About the performers

Silvia Bolognesi is a double bass player, composer, and arranger. She leads several bands: Open Combo, Almond Tree, Xilo Ensemble, Ju-Ju Sounds, Fonterossa Open Orchestra, Beast Friends, and Young Shouts. She is also part of the international string trio Hear in Now, with Tomeka Reid on cello and Mazz Swift on violin and vocals; the Art Ensemble of Chicago’s 50th Anniversary special project; and the Roscoe Mitchell Quintet. In 2010, Bolognesi founded her own label, Fonterossa Records. She is now also artistic director of the Fonterossa Day minifestival, hosted by Pisa Jazz, and the curator and conductor of the Fonterossa Open Orchestra, a creative orchestra based in Pisa since 2017. As a student, she studied double bass at the R. Franci Institute of Siena with Maestros Andrea Granai and Alberto Bocini, and jazz at the Siena Jazz Academy with Paolino dalla Porta, Furio di Castri, and Ferruccio Spinetti. The most significant encounters in her musical training were those with William Parker, Muhal Richard Abrams, Lawrence “Butch” Morris, Roscoe Mitchell, and Antony Braxton. She now teaches double bass and combo at the Siena Jazz Academy and is a jazz double bass teacher at Conservatorio Statale di Palermo. She has been part of the “European exchange-Erasmus +” program for the Conservatory of Maastricht (Holland), Tbilisi (Georgia), Riga (Latvia), and Birmingham (UK) since 2016, and has run workshops on improvisation and "conduction" since 2008.

The instrumentation of Young Shouts, as well as frequent moments of collective improvisation, exhibit the defining characteristics of the group as a classic modern jazz quartet. The quartet’s first recording, aLive Shouts, contains a Suite for Bessie Jones, which was inspired by the lyrics of songs made famous by the singer. The quartet’s second record, A Frame in the Crowd, is comprised completely of original compositions written and recorded during the pandemic and dedicated to a “missing” audience.

The musicians:

Nick Mazzarella - alto saxophone

Silvia Bolognesi - bass

Others TBA

Visit

We look forward to welcoming you to the Smart Museum of Art!

The Smart is free and open to the public. Beginning the evening of September 21, we will have three concurrent exhibitions on view: Ruth Duckworth: Life as a Unity (September 21, 2023–February 4, 2024), Smart to the Core: Poetry is Everything (September 21, 2023–February 4, 2024), and Calling on the Past: Selections from the Collection (March 21, 2023—February 4, 2024).

Reservations are not currently required for entry. Know before you go—please review our current health and safety guidelines below prior to your visit.

Current hours

Monday   Galleries closed
Tuesday   10 am – 4:30 pm
Wednesday   10 am – 4:30 pm
Thursday   10 am – 4:30 pm
Friday   10 am – 4:30 pm
Saturday   10 am – 4:30 pm
Sunday   10 am – 4:30 pm

QUESTIONS?

Contact our visitor services team at 773.702.0200 or smart-museum@uchicago.edu.

Group visits

University class visits
The Museum welcomes University of Chicago class visits and individual research appointments to its exhibitions and study room. Reservations should coordinated through the Feitler Center for Academic Inquiry at least two weeks in advance. To inquire or make a booking, please contact feitlercenter@uchicago.edu.

Other group visits
We are able to accommodate a limited number of guided K–12 and group visits, coordinated by our Public Practice team. To check availability and to schedule a guided or self-guided group visit in advance, please contact Nicole Bond at nicolebond@uchicago.edu.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Everyone visiting the Smart Museum of Art is expected to follow the current University of Chicago COVID-19 health requirements applicable at the time of their visit.

Self-monitoring—stay home if you have a fever, cough, or other potential symptoms of COVID-19.
Masks are recommended—University guidelines include the recommendation that individuals wear a mask in indoor settings when others are present.
We expect many members of our community will choose to maintain distance and use face coverings for various reasons, and we request everyone to act with consideration and understanding regarding these choices.

A visitor’s decision to be present on campus and/or in University facilities serves as their acknowledgment and acceptance of the potential risks posed to them by COVID-19. Because of ongoing health risks, particularly to the unvaccinated, visitors are expected to adopt the risk mitigation measures appropriate to their vaccination status as advised by public health officials and to their individual vulnerabilities as advised by a medical professional. Public convening may not be safe for all and carries a risk for contracting COVID-19, particularly for those unvaccinated. Visitors will not know the vaccination status of others and should follow appropriate risk mitigation measures. Unvaccinated or vulnerable visitors should request of their host or sponsor whether provisions for social distance can be accommodated before arriving on campus.

Please remember that we are still in a dynamic COVID-19 environment. These health & safety protocols could change as the public health situation evolves. Please check this page prior to visiting the Smart Museum of Art.

LOCATION

The Smart Museum of Art is located on the north edge of the University of Chicago’s campus in Hyde Park. We are located 7.5 miles south of the Loop, and easily accessible by car or by public transit.

Smart Museum of Art
The University of Chicago
5550 S. Greenwood Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637

Smart Museum of Art

The University of Chicago

Sat. September 23 • 1 PM - 2 PM

Ari Brown Quintet

Sat. September 23 • 2 PM - 3 PM

Silvia Bolognesi Quartet

Wed. September 27 • 6 PM - 7 PM

Smart Reads: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

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