Fundraising Galas & Events

Wednesday, November 3 • 5:30pm - 8:00pm

Work of Art at the Albany Institute of History & Art is an annual cocktail party and silent art auction that celebrates and promotes one of our region’s greatest assets: its vibrant community of regional artists. 

This year, Work of Art will be on Wednesday, November 3^rd from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Albany Institute. We are pleased to announce that we are honoring Tammis K. Groft.

Tammis recently announced her retirement as Executive Director of the museum, a role she has served in since 2013. We celebrate her work in achieving financial stability of the organization, experimenting with new community-based programs, upgrading the museum’s technological infrastructure, growing the museum and library collection holdings to better tell the stories of people in the region, and promoting our region’s contemporary artists.

Work of Art will be held at the museum with Covid-19 protocols to ensure the safety of staff and guests. A silent auction will feature works by contemporary regional artists, continuing the Institute’s support of our area’s vibrant arts community. Proceeds from the auction will be shared between the Albany Institute and the artists.

Tammis K. Groft started as an intern at the Albany Institute and was hired as Assistant Curator of Collections and Exhibitions. In addition to participating in the development of over 100 exhibitions, authoring several publications, and securing over 30 museum grants, Tammis has shared her knowledge and training with students of art and history. She has served as an Adjunct Professor for the Public History program at the University at Albany and as a study leader for the Smithsonian Travel Program on the Hudson River. Her presence and expertise will be missed.

Looking for a special preview of art available at the silent auction?

Click here.

Tickets are on sale now!

To purchase tickets, please call Ellie Burhans at (518) 463-4478 ext. 402. Or join online today!

If you would like to make a donation in honor of Tammis K. Groft, please call Ellie Burhans or donate online.

Thursday, October 14 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm

The Wyeth family lays claim to three generations of artistic contributions that have helped to share our nation's culture. Their preserved homes and studios in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania provide tangible touchstones back to the environs that inform these artworks, as well as the familial creative culture that fueled these talented individuals. Join Valerie Balint in a discussion that places N. C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, Jamie Wyeth, and their Pennsylvania homes and studios in the context of other preserved sites of major American visual artists. Discover the connections between these sites and individual works of art, but also the narratives of lesser known members of the family, such as Carolyn and Henriette Wyeth.

Valerie Balint is the Senior Program Manager for the Historic Artists' Homes and Studios (HAHS) program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and author of the newly released Guide to Historic Artist Homes and Studios (2020).

This program is offered free with a suggested donation of $10. Registration is required. Please click here to register.

Thursday, June 10 • 6:00pm - 8:00pm

We are delighted to invite you to the 2021 Museum Gala held virtually on Thursday, June 10 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The evening, A Night of Gratitude, will feature videos of exclusive behind-the-scenes tours, program and community highlights, surprise guests, and a signature meal. The evening will include a sneak peak of our new exhibition, Romancing the Rails: Train Travel in the 1920s and 1930s.

This year the Albany Institute is recognizing and thanking Our Community which has supported us throughout the museum’s history, and especially during 2020, a challenging year for all. At the gala we will thank all the members, visitors, artists, families, corporations, foundations, and volunteers. Generous community support made it possible for our staff to dream, innovate, and provide access to art, history, and culture for audiences of all ages by developing on-site and virtual programming. Through art and history, we can connect, discover, create, and embrace joy.

The Museum Gala is our largest annual fundraiser; the impact of your contribution will support programs throughout the year - outdoor pop-up exhibitions, virtual and on-site school field trips, free online lectures and demonstrations, art workshops, and new exhibitions. Your support is key to our financial sustainability at a time when all of us need to embrace the arts for our collective future well-being. Museums improve our quality of life by providing opportunities for discovery, creativity, and joy.

Tickets are now on sale! Purchase a ticket online or by calling Ellie Burhans at 518.463.4478 ext. 402 or email burhanse@albanyinstitute.org. RSVP deadline is Tuesday, June 1.

Monday, September 21 • 5:30pm - 6:30pm

Members are invited to join the Albany Institute's Board of Trustees for a virtual meeting to learn about the museum's accomplishments in 2019 and its plans for the rest of this year. A link to the meeting will be sent the day of the meeting.

