MAG’s Neighborhood of the Arts Block Party

Join us at MAG’s free NOTA Block Party as we come together in community and celebrate the final week of Determined to Be: The Sculpture of John Rhoden!

Celebrating all things sculpture, the Block Party is a special, family-friendly afternoon at MAG, both inside the exhibition and out in the Centennial Sculpture Park. Inspired by Rhoden’s own artwork and interests, the Block party features hands-on artmaking at sculpture stations, inclusive and participatory movement workshops (yoga, Tai Chi, and more!), dance performances, guided museum tours, a community wellness fair, music, food, and more!

The Block Party features the MAG’s own Creative Workshop and Mobile Library and over twenty different community organizations and local artists from the Neighborhood of the Arts and beyond, including: Writers & Books, Garth Fagan Dance, Elevate & Satori, Endless Highways, Inc., the Rochester Wheels adult wheelchair basketball team, Autism Up, Foodlink, the Monroe County Library Association, the Mental Health Association of Rochester, Universal Kempo Club, Just TeeJay, Harold Taddy (The Gong Situation), the Grateful Line Danze Krew, G-Force line dance, and more!

Schedule of Events

Timed Activities

4:00–5:30 pm — Foodlink’s Curbside Market Truck  — Outside
The Curbside Market links communities in the Rochester area to fresh, affordable food. Foodlink’s mobile market makes it easier to purchase healthy, affordable food for you and your family. They believe that everyone deserves access to fresh food, regardless of your budget or where you live.

4:00–7:00 pm — In the Words of John Rhoden — Bausch & Lomb Parlor
Find inspiration and beauty in the powerful words of John Rhoden as you see letterpress printing in action and take away a poster featuring one of his quotes. Learn all about letterpress and more from our friends at the Flower City Arts Center.

4:15 pm — Colorful Connections — Bausch & Lomb Parlor
Can engaging in art help you feel a stronger sense of connection? In this workshop, inspired by The Foundation for Art & Healing, a national nonprofit that promotes the arts as an intervention for loneliness, MAG Museum Educator Adam Koneman will combine the power of art making and conversations to bring us together. Discover how color can express and reflect moods and emotions and connect with your neighbors through colors.

4:30–5:00 pm —Draw, Sequence, Move, Feel: Family Time Yoga — M&T Bank Ballroom
In this family-friendly yoga workshop, take time to connect as you draw and practice yoga! Led by trauma informed yoga educator & Creative Workshop Teaching Artist Joan Nichols. Open to all ages; great for families with children!

5:00–5:45 pm — Form & Flow Yoga — Centennial Sculpture Park
Join Robyn Paige of Free Spirit ROC for a gentle, all-levels yoga experience inspired by Rhoden’s exploration of the human form. Through slow, mindful movement, breath, and moments of stillness, we’ll reconnect with ourselves while exploring the body as a living expression of creativity, presence, and possibility. Come as you are and enjoy a grounding practice, community and art! Location: Under the Lover’s Rainbow sculpture on the Front Lawn. (Recommended for ages 16+)

5:00–5:45 pm — Wood Sculpture: Gesture & Expression — Auditorium
Join Jason Tennant, locally-based sculptor and naturalist, in a discussion and presentation on gestures, expression, and the influences of nature and human action in his work. He will also touch on the importance of one’s life experiences in creating art. In addition to a presentation of works, original artwork will be available to view in addition to a Q & A session at the end of the talk.

5:15–5:45 pm — Express your Feelings with Color: Before, During & After Gentle Yoga — M&T Bank Ballroom
Drop in, check in, and get centered with this gentle yoga practice. Led by trauma informed yoga educator & Creative Workshop Teaching Artist Joan Nichols, this practice will feature seated and standing gentle yoga poses and an opportunity to tune in how we feel, before, during and after and express it through color. All are welcome!

5:15 pm — Docent Guided Tour: Sculpture Edition — Meet at the Admissions Desk
Meet one of MAG’s docents at the Admissions Desk for a guided tour of Determined to Be: The Sculpture of John Rhoden and other sculptures within MAG’s collection, both inside and out! Tours last for ~30 minutes.

6:00–6:45 pm — Moving the Fagan Way — M&T Bank Ballroom
Explore simple movement using Fagan Technique directives, and even create your own, in this moving class led by Natalie Rogers-Cropper, Executive Director of Garth Fagan Dance. All who wish to attend are welcome — no prior dance training required!

6:00–7:00 pm — Endless Highway presents Rochester Wheels Basketball Game — Outside
Watch members of the Rochester Wheels compete in the fast-paced exciting sport of Wheelchair Basketball. Sponsored in full by Endless Highway. The Rochester Wheels welcomes both recreational and competitive/travel players to join. The NWBA DIII team is currently ranked #7 in the country!

6:15–6:30 pm — Martial Arts Demonstration — Centennial Sculpture Park
Featuring local students of the Universal Kempo Club, this short demonstration will feature flashy, fun moves, self-defense demonstrations, and a traditional martial art board breaking! Location: The Broken Pavilion on the Front Lawn, closest to Prince Street.

6:30–7:30 — Tai Chi Workshop — Centennial Sculpture Park
Explore health and wellness through movement, balance, posture, and breathing in a Tai Chi Workshop led by the Universal Kempo Club. In this workshop, participants will focus on breathing and posture to balance the system and will incorporate Tai Chi movements. Location: The Broken Pavilion on the Front Lawn, closest to Prince Street.

