Programs

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11:00am–11:45am Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

12:00pm–4:00pm Art for All is free with museum admission every Saturday from 12–4PM. All ages are welcome to participate. Enjoy your visit to the museum and explore your artistic side with a hands-on project inspired by the museum's exhibitions and collections. Participants will create a paper lotus flower in honor of a New Year's tradition practiced by the Ancient Egyptians. The Ancient Egyptian New Year occurred in early Summer because their new year aligned with the annual flooding of the Nile and the beginning of the agricultural season. The Egyptians ushered in the new year with the Wepet-Renpet Festival to bring about good harvests that year. One popular symbol of the Wepet-Renpet festival was the lotus flower, representing rebirth and the cyclical nature of life. This was a common offering given to gods during this festival. Using scissors, glue, and paper, participants will create their own paper lotus flower. [Situla (detail), Egyptian, Late Period to Ptolemaic Period, ca. 664–30 BC, bronze. AIHA, gift of Heinrich Medicus, 2013.1.12]  

2:00pm Free with admission Join us for a special screening of The Great Muslim American Road Trip, the award-winning PBS documentary that follows a Muslim American couple as they journey along historic Route 66. Through encounters with jazz musicians in Tulsa, community leaders in Chicago, historians in New Mexico, tech innovators, and a date-farming family in the Coachella Valley, the film reveals the many ways Muslims have shaped American culture and life. For this program, producer Jawaad Abdul Rahman will guide the audience through a curated selection of clips—approximately 40 minutes drawn from the three-hour documentary series—and offer insights into the stories behind the scenes. Presented as a travelogue, the film invites viewers to experience American history through a fresh and engaging lens, with time for audience questions and discussion. The program will conclude with brief remarks highlighting connections to Muslim history in Albany and early America.  

2:00pm–3:00pm Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

11:00am–11:45am Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

12:00pm–4:00pm Art for All is free with museum admission every Saturday from 12–4PM. All ages are welcome to participate. Enjoy your visit to the museum and explore your artistic side with a hands-on project inspired by the museum's exhibitions and collections. Participants will create a paper lotus flower in honor of a New Year's tradition practiced by the Ancient Egyptians. The Ancient Egyptian New Year occurred in early Summer because their new year aligned with the annual flooding of the Nile and the beginning of the agricultural season. The Egyptians ushered in the new year with the Wepet-Renpet Festival to bring about good harvests that year. One popular symbol of the Wepet-Renpet festival was the lotus flower, representing rebirth and the cyclical nature of life. This was a common offering given to gods during this festival. Using scissors, glue, and paper, participants will create their own paper lotus flower. [Situla (detail), Egyptian, Late Period to Ptolemaic Period, ca. 664–30 BC, bronze. AIHA, gift of Heinrich Medicus, 2013.1.12]  

10:00am–5:00pm The Albany Institute of History & Art is open this Martin Luther King Jr. Day and visitors of all ages are invited to Family Free Day! Themed around our current exhibition—From the Hudson to the Nile: Dows Dunham and the Archaeology of Egypt and Sudan—join us for activities inspired by what's on view, including hands-on artmaking, gallery tours, live performances, and more.  

3:00pm–4:30pm Join us for a relaxing evening of observational drawing in the galleries! This week, we will explore the fundamentals of landscape using our Hudson River School collection as a guide. Learn the foundations of composition and form from the masters of landscape. Sketch in the Galleries is a weekly series held Wednesdays from 3–4:30PM at the Albany Institute from January 21–February 18, 2026. Free with admission. All supplies are provided, and all abilities are welcome. No pre-registration required.

11:00am–11:45am Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

12:00pm–4:00pm Art for All is free with museum admission every Saturday from 12–4PM. All ages are welcome to participate. Enjoy your visit to the museum and explore your artistic side with a hands-on project inspired by the museum's exhibitions and collections. Participants will create a paper lotus flower in honor of a New Year's tradition practiced by the Ancient Egyptians. The Ancient Egyptian New Year occurred in early Summer because their new year aligned with the annual flooding of the Nile and the beginning of the agricultural season. The Egyptians ushered in the new year with the Wepet-Renpet Festival to bring about good harvests that year. One popular symbol of the Wepet-Renpet festival was the lotus flower, representing rebirth and the cyclical nature of life. This was a common offering given to gods during this festival. Using scissors, glue, and paper, participants will create their own paper lotus flower. [Situla (detail), Egyptian, Late Period to Ptolemaic Period, ca. 664–30 BC, bronze. AIHA, gift of Heinrich Medicus, 2013.1.12]  

2:00pm–3:00pm Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

3:00pm–4:30pm Join us for a relaxing evening of observational drawing in the galleries! This week, we will explore the human form using the sculptures in the Sculpture Court as a guide. Learn the fundamentals of drawing the figure in the round. Sketch in the Galleries is a weekly series held Wednesdays from 3–4:30PM at the Albany Institute from January 21–February 18, 2026. Free with admission. All supplies are provided, and all abilities are welcome. No pre-registration required.

