Storytime Studio: Sculpting with your Senses

Bring your littlest loved ones to the Hirshhorn for a February filled with love! This week, we’ll explore the sculptures of artist Barbara Hepworth in a sensory-filled Storytime Studio! Artists young and old will explore materials including string, paper, and clay to create abstract shapes and sculptures.

Featured Book: The Shape of Me and Other Stuff, by Dr. Seuss

Program Schedule: 

Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level.

Do this at home! Make your own abstract sculpture inspired by Barbara Hepworth! Instructions here.

A grey, organic sculpture made of clay and resembling a pelvis sits on a flat brown surface, a white background behind it.

ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO 

Join us at the Hirshhorn Art School for Storytime Studio—a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 8 as well as their caregivers. Every Wednesday morning, step into our studio where art comes alive, and enjoy a special Storytime adventure that is a free, flexible, drop-in experience. Stop in at any time to experiment with play and artmaking, immerse yourself in interactive read-alouds, or join a gallery tour to explore art on view!

No reservations or tickets required. Nursing caregivers are welcome. Stroller parking is available in the Hirshhorn Lobby and on the Lower Level.

If there are access services or accommodations that can make your experience more inclusive (e.g., ASL interpretation, live captioning, etc.), please contact hmsgeducation@si.edu; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required. 

Open Studio: Show Your True Colors

Get closer to your loved ones this February during Saturday Open Studio sessions. Fall in love with boundary-breaking artists on view at the Hirshhorn, and discover fresh opportunities to express yourself and think like an artist. Each week introduces new artists, ideas, and creative challenges! 

At this Saturday’s Open Studio, we’ll explore how artist Genesis Tramaine uses bold colors and distorted forms to create unique expressionist portraits. Gain inspiration from Tramaine’s use of striking colors and abstract forms. Use oil pastels, paint, and vibrant colors to create portraits that represent the true emotions and feelings behind your subject.

Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level.

Do this at home! Use your imagination to construct your own three-dimensional box inspired by artist Joseph Cornell. Instructions here. 

A small art display inside a shoe-box sized container sealed with plastic wrap.

ABOUT OPEN STUDIO 

Let your creativity run wild at Open Studio! Drop in and explore modern and contemporary art through interactive, hands-on activities inspired by the Hirshhorn collection and remarkable artworks on view. Open Studio helps you transform your ideas into reality.

Every session introduces a new theme and a fresh perspective on artmaking. Activities are designed to captivate everyone—from budding young artists to seasoned creators—allowing you to craft, create, and learn. 

No reservations or tickets required. Stroller parking is available in the Hirshhorn Lobby and on the Lower Level.

If there are access services or accommodations that can make your experience more inclusive (e.g., ASL interpretation, live captioning, etc.), please contact hmsgeducation@si.edu; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required. For a group of ten or more, please contact hmsgeducation@si.edu to reserve a program in advance.

Storytime Studio: In Love with Ideas

Bring your littlest loved ones to the Hirshhorn for a February filled with love! This week, we’ll explore the lifelong relationship between artists Yayoi Kusama and Joseph Cornell. Taking inspiration from both artists, we’ll make our own colorfully patterned paintings and a collaborative installation of found objects.

Featured Book: What do you do with an idea?, by Kobi Yamada

Program Schedule: 

Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level.

Do this at home! Design your own wearable work of art inspired by Kusama’s Flowers—Overcoat, and disappear into your surroundings! Instructions here. 

A homemade coat made with a translucent material appearing both blue and brown hangs on a white clothing hanger.

 

ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO 

Join us at the Hirshhorn Art School for Storytime Studio—a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 8 as well as their caregivers. Every Wednesday morning, step into our studio where art comes alive, and enjoy a special Storytime adventure that is a free, flexible, drop-in experience. Stop in at any time to experiment with play and artmaking, immerse yourself in interactive read-alouds, or join a gallery tour to explore art on view!

No reservations or tickets required. Nursing caregivers are welcome. Stroller parking is available in the Hirshhorn Lobby and on the Lower Level.

If there are access services or accommodations that can make your experience more inclusive (e.g., ASL interpretation, live captioning, etc.), please contact hmsgeducation@si.edu; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required. 

Open Studio: Colorful Valentines

Get closer to your loved ones this February during Saturday Open Studio sessions. Fall in love with boundary-breaking artists on view at the Hirshhorn and discover fresh opportunities to express yourself and think like an artist. Each week introduces new artists, ideas, and creative challenges! 

At this Saturday’s Open Studio, Art School challenges you to create colorfully painted and woven valentines. We will explore the life and work of artists Anni Albers and Alma Thomas, both on view in Revolutions: Art from the Hirshhorn Collection, 1860–1960. Gain inspiration from Albers’s artfully designed weavings and Thomas’s use of color and pattern. Practice painting with colorful patterns and using a weaving loom to create your own textiles from yarn, ribbon, tulle, and other materials. 

Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level.

Do this at home! Create a woven artwork with scrap fabric inspired by Anni Albers. Instructions here.

Three woven pieces sit on a white surface.

ABOUT OPEN STUDIO 

Let your creativity run wild at Open Studio! Drop in and explore modern and contemporary art through interactive, hands-on activities inspired by the Hirshhorn collection and remarkable artworks on view. Open Studio helps you transform your ideas into reality.

Every session introduces a new theme and a fresh perspective on artmaking. Activities are designed to captivate everyone—from budding young artists to seasoned creators—allowing you to craft, create, and learn. 

No reservations or tickets required. Stroller parking is available in the Hirshhorn Lobby and on the Lower Level.

If there are access services or accommodations that can make your experience more inclusive (e.g., ASL interpretation, live captioning, etc.), please contact hmsgeducation@si.edu; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required. For a group of ten or more, please contact hmsgeducation@si.edu to reserve a program in advance.

Storytime Studio: Colorful Couples

Bring your littlest loved ones to the Hirshhorn for a February filled with love! This week, we’ll explore artist relationships in Revolutions: Art from the Hirshhorn Collection (1860-1960) including artist couple Anni Albers and Joseph Albers. We’ll make our own colorful works including paintings and collaborative weaving.

Featured Book: Matthew’s Dream, by Leo Lionni

Program Schedule: 

Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level.

Do this at home! Create a woven artwork with scrap fabric inspired by Anni Albers. Instructions here. 

Three woven pieces sit on a white surface.

ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO 

Join us at the Hirshhorn Art School for Storytime Studio—a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 8 as well as their caregivers. Every Wednesday morning, step into our studio where art comes alive, and enjoy a special Storytime adventure that is a free, flexible, drop-in experience. Stop in at any time to experiment with play and artmaking, immerse yourself in interactive read-alouds, or join a gallery tour to explore art on view!

No reservations or tickets required. Nursing caregivers are welcome. Stroller parking is available in the Hirshhorn Lobby and on the Lower Level.

If there are access services or accommodations that can make your experience more inclusive (e.g., ASL interpretation, live captioning, etc.), please contact hmsgeducation@si.edu; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required. 

Open Studio: aMUSE-ing Creativity

Get closer to your loved ones this February during Saturday Open Studio sessions. Fall in love with boundary-breaking artists on view at the Hirshhorn, and discover fresh opportunities to express yourself and think like an artist. Each week introduces new artists, ideas, and creative challenges!  

At this Saturday’s Open Studio, Art School challenges you to find your family muse. We will explore collaborations between twin brother artist duo OSGEMEOS and their mother. Taking inspiration from colorfully patterned latch hook rug paintings, we’ll experiment with creating our own textiles and wearables. Get ready to experiment with yarn, sequins, fabrics, and more to bring your own collaborative works of art to life!

Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level.

Do this at home! Grab some paper, paints and a loved one. Create colorful, patterned paintings side-by-side or collaboratively, inspired by artist Yayoi Kusama. Instructions here. 

art supplies are laid beside two paintings

ABOUT OPEN STUDIO 

Let your creativity run wild at Open Studio! Drop in and explore modern and contemporary art through interactive, hands-on activities inspired by the Hirshhorn collection and remarkable artworks on view. Open Studio helps you transform your ideas into reality.

Every session introduces a new theme and a fresh perspective on artmaking. Activities are designed to captivate everyone—from budding young artists to seasoned creators—allowing you to craft, create, and learn. 

No reservations or tickets required. Stroller parking is available in the Hirshhorn Lobby and on the Lower Level.

If there are access services or accommodations that can make your experience more inclusive (e.g., ASL interpretation, live captioning, etc.), please contact hmsgeducation@si.edu; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required. For a group of ten or more, please contact hmsgeducation@si.edu to reserve a program in advance.

Storytime Studio: All in the Family

Bring your littlest loved ones to the Hirshhorn for a February filled with love! This week, we’ll explore artworks that twin brother artist-duo OSGEMEOS made in collaboration with their mother. Adult and child artists will explore textile materials and collaborate on their own mixed media works with fabric, yarn, and cutout images.

Featured Book: On Mother’s Lap, by Ann Herbert Scott

Program Schedule: 

Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level.

Do this at home! Instructions here. 

Shape your clothes to create a composition as colorful as Rufino Tamayo’s prints. Your wardrobe is your paint palette!

Several pieces of clothing lay on a carpet with a pastel color scheme featuring light green paisley patterns and richly decorated elephants

ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO 

Join us at the Hirshhorn Art School for Storytime Studio—a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 8 as well as their caregivers. Every Wednesday morning, step into our studio where art comes alive, and enjoy a special Storytime adventure that is a free, flexible, drop-in experience. Stop in at any time to experiment with play and artmaking, immerse yourself in interactive read-alouds, or join a gallery tour to explore art on view!

