Free First Saturday
Come ready for fun artful learning (be sure to dress for mess!).
Time: 11 am – 1 pm in the art studio
Cost: Free admission all day
- January 6: Nature Watercolors
- Take inspiration from the exhibition featuring artwork by Elizabeth Enders. Then, use watercolors to make a bright watercolor painting of nature.
- February 3: Enchanted Lands
- See the wondrous worlds made by artist Norma Morgan. Make your own landscape with a special “mad lib” twist.
- March 2: Cityscape
- Learn about American Precisionism through the artwork of Beatrice Cuming. Take inspiration from her scenes to create your own mixed material cityscape.
- April 6: Tiffany Dragonflies
- Make a Dragonfly work of art inspired by our Tiffany Lamp. Enjoy the museum’s permanent collections while you’re visiting!
- May 4: Primary Painting
- Enjoy the abstract design of Connecticut artist Power Boothe before creating your own painting using primary colors.
- June 1: Making your Mark
- Experiment with mark making by creating a painting without a paintbrush. Use different tools to see how each one works differently.
Free First Saturdays are made possible by Chelsea Groton Bank.
Science Saturday
This fun drop-in program, designed for children ages 7-11, encourages participants to explore the intersections between art and science.
Time: 11 am – 1 pm in the art studio
Cost: Free with Museum admission
- December 16: The Science of Snowflakes
- Explore the beauty and science behind snowflakes as the winter solstice approaches, create a fun snowflake themed suncatcher.
- January 20: Wild Prints
Come and learn the technique behind the art of printmaking inspired by artist Norma Morgan. See her prints of natural environments, then create your own print.
February 17: Cubic Bubbles
Beat the winter blues with BUBBLES! Put your design skills to the test as you learn about tensile structures while creating your very own 3D bubble wand.
- March 16: In the Wind
Enjoy a blustery March by learning about wind! Learn about why wind can help fly a kite, or make wind chimes sing. Then make a wind spinner to take home.
- April 20: Super Subs
Be inspired by Beatrice Cuming’s 1944 painting of Chubb, a submarine being built at area company Electric Boat. Learn about the functions of submarines and design your own super, or silly, sub.
- May 18: Creative Clouds
Come learn about different types and the science behind clouds. Explore the different images of clouds depicted in Lyman Allyn’s collections. Create a cloud to take home with you by spiraling paper.
- June 15: Geometric Sun Catchers
Gain inspiration from the geometric designs by painter and printmaker Power Booth. Make your own sun catcher to celebrate shapes, colors, and light.
Science Saturdays are made possible by Pfizer Inc. and Groton Laboratories.