The Cleveland Museum of Art Presents Solstice 2015

CLEVELAND (April 27, 2015) The Cleveland Museum of Art presents Solstice on Saturday, June 20 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Celebrate the long summer days and hot summer nights at the museum’s seventh annual Solstice—a night where art and music come together. Guests will have an opportunity to enjoy dynamic and cutting-edge music from around the world, and explore the museum galleries late into the night.

Solstice has become the most anticipated event of the summer, featuring two stages packed with forward-looking artists from around the globe. From the Colombian tropical-psychedelia of Meridian Brothers to the state-of-the art modern disco of Escort; from the legendary pioneers of Afrobeat, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, to the consistently creative DJ King Britt; from trip hop group the Grassy Knoll to electronic music innovator Afrikan Sciences; Solstice is the city’s premier summer kick-off event.

“Solstice is one of the touchstones for the reemergence of the city itself as a cosmopolitan metropolis,” said Tom Welsh, director of performing arts. “Having so many amazing artists converge from all over the world for one night at the museum is an absolute thrill.”

Tickets for Solstice will go on sale to museum members on Monday, May 4 at 9:00 a.m. and to the public on Monday, May 11 at 9:00 a.m. The 8 p.m. entry tickets are available for $65 per person, $45 for museum members. Limited quantities of $30 tickets with an entry time of 10:30 p.m. will also be available. Tickets are available at www.clevelandart.org. Become a member and save.

*Food and beverages will be available for purchase throughout the evening.

Stay Connected:
Follow the Cleveland Museum of Art on Facebook and Twitter to stay up-to-date on Solstice information. Join the conversation by using #CMAsolstice, and sign up to receive more information on this year's Solstice event.

Artist Line Up:

Meridian Brothers:
Meridian Brothers’ sound is a huge palette of influences and inspirations. From tropical music, vallenato, Latin-American folk, sampling techniques to theatrical interventions and references of fake characters. “Genius prophets of Colombian weirdness.” (MTV Iggy)

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80:
At the helm of his father Fela’s legendary band, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 carry on an inimitable brand of Afrobeat, incorporating topical lyrics and contemporary influences, giving his sound a modern twist.

Escort:
In an era where dance music is dominated by samples and computers, Escort takes a sprawling ensemble to the stage to earn their reputation as one of New York's most compelling live acts, creating dance music the old fashioned way: with impeccable production, musicianship and songwriting.

King Britt:
King Britt presents Fhloston Paradigm, exploring the afro-sonic possibilities of his abstracted electronic muse on the Atrium stage, then closes the night on the South Terrace stage with a throwdown DJ set.

Afrikan Sciences:
Once described as the love child of Afrika Bambaataa and science-fiction writer Octavia Butler, Afrikan Sciences (Eric Douglas Porter) has always crafted a marriage between various forms of music and sci-fi with an emphasis on freedom in tempos and meter, standing solidly as one of the most innovative producers to surface in recent times.

The Grassy Knoll:
Pioneers of trip hop and sampling-based electronic music, the Grassy Knoll returned to active recording and performing earlier this year after nearly a decade of silence. Critical acclaim surrounds their entire catalog, and heavy accolades greeted the arrival "Electric Verdeland." 

Information on performance time coming soon. Schedule subject to change.