This Year's Event
An impossible future – for one night only. Please join us for the Fourth Annual Muse Masquerade, a celebration of strangeness and taboo, spirit and intrigue, music and magic. A gathering of artists, absurdists, poets, oracles, and time-travelers. And you, whoever you want(ed) to be.
This 4th annual fundraiser supports The Carrack, Durham’s zero-commission arts gallery and performance space. The Carrack provides exhibition opportunities to underrepresented artists from the community and hosts concerts, workshops, artist talks, film screenings, yoga, improvisation, and other diverse programming – most of which is free to attend. Wholly funded by grassroots donations, the Muse Masquerade generates more than half of our annual budget.
As in yesteryears, we suspect that tickets for this event will sell out. Buy yours today or spend tomorrow lamenting – there’s no coming back from this one.
Jetpacks not included.
Muse Unmasked
From midnight to 2AM, the carousal continues. Masks off, party on. More music, dancing, fantasy, and illusion. An exploration of the forbidden. We’ll divulge details later, maybe.
Entertainment
Our many talented artists transform 21c into a menagerie, dark and provocative and inspiring. You’ll discover art on the floor and the ceiling, and maybe you’ll take home a piece of the night.
THE MUSE MASQUERADE
This year’s spectacles include: lasers ricocheting through the space-time continuum, drawings happening in real time (or is time just a construct?). Allie Capo gets soulful, raw and unplugged, Onyx Club Boys jazz things up gypsy-style. D-Town Brass, who claims to have 13 platinum records on planet Zebulon, creates a musical psychedelic jungle-swamp, and Tescon Pol paints fractured futurescapes for your ears.
For those interested in opening the third eye, Tarot readers abound (including Jennifer Carter, Jameela Dallis, Kathleen Ibis, Rachel Moon, Gina Wisotsky, Alicia Swiz, Magdalena & Philip Young, and more).
If you want to inspire creation, give the Poetry Fox a single word and he'll give you a signed poem. Shout it out during a fabulous drag show hosted by House of Coxx. You’ll leave feeling lighter, somehow transformed, and ready for the journey forward.
To get your retro-feels, DJ Gemynii will be spinning sounds and conjuring good dance vibes in the vault and the ballroom. Durham Cinematheque does what they do best, stirring up imagery from the past.
Illuminating projections by Jaclyn Bowie. Performances include experiential, experimental movement by ShaLeigh Dance Works, LITU by Mike Dimpfl & Ginger Wagg, Addled Muse, Amanda Blanchard, & Liza Chabot.
MUSE UNMASKED
Hosted by Everyday Magic
Everyday Magic, one of our beloved sponsors, reveals an 8th Goddess (by Deanna Davenport) in an electric church rainbow room. The entire vault becomes their domain during Muse Unmasked and features an ’00 dance party, an intention-setting group ritual and some interactive spell casting, an album debut by acoustic musician Meihofer, an installation by intuitive artist Juliana Sabinson, and a sacred, substance-free space for grounding and recuperating as the night winds down.
Upstairs during Unmasked, Sylvan Esso’s Nick Sanborn performs solo as Made of Oak. What can we even say about that? Get ready to boogie like there’s no tomorrow.
(Please note that you need a separate ticket for Muse Masquerade and Unmasked.)
We’re already dusting off the DeLorean. See you there.
Attire
We encourage costumes for this event. From traditional Venetian masks and ruffles to industrial Steampunk apparel. Or channel the spirit of Halloween and let the otherworld guide you.
Whatever you wear, please be respectful. Guests wearing culturally appropriative costumes or violating indecent exposure laws will be asked to leave.
Venue & Parking
21c Museum Hotel once again hosts this mesmeric three-floor event. Throughout the Masquerade, you’ll find cash bars featuring this year’s signature Muse cocktail. We’ll also offer light desserts. That said, please plan to eat before the event and consider booking a reservation at a local restaurant.
Located in the heart of downtown Durham, finding a parking spot can be particularly challenging. 21c will offer valet parking service for $8 for the duration of the event. While there are a few parking decks within range, they’ll fill quickly. Consider parking farther away and hailing a ride from your favorite rideshare or hovership.
Sponsorship
Interested in supporting our mission to provide a ZERO-COMMISSION art haven to our community by sponsoring this event? Click for info.
