This screening will be held at the Museum of Contemporary Art \ Connecticut (19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT).

The Museum of Contemporary Art \ CT is kicking off its Avon On Tour collaboration with a screening of the Emmy-winning HBO film Bessie (2015). Starring Queen Latifah as the legendary “Empress of the Blues,” Bessie Smith, and directed by Dee Rees, the film follows Smith’s rise from a young vaudeville performer in the 1920s to one of the most successful and influential recording artists of her time.

What makes seeing this film at MoCA\CT a uniquely memorable experience is its resonance with the current exhibition Art, Jazz & the Blues (on view through June 7). A towering likeness of Bessie Smith stands at the center of celebrated Westport artist and musician Eric von Schmidt’s Blues Women (1996), one of the monumental group portraits of blues legends anchoring the exhibition. This collaborative presentation with the Westport Public Art Collections (WestPAC) highlights the dynamic interplay between visual art and African American musical traditions. The film captures the 1920s era and musical landscape that inspired Blues Women.

Watching Bessie in the space where her painted legacy hangs will be incredibly special.

Avon on Tour is presented by The First Bank of Greenwich and sponsored by the Connecticut Office of the Arts, The John C. Griswold Family Foundation, Stamford Arts & Culture Commission, and Wireless Zone Gives. Additional support is provided by The Bruce Museum, Darien Library, Mill River Park, Ferguson Library, and Stamford Town Center.