Friday Night: Jazz Edition

Celebrate the cultural significance of jazz and the 100th anniversary of saxophonist, composer, and bandleader John Coltrane’s birth. Enjoy a night of live music from Yolanda Wisher & The Afroeaters, artmaking that takes inspiration from the improvisational nature of jazz, gallery talks highlighting the influence of jazz on the visual arts in the exhibition A Nation of Artists, and explore local organizations at our community tabling.

Drinks and snacks are available for purchase.

Performance: Yolanda Wisher & the Afroeaters | 5:30–6:15 p.m., 6:30–7:15 p.m., 7:30–8:15 p.m. | Great Stair Hall Yolanda Wisher & The Afroeaters is a Philadelphia-based jazz collective led by wordsmith and rhapsodist Yolanda Wisher. Blending jazz, soul, and spoken word, the group creates rhythm-driven performances rooted in Black history, liberation, and joy. Their debut album Doublehanded Suite (2022) and forthcoming release nature gurl (2026) extend this vision into recorded form. Anchored by deep grooves and layered percussion, Wisher’s poetic vocals move fluidly between song and verse. The band has performed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Barnes Foundation, the Kimmel Cultural Campus, and WRTI’s Live Sessions studio, transforming stages into spaces of community and connection.

Pop Up Studio: Jazz-Age Compositions | 5:00–8:00 p.m. | Great Stair Hall Balcony Make a collage out of shapes and forms taken from Jazz-Age works in our collection. See if you can fit them together like a puzzle or mix them up into your own visual melody.

Gallery Talks: Jazz and the Visual Arts | 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. | Meet in the Great Stair Hall Learn about American artworks in the exhibition A Nation of Artists inspired by the improvisational style and charismatic performers of the Jazz Age. These 15-minute talks meet at the Information Desk in the Great Stair Hall. Talks are first come, first served with a capacity of 20.

Community Tabling | 6:00–8:00pm | Forum Balcony Learn more about community organizations, local businesses, and art institutions around Philadelphia.

You must buy a ticket. They are 15 dollars: https://www.philamuseum.org/events/friday-night-jazz-edition