Ever wonder what goes on at Toronto museums after dark? One Toronto museum is making it so that you don’t have to guess anymore with a spirited after-hours event series.
And no, all the exhibits don’t come to life at night a la Night at the Museum. That we know of, anyway.
Toronto’s Museum of Contemporary art, better known by its abbreviation, MOCA, puts the old stigma of the stuffy, boring art gallery to bed once and for all with their MOCA After Hours event series.
While MOCA is, decidedly, one of the more lively art museums in the city even during business hours — their upcoming exhibits include the surreal and childlike works of Venezuelan American artist Alex Da Corte and a series of aluminium foil creations by Sondra Perry — their After Hours event somehow manages to liven things up even further.
The soonest installment of the series is set to take place on Saturday, March 1, and will see the museum transform into a platform for “some light risqué fun,” as local burlesque legends perform hits from your favourite pop divas, like Chappell Roan, Beyonce and Taylor Swift.
From 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., Sweet Rosie May, Rita Ann’tique and Newfound Lad will hit the stage with tunes from local MC, DJ and dancer, Kesteeze, who, along with Sweet Rosie May, is one half of the dynamic team behind another burlesque-based event series, The Funktion.
In addition to watching Burlesque legends twirl and tease the night away, you’ll also have free reign to explore the exhibitions on the second and third floors of the museum, grab a drink from the bar and get a rare view of MOCA’s ground floor after the art comes down.
Easily conflated with similar events like ROM After Dark, MOCA sets itself apart by being a decidedly spunky affair, that’s not quite unrefined, but that still engenders a sense of liveliness and wonder that larger events, like that held at the ROM, can occasionally teeter on stifling.
It’s also pleasingly affordable, with tickets available online for just $20 and free admission for MOCA Members, which, let’s face it, these days is a selling feature in and of itself.
So, while no dinosaur fossils or dioramas will mystically reanimate once the sun dips below the horizon, suffice it to say, after hours, MOCA really comes to life.
