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First Saturdays

First Saturday: Imitate No One

Saturday, February 7, 2026, 5–10 pm

In celebration of Black History Month, this edition of First Saturday pays homage to the innovators—those fearless artists who reenvision tradition while building community along the way. Titled after the late poet Jayne Cortez’s rallying cry to “imitate no one,” the evening is inspired by our landmark exhibition Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens, which honors this legendary Malian photographer. Tap into interwoven legacies of liberation from across the African diaspora with dynamic programming spanning music and magic to art-making, poetry, and beyond.

Free; registration  is required and includes Museum general admission. Tickets will be released on a rolling basis starting January 16 for Members and January 20 for the public. Sign up for the Brooklyn Museum newsletter  to be notified of the next release.

The lineup is subject to change; revisit this page for the latest details. For accessibility accommodations, including ASL interpretation, email access@​brooklynmuseum.​org .

Throughout the Museum

Two women with microphones talking before a seated crowd, in front of a gallery of colorful paintings

Schedule

  • 5–6 pm

    Music: Brooklyn Ecumenical Choir
    Lobby, 1st Floor
    Kick off the night with Bed Stuy–based Brooklyn Ecumenical Choir, whose songbook combines classical requiems with spirituals, anthems, and hymns. These pieces are drawn from African American traditions and written by Black composers, including Harry Burleigh, Margaret Allison Bonds, and Nathaniel Dett. This group of volunteers performs throughout the city and raises funds for scholarships to help high school seniors pursue careers in music.

  • 5–9:30 pm

    Brooklyn Pop-Up Market
    Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor
    Shop one-of-a-kind, handmade items from artists and vendors across Brooklyn, including artwork, jewelry, fashion, and home and apothecary goods.

  • 5:30–7:30 pm

    Hands-On Art
    Education Studios, 1st Floor
    Follow in Seydou Keïta’s footsteps and capture your own photographic style in a black-and-white Polaroid. Then embellish it and add color using a variety of fun materials.

  • 5:30–6:30 pm

    Curator Tour: Seydou Keïta
    Schapiro Wing, 4th Floor
    Art historian and curator Catherine E. McKinley leads a tour of Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens. Delve into Keïta’s influential portraits of Bamako community members in the 1940s–1960s, and explore themes of self-fashioning and African independence. Plus, get a behind-the-scenes look at how the exhibition took shape through collaboration with the artist’s family.

  • 6–7 pm

    Music: Nailah Hunter
    Lobby, 1st Floor
    Harpist and composer Nailah Hunter plays from her debut full-length album, Lovegaze, an enchanting ode to the resilience of the natural world.

  • 6–7:30 pm

    Magic: Nicole Cardoza in Revival
    Auditorium, 3rd Floor
    Enter the mesmerizing world of magician Nicole Cardoza. In this narrative-driven show, Cardoza reflects on her ancestry, highlighting the underacknowledged history of Black and women magicians. Seating is limited and first come, first served.

  • 6–8 pm

    Music: DJ Auntie Spice
    Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor
    Creative luminary SHABAZZ, aka DJ Auntie Spice, amplifies obscure, nostalgic treasures and crafts a rich sound-art experience of soul, funk, jazz, and more.

  • 7–8 pm

    Teen Talks
    Decorative Arts and Design Galleries, 4th Floor
    Join Brooklyn Museum Teen Staff to explore innovative practices of Black artists and designers who reimagine traditional art forms.

  • 7:30–8:30 pm

    Listening Session with Cue the Record
    Schapiro Wing, 4th Floor
    Take a deep dive into Fela Kuti’s 1973 album Gentleman during this listening session hosted by Cue the Record, a New York-based collective. The record’s sound and spirit echo the era that Seydou Keïta captured in his photographs. Both the album and Keïta’s images emerged from a movement shaped by Pan-African independence, where cultural expression became a declaration of identity, pride, and self-determination.

  • 8–9:30 pm

    Poetry and Music: A Tribute to Jayne Cortez
    Auditorium, 3rd Floor
    Celebrate the legacy of Jayne Cortez, a trailblazing poet and member of the Black Arts Movement, with the new publication Firespitter: The Collected Poems of Jayne Cortez (Nightboat, 2025). Honor Cortez’s fearless, uncompromising art with a performance by her band The Firespitters and readings by contemporary poets she has influenced. Seating is limited and first come, first served. This program contains explicit language and is intended for adult audiences.

  • 8–10 pm

    Music: DJ Monday Blue
    Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor
    An iconoclastic daughter of the Southern Diaspora turned Brooklyn tastemaker, Monday Blue is a vinyl priestess with digital flex.

  • 8:30–10 pm

    Music: Timmy Regisford
    Lobby, 1st Floor
    Close out the night with Timmy Regisford, the New York City house music pioneer who shaped the scene by founding Club Shelter in the 1990s, as he spins an eclectic mix.

First Saturdays are supported by the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. Made possible by the Wallace Foundation Community Programs Fund, established by the Wallace Foundation.

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