Free and open to all, the Colby College Museum of Art works with our campus and community partners to offer an array of experiences—opening events, conversations with scholars and artists, wellness programs, art-making activities, film screenings, music performances, gallery tours, and family activities. During this challenging time, the museum continues to offer a mix of virtual, hybrid, and in-person programs and resources for all of our audiences.
If you are interested in working with the museum on a program or project, please contact Kris Bergquist, Mirken Curator of Education and Engagement.
For the latest information about programs, visit our Events Calendar and follow the Colby Museum on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
In-Person Programs
Art Workshops
Workshops that encourage participants to delve into studio projects, writing, and performance take place throughout the year in our Mirken Education Center and gallery spaces. Past programs have included Drypoint Printmaking Workshop: Inside Out: The Prints of Mary Cassatt and Ekphrastic Encounter with Bob Thompson: Pattern, Modd, and Imagery, a poetry workshop with Arisa White.
Campus + Community Film Series
In collaboration with Railroad Square Cinema, the films selected within this series are directly related and inspired by the Colby College Museum of Art’s current exhibitions and collections. The screenings take place at Railroad Square Cinema, and often include a pre- or post-film discussion.
Community Day
Community Day is held in July, and is a community-wide celebration that features looking activities in the galleries, art-making projects, outdoor games, activities coordinated with community partners, food trucks, and performances.
Music in the Museum
During the academic year, the Music Department organizes this noontime performance program, featuring local and regional musicians who perform in the museum’s galleries.
Open House
The Fall Open House and Spring Open House programs celebrate our new exhibition openings with all of our campus and community audiences. All are invited to enjoy performances, art-making projects, gallery experiences, and refreshments.
Thursday Art Party
Offered multiple times during the academic year, the Thursday Art Party is a night at the museum, curated by its Student Guides. The program includes sweet treats, music, art activities, and gallery experiences related to the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions
You’re Speaking My Language
This language-based social event offers a great opportunity to practice language skills and converse with other art lovers. This event is created in collaboration with various language departments at Colby College; the language programs have included Italian, French, Spanish, Chinese, and Russian.
Hybrid (a mix of in-person and virtual)
Art&
The Art& series brings together the voices of visiting artists, scholars, museum staff, and community members for conversations about exhibitions, collections, and projects at the Colby College Museum of Art and its Lunder Institute for American Art. A mix of in-person, virtual, and hybrid programs, this series is designed for those interested in learning more about art and engaging with the key issues of our times.
Let Art Inspire
The museum’s wellness initiative, Let Art Inspire, includes a variety of programs that connect mind, body, and art in innovative ways. Some of the programs that are part of this series include Artful Movements, Artful Meditation and Expression, nature walks, and canoe trips. Currently, our Artful Movements program is virtual, released at 1 pm on the first Saturday of each month and our Artful Meditation and Expression program is an in-person experience, taking place 2:30-4:30 pm on the third Sunday of each month.
Art Kits for All
In direct response to the COVID-19 public health crisis, Art Kits for All is an innovative, collaborative program designed to keep our community’s families engaged and connected to the arts. More than 5,000 art kits have been distributed during the pandemic. Plans are being made for Fall 2021 to continue this work by connecting with select organizations and audiences who are not able to attend in-person programs, including incarcerated individuals and their families, elderly clients who receive Meals on Wheels services, and families requiring hospice care. Waterville Creates leads this program, in collaboration with community partners, including the Colby College Museum of Art, the Kennebec Montessori School, Waterville Public Schools, the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, and the Family Violence Project.
Virtual
Colby Museum @ Home
The Colby Museum @ Home page pulls together a variety of resources for audiences of all ages. There are Museum Moment videos, Art @ Home projects, online jigsaw puzzles, virtual exhibitions, and you’ll also find all of our virtual programs and digital recordings of past programs.
S.L.I.C.E./Students Learning Innovative Creative Endeavors
S.L.I.C.E. is a program for students ages 13-19 organized by Waterville Creates, that offers unique experiences at creative arts organizations throughout Waterville. Teens can participate in all, or some of the programs, offered by about six different arts organizations each fall and spring. Each session is packed with engaging activities and discussions about careers in the arts, as well as pizza.
Visit our Events Calendar to see what is coming up!