11:00am–11:45am Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

12:00pm–4:00pm Art for All is free with museum admission every Saturday from 12–4PM. All ages are welcome to participate. Enjoy your visit to the museum and explore your artistic side with a hands-on project inspired by the museum's exhibitions and collections. Participants will create a paper lotus flower in honor of a New Year's tradition practiced by the Ancient Egyptians. The Ancient Egyptian New Year occurred in early Summer because their new year aligned with the annual flooding of the Nile and the beginning of the agricultural season. The Egyptians ushered in the new year with the Wepet-Renpet Festival to bring about good harvests that year. One popular symbol of the Wepet-Renpet festival was the lotus flower, representing rebirth and the cyclical nature of life. This was a common offering given to gods during this festival. Using scissors, glue, and paper, participants will create their own paper lotus flower. [Situla (detail), Egyptian, Late Period to Ptolemaic Period, ca. 664–30 BC, bronze. AIHA, gift of Heinrich Medicus, 2013.1.12]  

2:00pm–3:00pm Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

3:00pm–4:30pm Join us for a relaxing evening of observational drawing in the galleries! This week, we will explore abstraction through the work of American Modernist Blanche Lazzell. Come experiment with shape, line, and composition at the Institute. Sketch in the Galleries is a weekly series held Wednesdays from 3–4:30PM at the Albany Institute from January 21–February 18, 2026. Free with admission. All supplies are provided, and all abilities are welcome. No pre-registration required.

11:00am–11:45am Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

12:00pm–4:00pm Art for All is free with museum admission every Saturday from 12–4PM. All ages are welcome to participate. Enjoy your visit to the museum and explore your artistic side with a hands-on project inspired by the museum's exhibitions and collections. Participants will create Fauvist floral landscapes inspired by the paintings of Blanche Lazzell. Characterized by vibrant colors and wild brush strokes, Fauvism was an art movement that emerged in France around the turn of the twentieth century. While the subject matter is often identifiable, the shapes and forms are usually depicted in an abstract style. Using pastel chalk, paint, and cotton balls, participants will create vibrant, multicolored floral landscapes. [Blanche Lazzell (1878–1956), Hollyhock (detail), 1917, oil on canvas, 25 5/8 x 18 1/8 in. Art Museum of West Virginia University Collection, gift of Nancy Watkins in memory of James F. McKinley and Nancy W. McKinley.]  

2:00pm–3:00pm Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

3:00pm–4:30pm Join us for a relaxing evening of observational drawing in the galleries! This week, we will be drawing from From the Hudson to the Nile: Dows Dunham and the Archaeology of Egypt and Sudan. Inspired by Dows Dunham’s observational watercolors, we will explore archeological illustration. Sketch in the Galleries is a weekly series held Wednesdays from 3–4:30PM at the Albany Institute from January 21–February 18, 2026. Free with admission. All supplies are provided, and all abilities are welcome. No pre-registration required.

11:00am–11:45am Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

12:00pm–4:00pm Art for All is free with museum admission every Saturday from 12–4PM. All ages are welcome to participate. Enjoy your visit to the museum and explore your artistic side with a hands-on project inspired by the museum's exhibitions and collections. Participants will create Fauvist floral landscapes inspired by the paintings of Blanche Lazzell. Characterized by vibrant colors and wild brush strokes, Fauvism was an art movement that emerged in France around the turn of the twentieth century. While the subject matter is often identifiable, the shapes and forms are usually depicted in an abstract style. Using pastel chalk, paint, and cotton balls, participants will create vibrant, multicolored floral landscapes. [Blanche Lazzell (1878–1956), Hollyhock (detail), 1917, oil on canvas, 25 5/8 x 18 1/8 in. Art Museum of West Virginia University Collection, gift of Nancy Watkins in memory of James F. McKinley and Nancy W. McKinley.]  

2:00pm–3:00pm Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

3:00pm–4:30pm Join us for a relaxing evening of observational drawing in the galleries! In our final week of the program, choose from any of the galleries to observe and draw from! Create a study of a 19th century landscape painting or combine various elements across the galleries to create your own interpretation! Sketch in the Galleries is a weekly series held Wednesdays from 3–4:30PM at the Albany Institute from January 21–February 18, 2026. Free with admission. All supplies are provided, and all abilities are welcome. No pre-registration required.

11:00am–11:45am Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

12:00pm–4:00pm Art for All is free with museum admission every Saturday from 12–4PM. All ages are welcome to participate. Enjoy your visit to the museum and explore your artistic side with a hands-on project inspired by the museum's exhibitions and collections. Participants will create Fauvist floral landscapes inspired by the paintings of Blanche Lazzell. Characterized by vibrant colors and wild brush strokes, Fauvism was an art movement that emerged in France around the turn of the twentieth century. While the subject matter is often identifiable, the shapes and forms are usually depicted in an abstract style. Using pastel chalk, paint, and cotton balls, participants will create vibrant, multicolored floral landscapes. [Blanche Lazzell (1878–1956), Hollyhock (detail), 1917, oil on canvas, 25 5/8 x 18 1/8 in. Art Museum of West Virginia University Collection, gift of Nancy Watkins in memory of James F. McKinley and Nancy W. McKinley.]  

