News
May 11, 2015Albany Institute to Host Summer Art Programs for Children
ALBANY, NY– The Albany Institute of History & Art will present a series of summer art programs for children ages 3-5 and 6-12. These programs explore a variety of different mediums and themes and participants are encouraged to apply what they learn from the programs to create their own works of art throughout the summer. Scholarships may be available, so please inquire by contacting Barbara Collins at (518) 463-4478, ext. 405 or collinsb@albanyinstitute.org.
ARTFUL MORNINGS
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 9AM – Noon
Ages 6-12
Join us to dabble in landscape art, book arts, and more as we make beautiful pieces of art! In these weekly, three-day morning programs, children will create vibrant works of art inspired by our summer exhibitions and our permanent collections. Summer class techniques will include drawing, painting, sculpture, printing, and collage.
Per week: $45 members, $60 non-members Tuition includes materials and museum admission. Registration is required and space is limited. Register online at albanyinstitute.org or call Barbara at (518) 463-4478, ext. 405.
Wearable Art
WEEK 1: July 7, 8, and 9
Don’t hide your art away; wear it with pride! Join us to decorate your own t-shirts, hats, and more as we explore the world of textile art. We’ll take inspiration from some of the museum’s collections and objects on display in Triple Play! Baseball at the Albany Institute.
Paint!
WEEK 2: July 14, 15, and 16
Brush with greatness this week as you get creative with paint. We’ll try out paint mediums like tempera and watercolor plus experiment with brushstrokes, paint additives, and resist as we create our own masterpieces.
Paper Craft
WEEK 3: July 21, 22, and 23
Discover the field of book art as we create our own crafty book designs. We’ll make decorative book cover designs through techniques like paste paper and paper marbling, and create books in accordion and clamshell formats.
Lovely Landscapes
WEEK 4: July 28, 29, and 30
Join us for a tree-rific time as we take in the natural beauty of landscapes. We’ll draw upon the work of Walter Launt Palmer and the museum’s Hudson River School paintings as inspiration as we create our own lovely landscape art.
Choose Your Own Art-venture
wEEK 5: August 4, 5, and 6
This week, we’ll go on an adventure and set up the studio for choice-based creative art. Choice-based art is also called T.A.B., which stands for Teaching Artistic Behavior, and is designed to strengthen children’s creative thinking skills. A theme or artistic challenge is presented with choices of art materials and methods to complete their projects.
Art in 3-D
WEEK 6: August 11, 12, and 13
Watch your art take form as you build 3-D skills. We’ll build works in clay, wire, papier-mâché, and more as we create work that truly stands out.
A Step Back in Time
WEEK 7: August 18, 19, and 20
Travel back to ancient Egypt and discover artifacts and symbols in the museum’s ancient Egypt exhibition. We’ll explore papyrus, ceramics, and other ancient materials and make our own versions of jars and scrolls in the art studio!
What a Relief!
WEEK 8: August 25, 26, and 27
In relief sculpture, the material is slightly raised or carved above a flat background. We’ll be inspired by the museum’s nineteenth century sculpture court and create multiple types of relief sculpture with materials like clay, plaster, and found objects.
Trick of the Eye
WEEK 9: September 1, 2, and 3
Let’s make it tricky! This week, we’ll create artwork to fool your eyes. Join us to explore the effect of 3-D glasses as we check out the art of Eric Egas. We’ll see if we can recreate some of the optical effects used in his work in our own drawings and experiment with the illusions found in Op Art styles.
‘TUTE FOR TOTS
Fridays 10AM – 11:30AM
Ages 3-5 with an Adult
‘Tute for Tots classes give children and parents a chance to discover the Albany Institute, and the world of art, together. In this program we’ll explore the galleries, read stories, have a great time with sensory play exploration, and create our own exciting art projects. Each week will build upon the last; however individual class registration is available.
This summer we’ll discover many types of opposites as we explore everything from texture to light to temperature. In the studio we’ll create our artwork using methods like painting, collage and weaving. Per child: $6 for members; $8 for non-members Registration is required and space is limited. Please register online at albanyinstitute.org or call Barbara at (518) 463-4478, ext. 405.
Big & Little
July 10
In our first week we’ll explore size scale in a big and little theme. We’ll play with non-standard measuring units as we learn basic measuring skills and create our own artwork by exploring how many small shapes we can fit and glue into one larger shape.
Dark & Light
July 17
This week we’ll explore dark and light by discovering the value scale in art. We’ll have fun with paint as we mix tints and shades with white and black.
Soft & Rough
July 24
Let’s get hands on as we explore textures and our sense of touch! We’ll create texture collages with both soft and rough surfaces and enjoy sensory play while discovering and sorting items by texture.
Wet & Dry
July 31
Splish splash! We’ll compare wet and dry scenes in the galleries and enjoy wet art in the studio. We’ll see what happens when you spray water on dry marker drawings and special art tissue paper. We’ll also explore using sponges in our art and play.
Flat & Form
August 7
What is form? The opposite of flat! Together we’ll discover art that is flat and art that pops out and then create our own work that will truly stand out.
Cold & Warm
August 14
Join us for a truly cool art class as we dive into the theme of cold and warm. We’ll look for cold and warm scenes in the galleries and then get hands on in the studio to test techniques like using frozen paint in our work.
Up & Down
August 21
Together we’ll explore the opposite theme of up and down. We’ll stretch our bodies and look for artwork in the galleries that is up high and down low. In the studio we’ll have a blast trying out the up, down, over, and under motion of simple weaving.
Messy & Neat
August 28
What better are opposites than messy and neat? We’ll practice our determination and concentration by neatly matching lines and shapes, and then get a little loose and wild with some unusual painting techniques.
Happy & Sad
September 4
This week we’ll explore emotions. We’ll find the happiest and saddest artwork we can find in the galleries, discover how colors can make us feel, and create some funny faces.
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Founded in 1791, the Albany Institute of History & Art is New York’s oldest museum. Its collections document the Hudson Valley as a crossroads of culture, influencing the art and history of the region, the state, and the nation. With more than 35,000 objects and one million documents in the library, it is an important resource for the region, giving the community a sense of the part the Hudson Valley played in the American story, and their own place in history. Permanent and temporary exhibitions are open year-round and create a sense of place, allowing visitors to meet the people who helped shape this region. Over 25,000 people visit the Albany Institute of History & Art every year, enjoying the collections, workshops, school programs, and lectures, helping to build an understanding of the history and culture of this region. Among the museum’s best-known and most-loved collections are the 19th century Hudson River School landscape paintings by artists like Thomas Cole and Frederic Church, the 19th century sculpture collections, and, of course, the famous Albany Mummies that came to the museum in 1909 and have been on view ever since. For more information, please visit www.albanyinstitute.org and be sure to follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/albanyinstitute) and Twitter (@AlbanyInstitute).
The Albany Institute of History & Art is located at 125 Washington Avenue in Albany, New York. Free parking is available in the museum’s lot at the corner of Elk and Dove Streets. The museum is open Wednesday-Saturday 10AM-5PM, Thursdays until 8PM*, and Sunday Noon-5PM. On Tuesdays, the museum is open to registered groups only. The museum is closed on Mondays and some holidays. Admission is free for Institute members; $10/adults; $8/seniors; $8/students with ID; $6/children 6-12; FREE/children under 6. *We are now offering free admission on Thursdays from 5PM-8PM. For more information, visit www.albanyinstitute.org or call (518) 463-4478.