No reservations or tickets required. Nursing caregivers are welcome. Stroller parking is available in the Hirshhorn Lobby and on the Lower Level.

If there are access services or accommodations that can make your experience more inclusive (e.g., ASL interpretation, live captioning, etc.), please contact hmsgeducation@si.edu; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required. 

Open Studio: Canvas your Feelings

This February, get closer to your loved ones at Saturday Open Studio sessions designed to make you fall in love with boundary-breaking artists. Discover fresh opportunities to express yourself and think like an artist. Each week introduces new artists, ideas, and creative challenges! 

At this Saturday’s Open Studio, we’ll get inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat to create expressive mixed media paintings using found objects, words and poetry, cut magazine pages, and paint. Open Studio visitors are welcome to bring in their own small objects to transform into a work of art they can take home and give to a loved one (or keep for themselves!).

Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level.

Do this at home! Create poetry inspired by artist Tony Lewis and the “funny pages.” Artist Tony Lewis loved Calvin and Hobbes when he was a boy. His artwork repurposes old comics into collage-poems. Instructions here.

Four comic strips of various sizes overlap, all of the details have been covered with various materials.

ABOUT OPEN STUDIO 

Let your creativity run wild at Open Studio! Drop in and explore modern and contemporary art through interactive, hands-on activities inspired by the Hirshhorn collection and remarkable artworks on view. Open Studio helps you transform your ideas into reality.

Every session introduces a new theme and a fresh perspective on artmaking. Activities are designed to captivate everyone—from budding young artists to seasoned creators—allowing you to craft, create, and learn. 

No reservations or tickets required. Stroller parking is available in the Hirshhorn Lobby and on the Lower Level.

If there are access services or accommodations that can make your experience more inclusive (e.g., ASL interpretation, live captioning, etc.), please contact hmsgeducation@si.edu; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required. For a group of ten or more, please contact hmsgeducation@si.edu to reserve a program in advance.

Storytime Studio: Share Your Voice

Get your New Year’s fresh start with art! Join us all month long to explore and express yourself inspired by a different artwork each week. Take a close look at Belief + Doubt by Barbara Kruger, listen to a read-aloud, then stay to create an artwork that amplifies your own voice! 

Featured Book: Mi Voz by José Fragoso

Program Schedule: 

Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level.

Do this at home! Turn one piece of paper into a BIG call for justice, like the Guerrilla Girls. Instructions here. 

A collage on a bright orange piece of construction paper. At the top are the words

ABOUT STORYTIME STUDIO 

Join us at the Hirshhorn Art School for Storytime Studio—a captivating blend of play, educator-led read-alouds, and art exploration designed for kids from birth to age 8 as well as their caregivers. Every Wednesday morning, step into our studio where art comes alive, and enjoy a special Storytime adventure that is a free, flexible, drop-in experience. Stop in anytime to experiment with play and artmaking, immerse yourself in interactive read-alouds, or join a gallery tour to explore art on view!

No reservations or tickets required. Nursing caregivers are welcome. Stroller parking is available in the Hirshhorn Lobby and on the Lower Level.

If there are access services or accommodations that can make your experience more inclusive (e.g., ASL interpretation, live captioning, etc.), please contact hmsgeducation@si.edu; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required.

Open Studio: Make a Statement

Start the New Year with fresh opportunities for artistic expression every weekend in January at Open Studio. Discover how you can use art to explore your identity, find your power, and change the world! Collaborate or craft your own artwork to take home. Each week will introduce new ideas and creative challenges!  

This week, we will explore how artists use their art to respond to  the world and inspire positive change. What message do you want to share with the world? Use magazines, newspapers, and other found objects to create your own work of art. 

Meet in the Art School on the Lower Level.

Do this at home! What matters to you?  Assemble a collage inspired by Loïs Mailou Jones’s Challenge—America. Choose a cause that you care about,  and then arrange and rearrange images to create a collage that inspires change in your community! Instructions here.

children's art collage featuring images of kids, construction paper hearts, and cut out letters

ABOUT OPEN STUDIO 

Let your creativity run wild at Open Studio! Drop in and explore modern and contemporary art through interactive, hands-on activities inspired by the Hirshhorn collection and remarkable artworks on view. Open Studio helps you transform your ideas into reality.

Every session introduces a new theme and a fresh perspective on artmaking. Activities are designed to captivate everyone—from budding young artists to seasoned creators—allowing you to craft, create, and learn. 

No reservations or tickets required. Stroller parking is available in the Hirshhorn Lobby and on the Lower Level.

If there are access services or accommodations that can make your experience more inclusive (e.g., ASL interpretation, live captioning, etc.), please contact hmsgeducation@si.edu; 1–2 week’s advance notice is recommended but not required. For a group of ten or more, please contact hmsgeducation@si.edu to reserve a program in advance.