Family Day: Bring it on Home!

Celebrate the final month of the Smart Museum’s current exhibitions, Expanding The 50th and Robert Earl Paige: Give the Drummer Some!, and explore the people, places, and things that feel like “home” to you. Drawing inspiration from the work of Gertrude Abercrombie, Kerry James Marshall, and Robert Earl Paige’s vibrant installation, families will construct and paint colorful birdhouses, while sharing stories of what “home” means to them. Because we will be using wet media, be sure to dress for a mess. Drop in; all families and kids of all ages are welcome.

In addition to our ever-popular artmaking activities, this Family Day will also feature a special storytime in the galleries from 1-3 PM. Co-sponsored by the Chicago Public Library, the selected stories highlight themes of celebration and home. Storytime performances will begin at 1:15 PM and 2:15 PM, but families are welcome to flow in and out of the space throughout each 45-minute performance.

While this program is free & walk-ins are welcome, we do ask that families register in advance to help the Smart team best prepare for the day.

Family Day is a free monthly program at the Smart Museum of Art that invites kids of all ages and families of all kinds to create together and connect with one another. Each program is unique, fun, and free, emphasizing self-expression, experimentation, and hands-on creativity. Families can enjoy looking at art in the galleries and then make their way to the museum's atrium and/or courtyard (weather permitting) for an afternoon of art projects inspired by work from the exhibition. Art-making supplies and other materials are provided. Children under the age of 15 should be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Image: Gertrude Abercrombie, Doors (3 Demolition), 1957, Oil on canvas. Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago, Gift of Gertrude Abercrombie Trust, 1979, 14.

Host or Publisher Smart Museum of Art