MakeArt Family Day invites visitors of all ages to experience the magic of art-making as a means to explore MCD’s exhibitions and build intergenerational connections. From 11 AM– 3 PM, our galleries are filled with hands-on activities allowing visitors to learn and explore the techniques, materials, and themes in RugLife. Occurring just two weeks before closing weekend, MakeArt Family Day is our last big hurrah. Don’t miss your chance to explore RugLife and give the show the send-off it deserves!

Check out our first-ever Sensory Saturday Hour from 10-11 AM, (additional details below) designed specifically for members of the disability community, including Neurodivergent visitors of all ages seeking an uncrowded MakeArt Family Day experience.

MakeArt Family Day Featured activations include:

CIY (Color-it-Yourself) Rugs
Coloring pages help develop fine motor skills, build focus, and foster creativity. Reap the benefits of this classic art activity as you transform rug outlines into personalized masterpieces. Choose from various designs, including one inspired by Oksana Levchenya’s Pac-Man and Cossacks featured in the exhibition.

Tempting Tactile Textiles
There is more than meets the eye in the materials and creative processes of RugLife. Throughout the course of the exhibition, MCD has created, commissioned, and collected rug samples that create tactile touchpoints. Explore these haptic artifacts and let your hands explore what your eyes cannot. Exhibition-featured artwork cannot be touched. Help protect the art by maintaining a 2-feet minimum distance between you and the pieces on display.

Flower Power
Inspired by the natural textile dyes of many RugLife artifacts, Flower Power invites you to create one-of-a-kind floral designs using only fresh blossoms and a mallet. Join us in the (hopefully) sunny museum parklet and walk away with picturesque artwork powered by nature’s pigments.

Wondrous Weaving
Archaeological evidence suggests that weaving was universally known to all major human civilizations. Weaving remains a major method for textile production, both as an art form and in the commercial industry. Try your hand at this traditional, time-honored technique and take home a loom of your own!

Tesselating Textures | Block Printing
Block printing, historically used to decorate textiles for clothing, is a process steeped in tradition and generational craft knowledge. Choose a stamp and transform your canvas through satisfyingly repetitive prints.

Sensory Saturday 10:00-11:00 AM

Sensory Saturday is designed to prioritize access and inclusion in MCD’s public programs, specifically for members of the disability community, including Neurodivergent visitors seeking an uncrowded MakeArt Family Day experience. Register here.

•Attendance is capped at 35 visitors
•Includes all activations except Flower Power
•Noise-cancelling headphones (6), weighted scarves (4), and earplugs available at the front desk.
•Museum lights cannot be dimmed but we invite you to bring sunglasses and relax on bean bags in a darkened room within the museum featuring an overhead projection of Azra Akšamija’s Palimpsest of ’89.

All activities are free with admission and Children 12 and under are always free!
Pre-registration is encouraged.

Tickets: $10 General Admission, $8 for Students and Seniors. MCD Members FREE.

Projects are subject (but not likely!) to change without notice.

MCD MEMBERS

Make the most of your MCD Membership. This event is FREE for Members. Don’t forget to stop by the Museum Store on your way out and get your 10% off discount!

Not an MCD Member? Join today and get free and discounted tickets to MCD’s signature programs, events, tours, and more!