MFA Boston: Lunar New Year
| Hours: | 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm |
| Ages: | Infants, Toddlers, Kids, Teens, Adults |
| In/Outdoor: | Indoor, Outdoor |
| Cost: | $$ see below |
| Category: | Seasonal Fun |
Ring in the Year of the Dragon at the MFA!Stop by on Thursday evening, February 15, and celebrate the Lunar New Year by exploring Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese art from our collection.
Lunar New Year is celebrated across Asia and around the world.
This year, the holiday, which always falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, marks the Year of the Dragon, one of the 12 animals of the zodiac in many East Asian countries.
Special General Admission Pricing after 5 pm on February 15
Enjoy $5 minimum, pay-what-you-wish general admission to MFA Boston during our Lunar New Year celebration (available in person day of, starting at 5 pm).
Events and Activities
Chinese Brush Painting
5–9 pm (last entry 8:45 pm)
Druker Studios
Learn how to make a painting of bamboo using four basic brush strokes, then turn your masterpiece into a hanging scroll!
Wah Lum Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy
5:30 and 7:20 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard
Enjoy an interactive demonstration by instructors and diverse members of all ages from the Wah Lum Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy.
Catch performances of traditional kung fu and be enchanted by the majestic dragon dance to welcome the Year of the Dragon.
Sebae and Hanbok Demo
5:30–7 pm
Gallery 179
Sebae is the Lunar New Year ritual in Korea of bowing to family elders, who then return verbal blessings of good luck in the coming year and sometimes give out envelopes full of money.
Watch a sebae demonstration, then try on a hanbok, a traditional Korean dress.
Hosted by members of the Korean Cultural Society of Boston.
Spotlight Talk: Painting the Zodiac
6 pm
Gallery 261
Join Laura Weinstein, Ananda Coomaraswamy Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art, for a close look at a work in the MFA collection by Vietnamese master painter Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1922–2016), on view in “Tender Loving Care: Contemporary Art from the Collection.”
Sagunja
6:15–6:45 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard
Enjoy a one-of-a-kind performance combining the beauty of Korean art songs with the traditional Korean painting style known as Sagunja.
Directed and performed by Dr. Yoo Sun Na and presented by artist Kyung Ok Lee, arts educator Christine Soojung Jee, accompanist Matt Savage, and the Korean Cultural Society of Boston’s ensemble of various ages and nationalities.
Vovinam Quang Trung Martial Arts
6:30 pm
Gallery 168
Be dazzled by the traditional lion dance and martial arts demonstration, presented by Vovinam Quang Trung Martial Arts.
Spotlight Talk: Dragons in Chinese Paintings
6:30 pm
Gallery 274
Dragons are one of the most common motifs in Chinese art.
Join Nancy Berliner, Wu Tung Senior Curator of Chinese Art, for a closer look at several paintings from the Chinese Song dynasty that feature dragons, dragons, and more dragons!
Boston Korean Traditional Dance Presents ‘Seollal’
6:50–7:15 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard
Ring in Seollal (the Korean New Year) with a lively dance performance from Boston Korean Traditional Dance that highlights many traditional elements of the celebration.
Vietnamese Music and Dance
7:50–8:25 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard
Immerse yourself in a traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebration with music and dance selections by STAR Group Boston and the Cultural Empowerment Organization.
| COST | ↑ top |
Included in Admission, Free for Members
| WEBSITE | ↑ top |
| LOCATION | ↑ top |
Museum of Fine Arts 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115 map
| RELATED LINKS | ↑ top |
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Info changes frequently. We cannot warrant it. Verify with MFA Boston: Lunar New Year before making the trek. If you find an error, please report it...