Music fans of all ages gathered last Thursday to rock out in an unlikely location: the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. To celebrate the opening of a new exhibition, "Contemporary Outlook: Seeing Songs"—which includes artist Candice Breitz’s video installation Queen (A Portrait of Madonna)—the M.F.A. organized its first group karaoke party on the sprawling lawn outside the museum’s Huntington Avenue entrance. In stark contrast to the museum’s elegant pillars and manicured gardens, a massive screen projected 30 hard-core Madonna fans singing along to her The Immaculate Collection.
“The goal of the event was to raise awareness for the 'Seeing Songs' exhibit in a way that people of all ages could appreciate,” said Amelia Kantrovitz, a publicist for the M.F.A. and one of the event’s primary planners. “We wanted to do something innovative and fresh that reflected the spirit of the exhibition and could also appeal to anyone who loves music.” The event was relatively impromptu; Kantrovitz and the M.F.A. team had just a few weeks to plan logistics once they formalized the concept in late June.
Hosted by the M.F.A.’s media partner, WFNX radio, the free event aimed to reach a younger, hipper crowd than the museum typically attracts by leveraging the appeal of artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Bon Jovi. The museum stayed open late that evening (until 8:00 p.m.), and event attendees were offered complimentary admission to see the new exhibit. In keeping with the party’s youthful vibe, the M.F.A. also publicized the event via social media channels such as Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter.
At 6:30 p.m., after a milling crowd had formed at the front of the museum, WFNX’s Julie Kramer took the stage to kick off the event. As the first few beats of Michael Jackson’s "Beat It" began rippling through the audience, the crowd quickly grew, garnering the attention of passersby. When M.F.A. director Malcolm Rogers took the stage to introduce the exhibit, the crowd was more than 200 strong. By the time Madonna’s long-awaited "Vogue" began to play, everyone from hipster teens to sixtysomethings were belting out lyrics and letting loose with their own interpretations of Madonna’s iconic dance, which the M.F.A. filmed and posted on YouTube.
“The biggest challenge with holding an outdoor event like this in the summer was making sure the image on the projector was bright enough,” Kantrovitz noted. “We had to use a really huge projector so the lyrics showed up against the sun.” Boston Light & Sound provided the speakers, karaoke equipment, and the large projector.
As the event closed with Neil Diamond's “Sweet Caroline,” at about 7:30 p.m., some 270 attendees filed into the museum to see the installation and exhibition for themselves. "Seeing Songs" run through February 21, 2010.
