YOUR ARTS WORLD
Think Ahead: Arts-Related Programming Ideas for Spring-Summer 2025
Spring-Summer 2025 Edition
end of March- July
Kahlo, Chicago, Paris, Oh my!
Most times, we learn about Frida Kahlo through her dwellings in her native Mexico and her relationship with fellow artist, Diego Rivera. However, this pivotal exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago explores Kahlo’s relationship with avant-garde bookbinder Mary Reynolds during her first and only visit to Paris.
PROGRAM IDEA:
Art Talk on Frida Kahlo’s Month in Paris: A Friendship with Mary Reynolds
Art Institute of Chicago
March 29- July 13, 2025
Art Talk: Frida Kahlo
March- late June
From NYC to London...
The exhibit: Siena: Rise of the Painting makes its debut in London after making a splash in NYC in late 2024. It is a timely subject about the rise of painting and its beauty before one of the deadliest plagues in history. At the dawn of the Renaissance, Sienese artists thrived using phenomenal innovation in painting and artistic styles. The exhibit is organized by both the MET Museum (who previously exhibited this art in late 2024 to the end of January 2025) and London’s National Gallery of Art.
PROGRAM IDEA:
Art Talk on Siena: Rise of the Painting- 1300-1350
National Gallery of Art , London UK
New Paragraph
April-July
Honoring America through
The classic lens of photography
The power of photography in America began in 1839 in between two of America’s major wars: The American Revolution and the Civil War. In this spring exhibit, the museum highlights early photographers: Josiah Johnson Hawes, John Moran, Carleton Watkins, and Alice Austen.
PROGRAM IDEA:
Art Talk on The New Art:
American Photography (1839-1910)
MET Museum
April 11- July 20, 2025
Art Talk: American Photography
April-August
Parisian Elegance through
American eyes
Americana continues to be in vogue through the Met Museum’s exhibit on American painter, John Singer Sargent and his early days in the “City of Lights.” Along with other European locations, Paris became the place where Sargent developed as a prolific artist with a unique style that captured the realism and elegance of Parisian life. This combination lead to his famous and controversial painting of Madame X from 1884.
PROGRAM IDEA: Art talk on Sargent and Paris- MET Museum
Art talk on American artists in Paris
June
Ode to the Black Dandy–
Black Men in the Arts
The MET Museum recently announced that the upcoming theme for The Costume Institute’s spring 2025 exhibition is Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. The theme that will also be highlighted in the star-studded Vogue Met Gala is inspired by Guest Curator Monica L. Miller’s Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity (2009). This theme highlights how “Dandyism” paired bold fashion and social possibilities in black men throughout the 19th and 20th century. Highlighting black men in fashion can also be connected to Black men in the arts.
PROGRAM IDEA: Opera Talk:
Black Men in Opera [operatalks.com]
Black Dancers in Ballet: History of the Alvin Ailey Company
June-August
Bring out the champagne and the popcorn…
Movies are a great way to bring classical music novices and afficionados together. The practice of combining the classical music world with the film industry continues to be a great practice for programming because everyone in the audience is attracted to something familiar while learning something new at the same time.
PROGRAM IDEA:
Classical Music performance: Present a concert that features music from popular film
Music Lecture: Present a program about classical music and film soundtrack [Name that Opera: operatalks.com]
June-August
Sun, grass and music...
The Tanglewood Music Festival featuring the prestigious Boston Symphony Orchestra evolved from a rich history rooted in the tradition to present top classical music performance during the off season. Since the early 30’s notable attendees and performers presented historical performance etched in the minds of cultural deletants and classical music afficionados. Summer 2025 promises to be another great season with Puccini’s Tosca starring notable Latvian soprano, Kristine Opolais, Korean tenor Seok Jong Baek who made quite an indelible impression at the Metropolitan Opera and legendary bass-baritone, Bryn Terfel. Conducted by Andris Nelsons, this performance as well as others are not to be missed.
PROGRAM IDEA:
Classical Music Performance: Create a Tanglewood Festival of your own with outdoor concerts.
Classical Music lecture: Present a program highlighting famous classical music moments at Tanglewood.
Opera Talk: Present an opera talk on Tosca [operatalks.com]
July-September
A Promenade at the Proms
An annual celebration of classical music returns. Often labeled a significant event in British culture, the BBC proms is one of the definitive events for classical music. The eight week concert series is usually a huge highlight during the summer featuring classical music’s “Who’s Who”.
PROGRAM IDEA:
Classical Music Concert: Present a Classical Music Concert
Classical Music Talk: Present a classical music talks on the BBC Proms offering travel tips for those who would like to travel there themselves.
June-August
More than the Mona Lisa?
An 800 million dollar makeover for one painting made the news in January. The Louvre recently announced its plans to move the famous painting, the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci to a separate renovated room to create an ease for visitors to see it. However, the Louvre has more exhibits that are worth seeing along with the Mona Lisa like the famous sculpture of Aphrodite and Botticelli’s famous Italian frescos to name a few.
PROGRAM IDEA:
Art talk: Take your patrons to Paris with an art talk on the Louvre, Museum
June-August
A famous cathedral resurrected after 5 years
The spiritual center of Paris and even the world was resurrected in late 2024 after a devastating fire in 2019. The cathedral re-opened after years of renovation with a star=studded event. Located on the Île de la Cité, the cathedral still holds a rich history with rare artifacts. It is one of the top tourist destination in the world and will continue to be an international draw.
PROGRAM IDEA:
Art talk: Art in the Notre Dame cathedral
Art talk: Notre Dame history and architecture
August-September
An ancient Italian amphitheater delivers a memorable summer experience
Verona, Italy is opera’s epicenter in the summer because of the opera festival at the Arena di Verona. From creativity to controversy, this opera festival draws opera’s biggest stars and millions of arts fans from around the world. The use of stage makeup became the center of controversy in 2022 while opera’s young trending mezzo-soprano, Aigul Akhmetshina graced the stage with lengthy applause in 2024. 2025 promises to be just as exciting with opera stars returning to the opera stage connected to the two events. Opera titles apart of this year’s lineup are: Nabucco, Aida, La Traviata, Carmen and Rigoletto.
PROGRAM IDEA:
Opera Talk: Present an opera talk on Aida, Carmen or Rigoletto in the spirit of this Italian festival. [operatalks.com]