The Museum of Contemporary Art \ Connecticut and the Westport Public Art Collections will present Art, Jazz + the Blues from Feb. 26 through June 7, an exhibition exploring the deep connections between visual art and African American musical traditions.
Curated by Anne Boberski, Ive Covaci, and the WestPAC Committee, the exhibition centers on Giants of the Blues, a series of monumental group portraits by artist Eric von Schmidt depicting early blues and folk musicians who shaped American music. The paintings are presented alongside more than 50 additional works drawn from the Westport Public Art Collections, regional institutions, and private loans.
Artists featured in the exhibition include Romare Bearden, Sam Gilliam, Faith Ringgold, Jack Whitten, and other modern and contemporary figures, as well as longtime Westport residents whose work reflects the town’s history as a center for artistic collaboration.
The exhibition examines the intersection of visual art, jazz, and the blues — musical forms rooted in African American history — through works that portray musicians, draw inspiration from musical structure or explore shared themes of improvisation and expression.
Additional works are on loan from ACA Galleries, The Brubeck Collection at Wilton Library, Fairfield University Art Museum, Housatonic Museum of Art, contributing artists, and private collectors.
Westport’s artistic legacy plays a central role in the exhibition. Since the early 20th century, the town has been home to painters, illustrators, musicians and composers, fostering a creative environment that continues today. Local artists represented include Ann Chernow, Eric Chiang, James Daugherty, Stevan Dohanos, Frances Gershwin Godowsky, Barbara Rothenberg, Larry Silver, and Tracy Sugarman.
The exhibition will be accompanied by live music performances, artist talks, film screenings and hands-on workshops for all ages, along with curated playlists connected to key works in the show.
MoCA\CT serves as both a museum and a creative hub, regularly activating exhibitions through interdisciplinary programming that blends visual art and performance. Organizers say the exhibition reflects that mission while honoring Westport’s cultural heritage.
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