2:00pm–3:00pm Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

11:00am–11:45am Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

12:00pm–4:00pm Art for All is free with museum admission every Saturday from 12–4PM. All ages are welcome to participate. Enjoy your visit to the museum and explore your artistic side with a hands-on project inspired by the museum's exhibitions and collections. Participants will create Fauvist floral landscapes inspired by the paintings of Blanche Lazzell. Characterized by vibrant colors and wild brush strokes, Fauvism was an art movement that emerged in France around the turn of the twentieth century. While the subject matter is often identifiable, the shapes and forms are usually depicted in an abstract style. Using pastel chalk, paint, and cotton balls, participants will create vibrant, multicolored floral landscapes. [Blanche Lazzell (1878–1956), Hollyhock (detail), 1917, oil on canvas, 25 5/8 x 18 1/8 in. Art Museum of West Virginia University Collection, gift of Nancy Watkins in memory of James F. McKinley and Nancy W. McKinley.]  

12:00pm–3:00pm Learn the ancient and awesome art of wet felting while creating your own unique woolly flowers during this 3-hour workshop. Using superfine merino wool roving, hot water, olive oil soap, and your own two hands, you can transform unspun into sculptable fabric. You will learn how to wet felt, how to create organic forms, and how to build up multiple layers of petals to create felted flowers.  All materials will be provided. Pre-registration is required (link forthcoming): $60 members, $75 non-members. 

2:00pm–3:00pm Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

11:00am–11:45am Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

2:00pm–3:00pm Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

11:00am–11:45am Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

2:00pm–3:00pm Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

11:00am–11:45am Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

2:00pm–3:00pm Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

11:00am–11:45am Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

2:00pm–3:00pm Enrich your experience of our current exhibitions through an insightful docent-led tour of the galleries. Docent tours are an excellent way to learn more about the artworks and objects on display, in addition to the stories they tell. Interaction and questions are encouraged and visitors of all ages are welcome. The tour is free with museum admission, no registration required. Please meet in the museum atrium main level near the admission desk before the tour begins.

6:30pm–8:00pm Multi-Session WorkshopRegistration is for all four sessions of the workshop: April 7, April 14, April 21, and April 28 | 6–8:30PM Learn the ancient and awesome art of wet felting while creating your own unique woolly flowers during this four-part workshop. Using superfine merino wool roving, hot water, olive oil soap, and your own two hands, you can transform unspun into sculptable fabric. You will learn how to wet felt, how to create a variety of floral forms—from poppies to zinnias, roses, and more—along with how to form leaves and stems with wire armature to create elaborate and lovely floral fiber art! All materials will be provided. Pre-registration is required (link forthcoming): $160 members, $175 non-members. 

6:00pm–8:30pm Multi-Session WorkshopRegistration is for all four sessions of the workshop: April 7, April 14, April 21, and April 28 | 6–8:30PM Learn the ancient and awesome art of wet felting while creating your own unique woolly flowers during this four-part workshop. Using superfine merino wool roving, hot water, olive oil soap, and your own two hands, you can transform unspun into sculptable fabric. You will learn how to wet felt, how to create a variety of floral forms—from poppies to zinnias, roses, and more—along with how to form leaves and stems with wire armature to create elaborate and lovely floral fiber art! All materials will be provided. Pre-registration is required (link forthcoming): $160 members, $175 non-members. 

6:00pm–8:30pm Multi-Session WorkshopRegistration is for all four sessions of the workshop: April 7, April 14, April 21, and April 28 | 6–8:30PM Learn the ancient and awesome art of wet felting while creating your own unique woolly flowers during this four-part workshop. Using superfine merino wool roving, hot water, olive oil soap, and your own two hands, you can transform unspun into sculptable fabric. You will learn how to wet felt, how to create a variety of floral forms—from poppies to zinnias, roses, and more—along with how to form leaves and stems with wire armature to create elaborate and lovely floral fiber art! All materials will be provided. Pre-registration is required (link forthcoming): $160 members, $175 non-members. 

6:00pm–8:30pm Multi-Session WorkshopRegistration is for all four sessions of the workshop: April 7, April 14, April 21, and April 28 | 6–8:30PM Learn the ancient and awesome art of wet felting while creating your own unique woolly flowers during this four-part workshop. Using superfine merino wool roving, hot water, olive oil soap, and your own two hands, you can transform unspun into sculptable fabric. You will learn how to wet felt, how to create a variety of floral forms—from poppies to zinnias, roses, and more—along with how to form leaves and stems with wire armature to create elaborate and lovely floral fiber art! All materials will be provided. Pre-registration is required (link forthcoming): $160 members, $175 non-members.