Family Day

Registration is encouraged but not required—walk-in visitors are always welcome. You can register by clicking on the event on this form, beginning Wednesday, March 19, at 10am.

Please join us at the Harvard Art Museums for an afternoon of family-friendly activities open to all ages. Explore the museums with scavenger hunts and sketchbooks; use your eyes, mind, and imagination to engage deeply with works on view; and create cardboard sculptures in the Materials Lab makerspace inspired by Louise Nevelson’s Total Totality II.

See below for information on our drop-in guided activities. All activities are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Space may be limited due to capacity.

Family Art Making Workshops

Make art as a family! Harvard graduate students will be on hand to guide your family through each activity. Drop in during any one of the workshops, held at the following times:

1:15–1:45pm   2:15–2:45pm   3:15–3:45pm

Press and Play: Making Imprints with Clay (Gallery 1200, Level 1)
Using Willi Baumeister’s Growth of the Crystals II as inspiration, make imprints in soft clay using your hands, tools, and everyday objects. Squish, poke, and press your own unique creations!

Line, Shape, and Structure (Gallery 1300, Level 1)
Inspired by László Moholy-Nagy’s 19, in this session you’ll explore line, shape, and structure by constructing your own geometric sculptures right in the gallery!

Woven Dreams (Art Study Center Reception Area, Level 4)
In this workshop, you’ll explore storytelling through various materials, contribute to a community tapestry, and create your own woven pieces. Before or after the workshop, we encourage you to visit the related exhibition Joana Choumali: Languages of West African Marketplaces (Gallery 3600, Level 3) on your own.

Your Body Is a Story: Dance, Light, and Shadow (Menschel Hall, Lower Level)
In this creative movement workshop, you’ll strike a pose and construct group shapes to tell stories with silhouettes on a large canvas, inspired by art at the museums.

Family-Friendly Spotlight Tours

Join Ho Family Student Guides for Spotlight Tours of Louise Nevelson’s Total Totality II. Then, make your own version of Nevelson’s work in the Materials Lab makerspace on the Lower Level!

These 20-minute Spotlight Tours will depart from the Calderwood Courtyard (Level 1) at the following times:

1:30pm   2pm   2:30pm   3pm   3:30pm

Visit the museum website for the latest family visit guidelines and parking information.

The Harvard Art Museums offer free admission every day, Tuesday through Sunday. Please see the museum visit page to learn about our general policies for visiting the museums.

The Harvard Art Museums are committed to accessibility for all visitors. For anyone requiring accessibility accommodations for our programs, please contact us at am_register@harvard.edu at least 48 hours in advance.