Lunar New Year at the MFA

Let's enjoy a very special $5 dollar Thursday at the MFA. The events starts at 5pm however I will be there from 6pm onwards

Disclaimer: We are not affiliated with the MFA in any way. All attendees are responsible for purchasing their own tickets, preferably in advance, to ensure entry. Please make sure to check the official event page for ticket availability and details.

About MFA Lunar New Year:
Bring in the Year of the Horse at the MFA! Stop by on the evening of Thursday, February 19, and celebrate the Lunar New Year by exploring Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese art from our collection.
Lunar New Year is celebrated across Asia and around the world. This year, the holiday marks the Year of the Horse, one of the 12 animals of the zodiac in many Asian countries.

## Special Admission Pricing During $5 Third Thursdays

Enjoy $5 minimum, pay-what-you-wish general admission during our Lunar New Year celebration (available in person day of, starting at 5 pm). Learn more about discounted admission to the MFA on the third Thursday of every month.

## Events and Activities

### Drop-In Community Patchwork Activity

5–6:30 pm
Gallery LG26
Join artist Zhonghe (Elena) Li to sew and create patchworks inspired by the exhibition “One Hundred Stitches, One Hundred Villages: The Beauty of Patchwork from Rural China.” Materials are provided. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

### Drop-In Lantern Making with Windy Pham

5–7 pm
Gallery 268
Join bilingual children’s author Windy Pham to make your own paper lanterns, symbolizing hope and light for the new year. All ages welcome.

### Eastern Jin on Silk: Monumental Scroll Display

5–8 pm
Gallery 268
Don’t miss a rare chance to see a 4-by-2-meter contemporary silk painting inspired by Eastern Jin aesthetics and court techniques. View the hand-prepared mineral pigments and layered washes—which highlight line, rhythm, and the quiet luminosity of silk—up close.

### Zenni Optical Vision Screenings

5–8:30 pm
Riley Seminar Room
Join us for a free vision screening with Zenni Optical, where you can pick up educational swag, experience interactive virtual reality demos, and grab a complimentary pair of EyeQLenz glasses with ID Guard—non-prescription, photochromic lenses that help block UV, blue light, and infrared.

### Drop-In Art Making: Playing with Patterns

5–9 pm (last entry 8:45 pm)
Druker Family Pavillion
Get inspired by the bright colors and kaleidoscopic patterns found in the quilts on view in “One Hundred Stitches, One Hundred Villages” Then use colorful paper to piece together your own vibrant geometric square on a large wooden tile.

### Community Partners

5–9 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard
Meet representatives from Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, and Asian Women for Health. Get resources from these groups and learn about their work in the community.

### Story Time: ‘The Magic of Tết’ with Windy Pham

5:30 and 6:30 pm
Gallery 274
Bilingual children’s author Windy Pham reads her book The Magic of Tết, a heartwarming story celebrating Vietnamese Lunar New Year traditions. Explore the meaning of Tết through storytelling while learning about new food and cultural traditions. All ages welcome.
ASL interpreter available at 5:30 pm

### Three in 30

5:30 and 7 pm
Meet in Sharf Visitor Center
Take a 30-minute tour exploring three objects in the MFA galleries that highlight and connect to Lunar New Year.

### Boston You&Me Music

5:30 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard
Kick off a joyful Lunar New Year celebration with Boston You&Me Music as the group delivers an energetic mix of festive songs and global pop.

### Celebrate Seollal: Korean Music, Dance, Sebae, and Hanbok

5:30–7:30 pm
Gallery 168
Experience a dynamic exploration of Korea’s cultural heritage through traditional Korean music and dance, followed by an introduction to sebae, the bowing ritual central to Seollal celebrations. Engage with hanbok, with opportunities to try on these garments reflecting Korea’s artistic traditions. Contemporary photo experiences inspired by K-pop add a modern twist to the celebration. All ages are invited to participate. Presented by the Korean Cultural Society of Boston.

### ASL Tour Led by Deaf Artist Takiyah Harris

5:45–6:30 pm
Meet at the Linde Family Wing Entrance
Join Haptic artist Takiyah Harris for a guided tour of artwork that highlights and connects to Lunar New Year. Advance registration encouraged. To RSVP please email: [access@mfa.org](mailto:access@mfa.org). This tour is led in American Sign Language with no voice interpretation.
ASL

### Spotlight Talk: The Tomb Figure of a Horse

6 pm
Gallery 273
Celebrate the Year of the Horse by looking closely at two horses created in the Tang dynasty. Find out the horse’s significance to Chinese culture more than 1,000 years ago and today.
With Christina Yu Yu, Matsutaro Shoriki Chair, Art of Asia.
ASL interpreter available

### Dancing Into the New Year: A Celebration of Chinese Dance with Verge

6:15 and 7:30 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard
Verge Dance Company presents a vibrant collection of dances in honor of the Lunar New Year that highlights the depth and diversity of Chinese folkloric dance. From the elegance of classical Chinese dance to the lively styles of Chinese ethnic groups, watch Verge weave together movement and music to bring China’s rich history to life. Honor the traditions of the season with a performance that bridges history, community, and the joy of the new year!

