MLK Day
10:00 am–5:00 pm
Tickets available in person on a first-come, first-served basis. Admission is free with a valid Massachusetts zip code.
Join us for our annual MLK Day Open House, presented in partnership with Citizens. This year, the MFA offers free admission—including access to “Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore”—for Massachusetts residents. Celebrate the legacy of Dr. King by surrounding yourself with art making, performances, and talks with members of our community!
For 23 consecutive years, Citizens has sponsored the MFA’s MLK Day Open House—allowing the Museum to welcome more than 120,000 visitors into our galleries to enjoy free performances, tours, talks, art-making activities, and more.
Events and Activities
Drop-In Art Making: “Stained Glass” Doves
10 am–4 pm (last entry 3:45 pm)
Druker Family Pavillion
Explore light and color by creating your own window-hanging art in the style of stained glass and in the shape of a dove, a universal symbol of peace and unity.
Guided Tours
11 am, Noon, 1 pm, and 2 pm
Meet in Sharf Visitor Center
Wondering where to start your visit? Experience the Museum on a free 60-minute guided tour. Led by knowledgeable guides, look closely at artwork across the MFA’s collections. Learn more about old favorites and discover something new! Participants of all ages and experiences are welcome.
Available at 11am
La Comparsa de Hyde Square Task Force
11 am and 12:15 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard
Youth Ambassadors from Hyde Square Task Force bring their vibrant comparsa to the MFA! Rooted in the deep history of African influence on Caribbean street celebrations, the comparsa showcases the rich interconnectedness of Afro-Latin dance, music, and theater traditions from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. Join us to dance, sing, and celebrate together.
Welcome and Remarks
11:15 am
Shapiro Family Courtyard
Hear from Matthew Teitelbaum, the MFA’s Ann and Graham Gund Director, and Lisa Murray, Massachusetts president, Citizens Bank, as they welcome you to the MLK Day Open House.
Radical Heroes
11:15 am, 1 pm, and 2:15 pm
Gallery 168
In honor of the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., ArtSpark Boston presents the 30-minute program “Radical Heroes.” ArtSpark is a community-powered music and arts event series based in Boston that aims to fight for racial equity in the creative arts. Join us for special performances of poetry and music that reflect on MLK’s vision for racial justice, once considered radical, that has since sparked transformative worldwide change.
Available at 1pm
Spotlight Talks: ‘Dream 2: King and the Sisterhood’
11:30 am and 12:45 pm
Gallery 158
Phoebe Segal, cocurator of “Power of the People: Art and Democracy,” highlights Faith Ringgold’s story quilt Dream 2: King and the Sisterhood. The work showcases the underappreciated importance of female leaders in the civil rights movement and features a speech written and delivered by Michele Wallace, Ringgold’s daughter, on King’s birthday in 1987.
Available at 12:45pm
Teen Talks: Articulating Love
Flight of Man
12:30 pm
Gallery 328
Curatorial Study Hall member Misa Perez highlights Flight of Man (about 1939) by Jackson Pollock, a ceramic bowl depicting figures derived from a turbulent stage in the artist’s life.
Stop Racism Now
1 pm
Gallery 155
Teen Arts Council member Jalil Presley Rogers highlights Stop Racism Now (about 1970), a poster created by the National Organization for Women.
Woman's 1920s-Inspired Ensemble in Two Parts (Dress)
1:15 pm
Gallery 326
Teen Arts Council member Anson Chau highlights a woman’s 1920s-inspired ensemble (1980s) by Bob Mackie, the centerpiece of a scene that highlights the fashion of the Jazz Age.
Articulated Model of a Dragon (竜自在置物)
1:30 pm
Gallery 280
STEAM Team member Eliseo Castillo highlights Takaishi Shigeyoshi’s articulated model of a dragon (竜自在置物) (second half of the 19th century), a metal figure of the jizai okimono tradition.
The Color of Love
1–2:15 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard
ZUMiX and Beat the Odds present a youth-driven performance exploring the question: What is the color of love? Through a blend of original music and carefully chosen covers, the performance aims to inspire love and joy within the community. It invites us to reflect on love as a choice we make and as a space we create for all the shades of love to find us.
Wee Wear the Crowns
1–3 pm
Riley Seminar Room
Join Boston-based racial justice organization Wee the People for an intergenerational art-making extravaganza celebrating Black kings, Black culture, and unapologetic Black joy: Wee Wear the Crowns! Inspired by iconic painter Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose crown motif honored Black American heroes, participants can collage their own gold or silver crown with decorative materials and wall-to-wall images of Black culture.
At 2 pm, gather in the book nook for a story time reading of the award-winning picture book Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968.
Music from DJ Slick Vick
2:30–4 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard
Hailing from Boston, DJ Slick Vick is a young music visionary best known for her diverse range of musical interest and high-energy DJ sets. She believes that music is a universal language that connects humanity, and that the dance floor is a sacred space where human connection is not only found but amplified.
Wheelchair accessible
Bag Checks
All bags are subject to inspection by Museum staff. Backpacks, large bags, all liquids including hand sanitizer and sunscreen, and outside food or drink are not permitted. Exceptions are made for medical or religious needs. All bags are strongly discouraged, and any bags larger than 11” x 15” must be checked in the Coat Room upon entry. Read our full bag check policy.
MFA Mobile
Download MFA Mobile on Bloomberg Connects to explore a free audio tour on our app and hear curators tell the stories behind a selection of art by Black artists from the Americas. Dive deep into work by John Wilson, Loïs Mailou Jones, Archibald Motley, and more. The tour includes text transcripts and audio descriptions of the art for users who are blind or have low vision.