explore the Jazz Greats and California History exhibitions through a scavenger hunt. The most popular activity in the auditorium was personalized button-making.
If you missed Family Day and still want to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month, come to the de Saisset Museum on Thursday, April 26th, 2018. College Night: Swing the Night Away, an after-hours art party at the museum, is happening from 7-10pm that evening. Each year’s College Night has a different theme, and this year we are highlighting our current exhibition Jazz Greats: Classic Photographs from the Bank of America Collection. Drawing inspiration from the artists represented in this exhibition, this year’s art party will feature live music (both student performances and a professional swing band), art activities, a photo booth and swing dance instruction. The swing lesson begins at 8pm and no prior experience is necessary!
Swing the Night Away - April 26, 2018 from 7-10pm
To learn more about this event, please visit our event page here.
AUTHOR
This article was written by SCU Student Emily Lindsay who works at the de Saisset Museum as the Marketing and Special Projects Assistant.
Guests enjoying the Instrument Petting Zoo, organized by San Jose Jazz, for Jazz Appreciation Family Day. Photo courtesy Micah Thomas.