Educational Programs for Formal and Informal Learning Experiences

At this time, the museum is hosting both virtual and in-person programming. Click on the event titles to learn more.

The Education Department connects our community to our collections and exhibitions by providing lifelong-learning opportunities.

We develop programs for school children and their teachers that provide formal learning experiences to support curricula.

We also offer a full range of exciting and engaging informal learning programs that help people of all ages connect to arts and culture and to each other.

Upcoming Events

Calling all young artists, ages six through twelve! Join us at the Albany Institute for fun, hands-on activities led by our museum educators. Prepare to learn new things, experiment with new ideas and connect with new people. Throughout school breaks and the summer, we will explore the galleries at the Albany Institute and create our own works of arts!

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 plan to meet in the museum atrium, main level, near the front desk before the tour begins.

10:00am–4:00pm Drop-in art-making in the classroom Enjoy your visit to the museum, and explore your artistic side with an art project inspired by the museum's exhibitions and collections. Museum patrons may enjoy drop-in art-making on the second Saturday of each month. Activities are offered from September 2024–May 2025. The program is free with museum admission; no registration required. All ages are welcome to participate.

10:00am–5:00pm Albany Institute of History & Art is open this Martin Luther King Jr. Day and visitors of all ages are invited to Family Free Day! Enjoy free gallery admission to visit our current exhibition: Enchanting Threads: The Art of Salley Mavor, in addition to selections from the museum's permanent collection, including Ancient Egypt and the Hudson River School. This Family Free Day includes a collaborative hands-on activity: creating a community paper mural. Join us as we create a cityscape on paper—we want to represent all the beauty in our communities, and we need your help! What do you see when you walk down the street? Are the buildings tall or short? Are there cars parked on the street? Is there a park? What do the people look like? What animals do you see? What do you see in the distance? The mural and all supplies will be set up in the atrium—drop in any time between 10AM–5PM to contribute your part of the city to the overall collaborative piece. The completed paper mural will hang in the Explorer’s Gallery for future visitors to enjoy.    

10:00am–4:00pm Drop-in art-making in the classroom Enjoy your visit to the museum, and explore your artistic side with an art project inspired by the museum's exhibitions and collections. Museum patrons may enjoy drop-in art-making on the second Saturday of each month. Activities are offered from September 2024–May 2025. The program is free with museum admission; no registration required. All ages are welcome to participate.

10:00am–5:00pm Albany Institute of History & Art is open this Presidents' Day and visitors of all ages are invited to Family Free Day! Enjoy free gallery admission to visit our current exhibitions: Americans Who Tell the Truth, Portrait Pairings, featuring several U.S. presidents, and Enchanting Threads: The Art of Salley Mavor, in addition to selections from the museum's permanent collection, including Ancient Egypt and the Hudson River School.

10:00am–4:00pm Drop-in art-making in the classroom Enjoy your visit to the museum, and explore your artistic side with an art project inspired by the museum's exhibitions and collections. Museum patrons may enjoy drop-in art-making on the second Saturday of each month. Activities are offered from September 2024–May 2025. The program is free with museum admission; no registration required. All ages are welcome to participate.

10:00am–4:00pm Drop-in art-making in the classroom Enjoy your visit to the museum, and explore your artistic side with an art project inspired by the museum's exhibitions and collections. Museum patrons may enjoy drop-in art-making on the second Saturday of each month. Activities are offered from September 2024–May 2025. The program is free with museum admission; no registration required. All ages are welcome to participate.

10:00am–4:00pm Drop-in art-making in the classroom Enjoy your visit to the museum, and explore your artistic side with an art project inspired by the museum's exhibitions and collections. Museum patrons may enjoy drop-in art-making on the second Saturday of each month. Activities are offered from September 2024–May 2025. The program is free with museum admission; no registration required. All ages are welcome to participate.