6:45–7:45 pm — Docent Guided MAG Highlights Tour — Meet at the Admissions Desk
Drop in for a guided tour! Led by an experienced volunteer docent, explore highlights of MAG’s collection, from ancient artifacts to artworks of our time. Join the conversation and ask questions as you discover the museum full of art created by local artists and people from many cultures and places around the globe.

7:00–7:45 pm — Mindful MAGiC: Sound Bath at the Block Party — Auditorium
Harold Taddy (The Gong Situation) brings the sound bath element of MAG’s celebrated Mindful MAGiC wellness series to the main stage, weaving a tapestry of tranquil soundscapes. Experience mindfulness and nurture your mind, body and spirit through this immersive life soundscape. This is a seated experience—just bring yourself. Less movement, more MAGiC—just you and the sound.

7:00–8:00 pm — Soul Line Dancing Workshop — M&T Bank Ballroom
“Line dancing enhances us mentally and physically – Get on the Floor!” – G-Force
“Just have fun; the steps will come!” – Line Dance Krew
In this workshop, two of Rochester’s line dancing groups, G-Force and the Grateful Line Dance Krew, will introduce you to Soul Line Dancing to R&B music. Experience the fun and joy of dancing and doing what the body absolutely loves; which is to move!

7:15 pm — Docent Guided Tour: Sculpture Edition — Meet at the Admissions Desk
Meet one of MAG’s docents at the Admissions Desk for a guided tour of Determined to Be: The Sculpture of John Rhoden and other sculptures within MAG’s collection, both inside and out! Tours last for ~30 minutes.

All Evening:

Docent Gallery Featured Exhibition: Determined to Be: The Sculpture of John Rhoden
Discover the incredible work of African American artist John Rhoden (1916–2001), one of the most prolific sculptors of the twentieth century. His first retrospective exhibition, Determined to Be: The Sculpture of John Rhoden, offers insights into his diverse creativity as well as his personal story. Featuring a hands-on sculpture making station, and a series of short, original movements inspired by five sculptures in the exhibition created in partnership with Garth Fagan Dance and Floating Homes Films.

Rhoden as Rabbit: A Chalk Interpretation — Outside
Local artist Just TeeJay will be chalking a rabbit vision of John Rhoden’s work inspired by Determined to Be: The Sculpture of John Rhoden. All are welcome to watch this creation come to life, and chalk will be available for anyone who would like to create their own chalk design!

Community Wellness Fair — Vanden Brul Pavilion
Explore the rich resources and local organizations located here in the Neighborhood of the Arts and across the city of Rochester that are centering wellness, engaging with the arts and supporting the community!

Hands-on Sculpture Making Station — Vanden Brul Pavilion
Brought to you by MAG’s own Creative Workshop and Mobile Library. Drop in for special sculpture inspired activities, play at artmaking and toy stations and browse beautiful books! Explore multiple forms of sculpture making and different mediums as you make, create and make some more! The Mobile Library will have books and stories to read.

Tessellation Art Making with Monroe County Library Association — Vanden Brul Pavilion
Discover how a single shape can generate a pattern that extends infinitely. See how the mathematical concept of tessellation comes to life through hands-on art making as you design your own tile and repeat to create endless designs with just one piece!

Self-Guided: Centennial Sculpture Park Themed Art Spot — Pick Up at Admissions Desk
Grab a copy of a sculpture themed Art Spot scavenger hunt to explore the sculpture in MAG’s Centennial Sculpture Park! Copies, clipboards and pencils available from the Admissions Desk.

Lawn Games — Centennial Sculpture Park
Corn hole, giant chess, connect-4, Kan-Jam and more await! Games will be set up on the lawn in front of the MAG’s 1913 building.

Community Conversation — Vanden Brul Pavilion
MAG is curious and we want to hear from you! Help us find answers to some questions we’ve been thinking about and share your input on what you think makes our community great!

Food Trucks — Parking Lot A
Enjoy food from Finger Lake Hots and Macarollin’, and ice cream from Autism Up’s Scoop Up Creamery!

Brown Hound Downtown
Stop by the Brown Hound Downtown, the restaurant located inside MAG’s Pavilion for a quick bite, happy hour or dinner! Grab & go healthy snacks available for purchase or check out their happy hour specials (until 5pm!) or sit down for a delicious dinner.

What To Bring

• An open mind and comfy shoes! All of the workshops are participatory experiences — plan on joining in the fun! (Bring a yoga mat if you’re thinking of joining one of those sessions!)
• Your family, friends, or neighbors!
• A picnic blanket or lawn chairs if you plan to hang out on the front lawn while you’re enjoying food, music or lawn games.

Important Details

• Upon arrival, we ask that all attendees check in at MAG’s main entrance.
• All of the workshops and sessions occurring during the Block Party are first come, first served. Some sessions may have limited capacity due to the space they occur in.
• Once sessions begin, participants are welcome to come and go as they please! (You don’t have to stay for the full duration of the workshop but are welcome to do so if you’d like.)

To submit a request for ASL interpretation, please email access@mag.rochester.edu at least two weeks before the program. 

For questions about this program, contact Allison Goodwin at agoodwin@mag.rochester.edu.

Ticket includes museum admission.

Generous support provided by Art Bridges.