Kick off the Holiday Season with Free First Thursday Night at Montclair Art Museum

MONTCLAIR, N.J. - Nov. 28, 2016 - PRLog -- Enjoy a night out at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM) with free gallery admission, live music, art activities and tours, dynamic seasonal programming, and a full-service bar at Free First Thursday Night, December 1, 5–9 p.m.! Free First Thursday Nights are made possible by TD Bank.

Free First Thursday Night spotlights MAM's current exhibitions with tours at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. December 1 is the last Free First Thursday Night opportunity to see do it, an interactive exhibition that encourages the audience to participate in instructions written by artists. Free First Thursday Night provides new opportunities to interact with the do it exhibition, including Adrian Piper's The Humming Room, requiring all visitors to hum a tune in order to enter MAM's George Inness Gallery. In addition, Allison Knowles' Homage to Each Red Thing (1996), a grid of red objects provided by community members, will be rotated to its final installation by MAM staff and docents. The Montclair State University Students who completed the Sol LeWitt wall drawing will also be on site to discuss their experience.

Live music kicks off the holiday season with special sets by the Newark Boy Chorus at 6:15 p.m. and the Metropolitones, an all female NYC-based a cappella group of alumni from the Seven Sisters Colleges, at 8 p.m. Eric DeLauro, a Frank Sinatra tribute artist, will flashback to the Rat Pack with classics from Ol' Blue Eyes and contemporaries throughout the evening.

Get all your holiday shopping done with unique gifts from The Store at MAM! A Holiday Trunk Sale includes hand-crafted silver jewelry by Rina Young, artisan-made brushed alpaca scarves, raw cut gemstone earrings by Dani Barbe, Glacier Wildlife holiday bone-china ware, and artful menorahs. Pick up a gift membership for everyone on your list and enjoy artful outings together all year long. Free First Thursday Night is also the start of the Members Double Discount Sale—current Museum members receive 20% off store items December 1–31!

The Art Bar at MAM, a cornerstone of Free First Thursday Night, is now in partnership with Krug Catering at Orange Lawn Tennis Club. Try new signature cocktails, or sip wine while taking in the art in Lehman Court. The exclusive beer of Free First Thursday Night is NJ Beer Co. and Museum members receive an exclusive discount at the bar. Grab a bite from December's featured food trucks, Jersey Johnny's and Bro-Ritos!

Get creative at Free First Thursday Night! MAM's Yard School of Art Draw Along Workshop is a favorite every month. Visitors are invited to create their own artwork during the workshop, which offers a free session with a clothed model and guided art instruction. Stop by the Green Screen Visual Effects Demonstration in the 3rd Floor Digital Media Lab to travel the world with the click of a button! Capture a unique profile pic in front of a green screen and apply the background of your choice.

Parents are also free to appreciate the full experience with the return of Kids' Creativity Center. During this drop-off workshop, kids (ages 5+) will learn to use fine art materials in an age-appropriate project led by experienced art educators. A separate charge applies for Kids' Creativity Center, and one-hour time slots can be reserved in advance at montclairartmuseum.org.

Free First Thursday Nights at MAM also partners with local businesses. Discover Essex County history with MakeReady Gallery's antique maps and photographs of Montclair and neighboring townships.

Free First Thursday Nights take place the first Thursday of the month (October–June) from 5 to 9 p.m. For an up-to-date schedule of upcoming Free First Thursday Nights, visit montclairartmuseum.org/free-first-thurs-nights (https://www.montclairartmuseum.org/free-first-thurs-night...).