Photo courtesy of Pixabay
By Greg C. Truax, Publisher
The Museum of Fine Arts with composer Elizabeth A. Baker will present on Saturday an afternoon of “abstract sonic experiences” by African American women musicians and performers.
In addition to Ms. Baker, the downtown St. Petersburg museum will host Chicago-based Renée Baker, and San Francisco-based Pamela Z. Each composer will perform at the MFA, and will also participate in a panel discussion with Katherine Pill, the MFA’s curator of contemporary art, according to the museum.
Saturday’s (July 28) avant-garde musical symposium — “Magnetic Fields: Sonic Abstraction” — complements the museum’s “Magnetic Fields: Expanding Abstraction 1960s to Today,” which focuses on African American women’s approaches to abstract painting and sculpture.
“Taken together,” according to an announcement by the museum, “this will be an important celebration of abstraction in multiple forms, and will allow for a multi-generational discussion between African American women practicing in avant-garde composition.”
The event in the MFA Marly Room is free with admission to the museum located at 255 Beach Drive NE.
Guests, according to the museum, can attend the entire event or come and go as they please.
Here is the schedule for Saturday (July 28) afternoon:
2 to 2:45 p.m.: Panel discussion with composers moderated by Katherine Pill.
3 to 4:30 p.m.: Renée Baker premiers an orchestral score for A Page of Madness, a 1926 film by Japanese director Teinosuke Kinugasa, featuring musicians from EMIT (St. Petersburg).
5 to 5:45 p.m.: Elizabeth A. Baker performs original composition inspired by paintings of Jennie C. Jones
6 to 6:45 p.m.: Pamela Z presents a multimedia performance.
Editors Note: Article and headline updated to reflect the correct name of the musical symposium which is “Magnetic Fields: Sonic Abstraction”.