Fall Arts Programming Ideas to Consider

September

ART: Beyond Frida Kahlo

PROGRAM IDEAS:

• · Art Talk: Present various art talks on an array of Hispanic artists that include Frida Kahlo.

Hispanic heritage in the arts is vast and connects to both European and African influences. While Frida Kahlo is a towering figure to present during this time, you can connect her Mexican heritage to other artists that came before and after her time. Artists include Diego Rivera, Salvador Dalí and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

CLASSICAL MUSIC: Edify the benefits of classical music

PROGRAM IDEAS:

• Concert: Present a classical music concert
• Classical Music Talk: Present a classical music talk on a famous composer or performer

Bring the benefits of Classical Music to the community with a concert, a live or virtual discussion or both. September is Classical Music Month and the American arts landscape opens their 2025-26 classical music season throughout major cities and beyond. The much anticipated appearance of star conductor, Gustavo Dudamel as the NY Philharmonic’s first Hispanic music director is exciting news. Why not bring the same excitement by creating or hiring someone to do a music talk on Gustavo Dudamel? It is a great subject that covers both classical music and  Hispanic Heritage Month.

EXHIBIT: Vincent van Gogh looks into the “windows to the soul”...

PROGRAM IDEAS:

• · Art Talk: Present a talk on the Vincent van Gogh portraits or a general overview of his art

An art talk on Vincent van Gogh can be a huge draw because Van Gogh’s fame can never diminish. His indelible famous works make him relevant. MFA Boston’s exhibit delves into his memorable portraits in the late 19th century.

EXHIBITION: The Vincent van Gogh Portraits

Metropolitan of Fine Arts, Boston

March 30–September 7, 2025

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) once wrote, “What I’m most passionate about…is the portrait, the modern portrait.”

[Van Gogh’s] passion flourished between 1888 and ’89 when, during his stay in Arles, in the South of France, the artist created a number of portraits of a neighboring family—the postman Joseph Roulin; his wife, Augustine; and their three children: Armand, Camille, and Marcelle. -mfa.org

OPERA:   Autumn on a High Note

•  Opera: Present an opera talk featuring one of the trending operas of the fall season [operatalks.com]
•   Present an opera concert for your audience to welcome the opera season

Fall is opera season and what better way to bring your audience into the dramatic world of opera by using an opera talk with a performance or perhaps a complete opera performance? Top trending operas around the United States include Puccini’s La Bohème, Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess, Verdi’s Rigoletto, Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

EXHIBIT:  Ode to the Black Dandy

PROGRAM IDEAS:

• Art Talk: Black Artists like John Wilson
• Opera: Black Men in Opera Talk
• Black Dancers in Ballet: History of the Alvin Ailey Company

The star-studded Vogue MET Gala fundraiser made headlines celebrating the theme for The Costume Institute’s 2025 exhibition is Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. The exhibit was inspired by Guest  Curator, Monica L. Miller’s Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity (2009). This theme highlights how “Dandyism” paired bold fashion and social possibilities in black men throughout the 19th and 20th century. Highlighting black men in fashion can also be connected to black men in the arts.

EXHIBITION:

Superfine: Tailoring Black Style

Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

May 10–October 26, 2025

"The Costume Institute’s spring 2025 exhibition presents a cultural and historical examination of Black style over three hundred years through the concept of dandyism. In the 18th-century Atlantic world, a new culture of consumption, fueled by the slave trade, colonialism, and imperialism, enabled access to clothing and goods that indicated wealth, distinction, and taste. Black dandyism sprung from the intersection of African and European style traditions."

-metmuseum.org

October

ART & OPERA: Bring the rich enchantment of Italian culture

PROGRAM IDEAS:

• Art Talk: Present an art talk on famous Italian artists
• Opera: Present an opera talk on famous Italian singers or famous Italian operas

Italian culture is always an enjoyable topic for the fall because of Italian Heritage Month. Since the death of the beloved Pope Francis on Easter Monday and the installment of Leo XIV, there’s a renewed interest in Italian culture. From history to art and culture, you can bring that ambiance to your community by booking a popular art talk on Italian painters like the famous Caravaggio or Italian opera superstar, Luciano Pavarotti.

ART & OPERA: Dissecting what is really scary for Halloween

PROGRAM IDEAS:

• Art Talk: Present an art talk on spooky art like Goya’s “Los Caprichos” (1797-1798)
• Opera: Present an opera talk on spooky opera plots like Mozart’s Don Giovanni

Intrigue your audience by dissecting what makes things scary through art, opera or even classical music. The idea of Halloween seeps in all forms of the arts. From Goya’s horror filled “Los Caprichos” series to Mozart’s Don Giovanni, the idea of darkness and suspense involves creative technique. Perhaps your audience would appreciate an art talk dissecting suspenseful art or even a spooky opera talk with a cliffhanger.

EXHIBIT: It's supernatural...

PROGRAM IDEAS:

• Art Talk: Present an art talk on Japanese art
• Present a painting class on Japanese art

Exploring fantasy pairs well with October. You can lure your patrons to a fun and intriguing art talk on Japanese art that is supernatural. Another option is to offer a Japanese painting class using the same theme as the exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum. Both an art talk and a painting class can also work as a successful series.

EXHIBITION: Deities & Demons: Supernatural in Japanese Art, Seattle Art

Museum

ONGOING

“Why are deer, foxes, and mythical creatures in Japanese art considered sacred? What is the long-tailed turtle or the  six-armed ferocious demon? Japanese folklore, Shinto (an indigenous religion that reveres nature), and Buddhism have furnished fascinating subjects and ideas for imagery over many centuries. This installation of paintings, sculptures, prints, and textiles from the museum’s collection presents the rich visual culture of the supernatural in Japan. “

-seattleartmuseum.org