WESTPORT, CONN.- The Museum of Contemporary Art \ Connecticut (MoCA\CT) and the Westport Public Art Collections (WestPAC) present Art, Jazz + the Blues from February 26 through June 7, 2026—an exhibition highlighting the dynamic interplay between visual art and African American musical traditions. Curated by Anne Boberski, Ive Covaci, and the WestPAC Committee, the exhibition centers on Giants of the Blues, Eric von Schmidt’s series of group portraits of blues and folk legends. These are presented alongside works by internationally recognized and local modern and contemporary artists from the Westport Public Art Collections and regional loans, including works by Romare Bearden, Sam Gilliam, Faith Ringgold, Jack Whitten, and others.

This exhibition explores the intersections between visual art, jazz, and the blues, musical forms deeply rooted in African American traditions. The monumental group portraits in Giants of the Blues present a veritable history of early American blues, focusing on the musicians who influenced artist Eric von Schmidt’s development into a key figure in the folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s.

Complementing von Schmidt’s paintings are over fifty additional works that depict musicians, are inspired by musical themes, or explore the connections between musical and visual forms. The works in the exhibition are drawn from the rich holdings of the Westport Public Art Collections and also include important loans from ACA Galleries, The Brubeck Collection at Wilton Library, Fairfield University Art Museum, Housatonic Museum of Art, contributing artists, and private collectors.

The show is brought to life through a dynamic schedule of live performances, artist talks, film screenings, and hands-on workshops for all ages. Curated playlists tied to key works deepen the experience. Echoing jazz great Charlie Parker’s words, the exhibition invites visitors to “hear with your eyes and see with your ears.”

Westport, Connecticut, has long nurtured a vibrant community of artists and musicians. Since the early twentieth century, illustrators, painters, performers, and composers have made their home here, forging a legacy of artistic collaboration that continues today. The upcoming exhibition highlights this heritage, featuring local and longtime Westport residents such as Ann Chernow, Eric Chiang, James Daugherty, Stevan Dohanos, Frances Gershwin Godowsky, Barbara Rothenberg, Larry Silver, and Tracy Sugarman.

Building on this creative history, MoCA\CT is the ideal setting for Art, Jazz + the Blues. More than a gallery, the Museum serves as a dynamic creative hub where visual art and music intersect, activating exhibitions through performances and public programs that invite audiences to experience art across mediums — honoring Westport’s cultural legacy while looking toward its evolving, creative future.
The exhibition also features works by Pierre Alechinsky, Vincent Baldassano, Robert Baxter, Ilya Bolotowsky, Ed Colker, Arnold Copeland, Michael Cummings, Charles Michael Daugherty, Lisa Daugherty, Gene Davis, Paul Decker, Seymour Fogel, Elsie Freund, Sidney Gordin, Richard Hunt, Roberto Lugo, Stanton Macdonald-Wright, Tudor Maier, Suzanne McCullough, László Moholy-Nagy, Robert Natkin, John Nichols,
A. R. Penck, Walter Quirt, Paul Rand, Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Risko, Alex Ross, Arnold Roth, and Frank Smith.