### Eternals Lion Dance

6:30 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard
Ring in the new year with a traditional lion dance, presented by the Eternals Lion Dance team. Established in 2022 the Eternals share and preserve the culture, tradition, and artistry of lion dancing, bringing good luck, laughter, and joy to audiences of all ages.

### Spotlight Talk: Chinese Patchwork Textiles from Rural China

6:30 pm (in Mandarin) and 7:30 pm (in English)
Gallery LG26
Over the course of many years, Nancy Berliner, Wu Tung Senior Curator of Chinese Art, traveled to countless remote villages in China to find makers of the ancient art of patchwork textiles. Join Berliner in the exhibition “One Hundred Stitches, One Hundred Villages” as she shares stories of the women, their lives, and their passion for stitching together fabric scraps into bed covers, door curtains, cushions and children's clothes.
ASL interpreter available at 7:30 pm

### Artist Demonstration: 物尽其用—Making Full and Purposeful Use of Everyday Material

7 pm
Gallery LG26
Meet multimedia artist Zhonghe (Elena) Li and learn about her artistic practices and the traditional patchwork from her hometown.
ASL interpreter available

### Spotlight Talk: The Living Silk—Song Dynasty to Today

7–7:15 pm
Gallery 274
Join artist Xiang Li and moderator Fei Wu for a discussion about artworks on silk. Learn about a Southern Song masterwork at the MFA and how its materials, line, and spirit inform living practice today.

### Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts: Binh Dinh Academy

7:10 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard
Enjoy a traditional Vietnamese martial arts demo by the instructors and students of Binh Dinh Academy. Binh Dinh Academy of Boston is dedicated to empowering youth through the practice of traditional Vietnamese martial arts. The school cultivates strength, discipline, confidence, and integrity on the mat while fostering visionary leaders who honor tradition, embrace excellence, and make a lasting, meaningful impact in their communities and the world.

### Silk and Stone: Materials and Process Demonstration

7:15–7:45 pm
Gallery 268
Join artist Xiang Li as she demonstrates traditional silk preparation (seven-glue/three-chalk) using mineral and plant pigments (azurite, malachite, cinnabar). Discussing the craft with moderator Fei Wu, Xiang connects imperial-era craft to her studio practice.

### Spotlight Talk: Mr. Dazzle

7:45–8 pm
Gallery 168
Celebrate Lunar New Year with artist Zipeng Zhu, also known as Mr. Dazzle,a Chinese-born, New York–based artist, designer, and educator and the founder of award-winning creative studio DAZZLE. Known for his bold, joy-filled work that brings a sense of razzle-dazzle to everyday life, Zipeng has collaborated with global brands including Apple, Adidas, Coca-Cola, Netflix, and The New York Times. Hear from Zipeng on how heritage, identity, and pure dazzle inspire his vibrant art. See Mr. Dazzle’s projections in gallery 168 between 5 and 9 pm.

### Gund Kwok

8:15 pm
Shapiro Family Courtyard
In 2026 we mark the Year of the Horse, which comes after the Snake in the Chinese Zodiac. This year is associated with energy, ambition, and forward momentum. Learn about the origins of the Chinese Zodiac and its symbolism with a fun, interactive story and performance by Gund Kwok Asian Women’s Lion and Dragon Dance Troupe—the first all-Asian, all-female lion and dragon dance troupe in the United States. The group performs a celebratory and uniquely choreographed performance, feature “the handing over of the year” from the Snake to the Horse.

No Lunar New Year is complete without a lion dance to drive away everything undesirable and bring good luck and prosperity. This colorful and exciting performance showcases the skills of Gund Kwok women's power and agility.

FAQ

What is the age range?
I don’t police connection by age, but plenty of other groups do if that’s what you’re looking for
Where do people meet?
The exact meeting spot is shared in the Discussion section of the event once the hosts arrive at the location, unless otherwise specified. Please check there the day of the event.
What about parking?
Parking is your responsibility. We don’t manage or guarantee parking options for attendees. Check apps like SpotHero, ParkWhiz or BestParking.