Make the MFA your Thursday night destination! On the third Thursday of every month, enjoy the Museum after dark with $5 admission from 5 to 10 pm. Explore the galleries, join hands-on art-making, shop unique finds, and grab drinks and a bite to eat. Every month brings something new! From community celebrations to live performances, there are plenty of reasons to gather with friends, meet new ones, or escape with art at the MFA.
What’s on View
Make the most of your Thursday evening—wander the collection galleries, visit old favorites, and discover something new. Celebrate spring with the major exhibition “Framing Nature: Gardens and Imagination.”
Events and Activities
Spotlight Talk: Gardens and Gardeners
6 and 7 pm
Gund Gallery, LG31
Discover the often unseen labor that goes into creating gardens. Looking at 20th-century photographs on view in the exhibition “Framing Nature: Gardens and Imagination,” learn about the people whose work has brought gardens to life and sustained them through changing seasons.
With Karen Haas, Lane Senior Curator of Photographs.
Sound Bites: Gregory Groover Jr.
6–6:45 and 7:15–8 pm
Gallery 168
Join tenor saxophonist Gregory Groover Jr. as he celebrates the release of his album Old Knew (Criss Cross Jazz, 2025). Groover performs original new music alongside a stellar cast of musicians, including Joel Ross, Paul Cornish, Harish Raghavan, and Kendrick Scott.
Drawing in the Galleries: Gardens and Nature
6–8 pm (last entry 7:45 pm)
Gallery 255
Drop in to sketch works of art in the galleries! Whether you’re a seasoned illustrator or picking up a pencil for the very first time, all ages and skill levels are welcome to join. Museum educators are available to help you get started and offer tips and suggestions along the way—just bring your creativity! All drawing materials are provided.
Nick Shea Pop-Up
6–9 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard
Local artist Nick Shea, best known for his pop-ups on the Boston Common, joins us to draw his signature index-card portraits! Portraits are drawn on a first-come, first-served basis. The line opens at 5 pm—we recommend getting there early to guarantee a spot!
Spotlight Talks: Student Perspectives
Meet at Sharf Visitor Center
Explore a work of art for 15 minutes with MFA Ambassadors, members of a program for local university students with a passion for art.
August Coleman, “Battleship Kate” tattooed trade figure (about 1935)
6:30–6:45 pm
Presented by Gina D’Itria, Suffolk University
Fernando Botero, Venus (1977–78)
7:30–7:45 pm
Presented by Logan Phesay, Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Frank Duveneck and Clement John Barnhorn, Tomb Effigy of Elizabeth Boott Duveneck (1894)
8:30–8:45 pm
Presented by by Catherine Stewart, Boston University
Xandra Ibarra: Nude Laughing
8–9 pm
Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art, Level 2
In conjunction with the exhibition “Subvert, Repair, Reclaim: Contemporary Artists Take Back the Nude,” experience a performance by artist Xandra Ibarra that uncovers the vexed relation racialized subjects have not only to their own skin, but also to their entanglements with whiteness and white womanhood.
This performance contains nudity and may not be suitable for all audiences.
