Event

Patti Smith, with Jesse Paris Smith: "The Coral Sea"

To celebrate the exhibition opening of Patti Smith: The Coral Sea, the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) presents an intimate, one night only performance by the artist.

The pioneering artist, musician, and poet, Smith has made her mark on the American cultural landscape throughout her 40-year career, from her earliest explorations of artistic expression with friend and vanguard photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the 1960s and 70s to her profound influence on the nascent punk rock scene in the late 1970s and 80s. For this special engagement, Smith will be accompanied by her daughter, Jesse Paris Smith, on piano for a rare performance of the work "The Coral Sea", as well as various songs from her extensive and celebrated repertoire.

"The Coral Sea" performance work found its beginnings from Smith's 1997 book of the same name, her requiem to her dear friend Mapplethorpe (who took the cover photo of Smith's debut album, Horses, among his many other accomplishments). With music arranged and performed live by Kevin Shields - of heralded British shoegaze band My Bloody Valentine - two separate performances were held at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall in June 2005 and September 2006. In 2008 those performances were released as a live album.

***Before the performance, tickets are available for an intimate reception with Patti Smith in celebration of the performance and the exhibition opening at the Contemporary Arts Center of Patti Smith: The Coral Sea. Beginning at 6:30pm, the reception will include an open bar, and hors d'oeuvres.***