Alum Jennie C. Jones Brings Sonic Sculpture to the Met Rooftop

As featured in The New York Times and Hyperallergic, School of the Art Institute of Chicago alum Jennie C. Jones (BFA 1991) presents Ensemble, a four-sculpture installation at the Met’s Roof Garden. Constructed from powder-coated aluminum and concrete travertine—inspired by the Met’s own architecture—the sculptures feature geometric forms strung with piano wires, referencing improvised instruments made by Black rural musicians. The minimalist palette includes wine-red surfaces, scarlet accents, and a fourth piece running along the garden’s perimeter. Though the sculptures evoke musicality, they are not for performance—they are instruments of experience, inviting engagement with their material presence and sonic history. This final Roof Garden commission before 2030 highlights Jones’s ongoing exploration of minimalism, Black sonic traditions, and the intersection of sound and visual art.