Recurrent Special Events

Family

SUMMER SOLSTICE

After Wyoming’s long winter, it is worth celebrating the longest day of the year and the official beginning of summer. Every year on the summer solstice, a beam of sunlight illuminates a silver dollar in the center of the Rotunda Gallery at exactly 12 o’clock, noon. Join us for this fun event, and to view the sun through astronomer Ray Martin’s filtered solar telescope, which will be set up on the terrace.

MARCH ART MONTH CELEBRATIONS

Kick off Youth Arts Month, a national month-long arts education celebration, with Night at the Museum. This family-friendly event includes free dinner. Learn how to look at and talk about contemporary art with your family. Try out one or all of the no-cost art-making activities. Museum curators, teaching artists, and volunteers will be on hand to help you in both the Shelton Studio and the downstairs Museum Studio make one of a kind artwork and creative projects and guide discussions in the galleries. Come for a bit or stay the whole time!

Family Activity Boxes (FAB) for most exhibitions will be available for self-guided tours and activities throughout the spring semester, beginning in March. Our FAB are chocked full of tools to experience exhibitions and learn new words, and great art-making activities that you can do in the galleries or at home. This is a great way to spend a Saturday!

FAMILY SATURDAY WORKSHOPS

Does your family need something fun and creative to do on weekends? Come to the Art Museum for our Family Saturday Workshops, offered the first Saturday of select months. During each Family Saturday Workshop participants will be guided through gallery observations and a hands-on, one of a kind art making activity by a knowledgeable instructor.

Join us for these Saturday activities! The workshops are great ways to learn and share an artistic process with your children, friends, and family. See the Events Calendar for details.

Lighting of the Trees

Kick off the winter holiday season during the first Thursday of December and celebrate with us! The community is invited to experience the beauty of the holidays by previewing decorated trees displayed in the museum galleries. Visitors may place advance bids as they enjoy an evening of music, and holiday lights. The auction continues Friday and concludes Saturday at Happy Holidays Laramie Festival of Trees.

HAPPY HOLIDAYs LARAMIE Festival of Trees

The first Saturday in December the Art Museum presents this celebration of the arts featuring a day of music and dance performances by local performance groups, including many school choirs. Enjoy the annual exhibition of artwork by Albany County students, art-making activities in the Museum Studio, refreshments, and of course, a visit from Santa Claus.

Albany County School District PREMIER Elementary art EXHIBITION

Art educators from Albany County School District No. 1 choose the top works from students to create this exhibition. First, it hangs in the Administrative offices for the school district, and then makes its way to the Art Museum's Wyoming gallery. We host an annual awards ceremony to honor the hard work of these students and their teachers.

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Community

EXHIBITION OPENINGS

Each Summer, Spring, and Fall we celebrate our current exhibitions on view with a public reception opening that is free and open to all. Light refreshments, cash bar, and entertainment are often part of the fun. For upcoming dates and times check the Events Calendar.

GALLERY WALK-THROUGHS

Visiting artists share insights and anecdotes during Gallery Walk Throughs scheduled throughout the year. These informal events are a great way to learn about artistic media, and ask questions to living, breathing artists exhibiting at the Art Museum. These events are free to the public. For upcoming dates and times check the Events Calendar.

CONVERSATIONS WITH CURATORS, ART TALKS AND LECTURES

The first Wednesday of each month during the academic year, our curators guide visitors through current exhibitions with Conversations with Curators. These informal, short programs are a great way to ask questions and gain new insights on artwork. Special guests are often invited for a unique perspective or behind the scenes stories and connections.

Visiting artists and other scholars give Art Talks and take part in panel discussions throughout the year. These events are free to the public. For upcoming dates and times check the Events Calendar.

SYMPOSIA

The Art Museum periodically offers intensive cross-disciplinary symposia inspired by a museum exhibition. The symposia explore issues critical to our community, state, and region. Previous symposia have included, Re-envisioning the Lab: 2016 Sci-Art Symposium, The Red Desert Symposium and Public Art and Community: Inspiration and Reflection and Never Drink Downstream: Factual Tales and Artful Musing on Wyoming Water. Find out more about past symposia.

TOURS AND EXPERIENCES

Are you interested in experiencing the Art Museum exhibitions more in-depth? Do you have a group of friends or family coming to town for a visit? Is your business looking for professional or staff development? Let our education and curation team guide you in a tailored experience. We can offer special highlights tours, conversations with curators, and deep looking activities, all with an additional art-making experience that is tailor-made for you. Two to four weeks advanced notice is required. Request a Tour