Free, but reservations are required. RSVP online or to Ellie Burhans at (518) 463-4478 ext. 402 or email burhanse@albanyinstitute.org.

Saturday, April 25 • 10:30am - 12:00pm

Saturday, April 25, 2020
10:30AM—12PM

Join us in exploring China's unique history of tea and how it has influenced Chinese culture. Members of the East Asia Studies Department at the University at Albany will guide us through a thousand years of tea and history before performing a Chinese tea ceremony with special participant Ruby Silvious. 

Reservations encouraged. Please call Ellie at (518) 463-4478, ext. 402.

• $10 for Albany Institute members | $12 non-members

$10.00

Wednesday, April 22 • 9:00am - 11:00am

Wednesday, April 22, 2020 | 9—11AM

Inspired by the exhibit Recycled & Refashioned: The Art of Ruby Silvious, we are hosting a special members-only tour of the Mohawk Fine Paper Company in Cohoes, New York.

Mohawk cares about the environment and is committed to a sustainable future. They source pulp from sustainable forests, use recycled fiber, conserve water, and harness wind power for their mills' electrical energy. The company combines a legacy of the region's manufacturing with innovation to create a sustainable future. We will tour the facility and learn how recycled materials becomes paper.

Space is limited and reservations are required. Tour details and meeting place provided upon registration. No open-toed shoes permitted. 

To register, please call Ellie at (518) 463-4478, ext. 402.

• Free for Albany Institute of History & Art members

Thursday, March 5 • 10:00am - 3:00pm Thursday, March 12 • 10:00am - 3:00pm Thursday, March 19 • 10:00am - 3:00pm Thursday, March 26 • 10:00am - 3:00pm

Exclusive to Albany Institute members!

All day, take 15% off on regular merchandise in the shop and enjoy free coffee in the cafe.

Not yet a member? Learn more here and sign up here!

Tuesday, July 23 • 5:00pm - 7:00pm

Enjoy refreshments and raise a glass to the Schuyler sisters at the exhibition opening on July 23, 2019 from 5-7PM.

• Albany Institute of History & Art Members: Free
• Friends of Schuyler Mansion Members: Free
• General Public: $10 per person

RSVP before July 19, 2019. Online ticketing for this event is now closed.

IMAGE: Portrait of Angelica Schuyler Church with her child and servant by John Trumbull, 1784, oil on canvas, private collection

$10.00

Thursday, April 11 • 5:30pm - 7:00pm

Hosted by the Fort Orange Garden Club

Katherine Aalto, Author

Join author Katherine Aalto and the Fort Orange Garden Club for a reception with light refreshments and a special lecture. Aalto, author of The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh: A Walk Through the Forest that Inspired the Hundred Acre Wood, will take us on a journey into the real Ashdown Forest, which inspired one of the most iconic settings in children’s literature. You will discover the real places that inspired the stories as well as the rare flora and fauna of this forest. A.A. Milne’s tender adventures offer a hymn to those days of doing nothing while yet learning everything.

• Space is limited and reservation are requested. Pricing and RSVP information available on the Fort Orange Garden Club’s website: www.fortorangegardenclub.org.

IMAGE: Winne The Pooh, Everedy Modeling Material, The Embossing Company, Albany, N.Y., gift of Walter Wheeler, 2009.34.12A

Saturday, March 30 • 10:30am - 2:00pm

Come to the museum to have well-known local appraiser, Mark Lawson, and a team of certified gemologists tell you the fair market value of your jewelry.

• Appraisals are $5 per piece of jewelry with a limit of three per person.

Be sure to see the jewels on display in the exhibition Bejeweled and Bedazzled: Jewelry and Personal Adornment. This exhibition is included with regular museum admission.

Mark Lawson Antiques is a Major Sponsor of Bejeweled and Bedazzled.

More about the team:

Diane Burke has been appraising jewelry in the Capital District area for the past 20 years. She has a Graduate Gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of America and is a Senior Member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers.  Diane owns and operates A+ Associates Gemological Laboratory located in Troy N.Y. and provides gemological and jewelry appraisal services of all kinds including gem identification, diamond and gem verification, insurance and estate appraisals and verbal consultations.

$5.00