Public Programming Series Culminating in a Wrap Party with Sun Ra Arkestra

A special celebration on January 10 welcomes families, teens, and music enthusiasts for a full day of programming 

 As Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers enters its final weeks, the Guggenheim New York will conclude the exhibition’s public programming series with a celebratory, all-day Wrap Party on January 10. Featuring community partners and collaborators from across the series, the event will include performances and creative experiences throughout the day and culminate in an after-hours concert by the legendary Afrofuturist jazz ensemble Sun Ra Arkestra, complete with a cash bar and access to the exhibition. Jazz pianists will continue performing as individual collaborators in Sanguine through January 18, while daytime poetry readings on Rotunda Stage—curated by the Asian American Writers’ Workshop—will continue through January 17.  

Over the course of the exhibition’s run, the Guggenheim New York has programmed A Poem for Deep Thinkers with more than 200 performances by over 300 performers, ranging in age from 13 to 101. The show is Johnson’s first solo presentation at the Guggenheim, his largest exhibition to date, and the first expansive museum survey of his work in over a decade. Bringing together more than ninety artworks, it has been animated by a dynamic program of events developed in collaboration with community partners across New York—from arts organizations such as The Apollo and Cave Canem; to youth music schools including Harlem School of the Arts and Mannes Prep. 

In collaboration with Johnson, the Guggenheim also launched Teen Circle, a free membership program for teens ages 13–18 that connects young New Yorkers with art and fosters a creative, cultural community at the museum. The initiative reflects the artist’s commitment to empowering youth to explore and experiment with the arts, ensuring that this engagement continues beyond the exhibition’s close. 

January programming highlights include:  

Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers Performance Series 

Sanguine piano: Fridays, 4 pm, and Sundays, 1 pm 

Rotunda Stage: Mondays, 4 pm, and Saturdays, 1 pm 

Reserve Tickets 

Free with Admission 

Every Friday through Monday, New York’s creative community brings to life two installations by Rashid Johnson through poetry, music, and live art. 

For the month of January, individual musicians will perform live on the piano in Sanguine. The Asian American Writers’ Workshop will activate Rotunda Stage with poetry readings by poets including Ghinwa Jawhari, Malvika Jolly, and M Lin. 

Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers All-Day Wrap Party 

Saturday, January 10 

Schedule*: 

10:30 am: Museum opens 

11 am–12 pm: Sanguine performance 

11 am–12:30 pm: Visual Poetry Making: Make a Poem/Take a Poem  

12:30 –1 pm: Rotunda Stage poetry reading 

1:30–2 pm: Rotunda Stage performance 

2–3 pm: Sanguine performance 

3–5 pm: Teen Poetry Slam Competition 

8–10:30 pm: Rotunda After Dark: A Cosmic Concert with the Sun Ra Arkestra  

*Program schedule subject to change 

10:30 am–5:30 pm 

Reserve Tickets 

Free with Admission 

Live music, spoken word, and poetry—presented in collaboration with the performance series’ https://www.guggenheim.org/rashid-johnson-a-poem-for-deep-thinkers-performance-series%22%20%5Cl%20%22community-partners).—will enliven Johnson’s installations Sanguine and Rotunda Stage, honoring the exhibition’s themes of identity, healing, and community.  

The Wrap Party will kick off with family-friendly collective poetry making led by Teachers & Writers Collaborative, followed by an intergenerational ensemble performance by students from the Harlem School of the Arts. Throughout the day, emerging musicians from Mannes Prep and acclaimed professional pianists will activate the piano within Sanguine. Visitors will also be able to engage with poetry fill-in-the-blank cards created by 2025 Poet-in-Residence Traci Brimhall and compose poems inspired by the exhibition with guidance from DreamYard Project. The afternoon will conclude with a high-energy teen poetry slam on Rotunda Stage hosted by Urban Word NYC—a vibrant showcase of creativity with cash prizes.  

Rotunda After Dark: A Cosmic Concert with the Sun Ra Arkestra 

8–10:30 pm 

Reserve Tickets 

$40 general, $30 members, $25 students 

The Wrap Party will continue after hours with an unforgettable live concert by the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra on Rotunda Stage—a resonant pairing with Johnson’s practice, which has been informed by Sun Ra’s expansive, Afrofuturist vision and its embrace of improvisation, imagination, and cosmic possibility.  

The evening will include exhibition access, a cash bar, and a lively atmosphere filled with music and movement. 

Sponsors 

Lead support for Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers is provided by Ford Foundation.   

Visionary support is provided by A4 Arts Foundation, Hilarie and Mitchell Morgan, Edlis-Neeson Foundation, and Daniel Xu and Flora Huang. Major support is provided by Neuberger Berman. The Leadership Committee for this exhibition is gratefully acknowledged for its generosity, with special thanks to Hauser & Wirth, David Kordansky Gallery, Madeleine Arison, Heather and Felix Baker, Justin Bayless, Marie-Josée Coutu, Nancy and Steve Crown, Natasha and François-Xavier de Mallmann, The George Economou Collection, Anton J. Levy, Jennifer and Alec Litowitz, and David Shuman.  

Additional leadership funding is provided by Candace and Michael Barasch, Allison and Larry Berg, Mahshid and Jamshid Ehsani, Alex and Greg Mondre, Dr. Daniel S. Berger Charitable Giving Fund, Tiqui Atencio Demirdjian and Ago Demirdjian, Nicola Erni Collection, Katherine Farley and Jerry I. Speyer, The Forman Family Collection, Paul and Dedrea Gray, John and Amy Griffin Foundation, Stephanie and Tim Ingrassia, Kathy and Mitchell Jacobson, Judelson Family Foundation, LaVon Kellner and Tom Roush, Amanda Precourt, Gary Steele and Steven Rice, George Wells and Manfred Rantner, Debi and Steven Wisch, Marilyn and Larry Fields, Bernard I. Lumpkin and Carmine D. Boccuzzi, Jessica and Brian Robinson, Carol and Lawrence Saper, Ann and Mel Schaffer, The Sherman Family Foundation, and those who wish to remain anonymous. Support is also generously provided by The Kate Cassidy Foundation, The Robert Lehman Foundation, and The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Guggenheim New York’s 2024 International Director’s Council.  

Yamaha Piano provided by Yamaha Artist Services New York.  

About the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation 

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation was established in 1937 and is dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of modern and contemporary art through exhibitions, education programs, research initiatives, and publications. The international constellation of museums includes the Guggenheim New York; the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice; the Guggenheim Bilbao; and the future Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. A “temple of spirit” where radical art and architecture meet, the Guggenheim New York is among a group of eight Frank Lloyd Wright structures in the United States designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. To learn more about the Guggenheim New York and the Guggenheim’s activities around the world, visit guggenheim.org.