To celebrate the Feb. 7, 2014, opening of Jean-Michel Basquiat: Now’s the Time, the first significant retrospective of the artist’s work in Canada, the 19+ event will see the AGO transform itself into an after-hours artistic and cultural hub from 7 to 11:30 p.m. featuring food and drinks, interactive installations, a panel discussion and live performances, including one by legendary hip-hop recording artist and DJ Grandmaster Flash, one of the founding fathers of hip hop and the first DJ and hip-hop artist (alongside the Furious Five) to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Tickets go on sale at 8 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2015, exclusively at www.ago.net/firstthursdays. Regular-priced tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Admission for AGO members is $10 in advance and $13 at the door. Party-goers can purchase $22 advance combo-ticket packages for a sneak peek of Jean-Michel Basquiat: Now’s the Time, which opens to the public the following Saturday. The exhibition will be open until 10 p.m., with the last entry at 9:30 p.m. AGO members enter the exhibition for free but are encouraged to book tickets in advance. Advanced ticket purchase is strongly recommended as First Thursdays consistently sell out and tickets are not held back for at-the-door sales.