“Vishnu Saving the Elephant (Gajendra Moksha),” opaque watercolor and gold on paper, India, mid-eighteenth century (collection of Kenneth and Joyce Robbins)
Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway
Saturday, July 2, free, 5:00 – 11:00 (some events require free tickets distributed in advance at the Visitor Center)
212-864-5400
www.brooklynmuseum.org
The Brooklyn Museum’s free First Saturday program for July celebrates the opening of “Vishnu: Hinduism’s Blue-Skinned Savior” with a series of special programs and events on July 2. The evening honoring the gentle god begins at 5:00 with a live musical performance by Falu and continues at 6:00 with traditional dance and storytelling courtesy of the Kathak Ensemble. Also at 6:00, Clean Penny Service will clean visitors’ dirty pennies, in conjunction with Skylar Fein’s installation “Black Lincoln for Dooky Chase.” The monthly Hands-on Art workshop (6:30-8:30) will teach attendees to sculpt a Vishnu avatar. At 7:00, curator of Asian Art Joan Cummins will give a talk on the Vishnu exhibit. But things really get going with an Independence Day dance party at 8:00 with the Freedom Party NYC and DJs Cosi, Herbert Holler, and Marc Smooth. But if that gets too hot and heavy for you, there’s also a concert of traditional Indian music about Vishnu at 8:30, courtesy of the RagaChitra Foundation. The galleries stay open until 11:00, so be sure to check out “reOrder: An Architectural Environment by Situ Studio,” “Lorna Simpson: Gathered,” Sam Taylor-Wood’s “Ghosts,” “Body Parts: Ancient Egyptian Fragments and Amulets,” and “Four Bathers by Degas and Bonnard” in addition to the above-mentioned exhibitions and the permanent collection. (Note: Some programs require free advance tickets.)