FAMILY PROGRAMS
There’s something for every age to enjoy and engage with at Tinworks Art. From drop-in art activities and interactive educational stations to free events and workshops and community resources. Families and adults alike won’t want to miss our many programming opportunities. We welcome you to visit the newly remodeled Family and Community Space in the northwest building complex on site open during regular exhibition hours Thursdays through Sundays 10am to 6pm, June 15th through October 19th.
Daily Family Resources – Families are welcome everyday Tinworks Art is open to engage in drop-in art activities for all ages, designed for art making and to enhance the experience of exploring the exhibition.
Family & Community Space - Enjoy free drop-in educational art activities and interactive stations, a community event board, and a Bozeman Public Library reading area open to the public. Adults welcome!
Weekly Family Resources
Thursday mornings for preschoolers: We will provide preschool-level art projects and movement-based activities until noon.
Special workshop August 29, 10-11am, Blue Artplay with Bozeman Public Library’s Ellie Newell. Ages birth to 5. Sing, dance, and read together and then explore the color blue through art and play including making simple cyanotypes.
Kids Saturday Workshops – Bring the family for children’s workshops featuring themes from the 2024 The Lay of the Land exhibition. These guided workshops are mostly free of charge. Please check for times, age recommendations, and if specific sessions require free registration. All workshops will take place in the Family & Community Space.
Saturday June 22, 10-6pm, Seed Mosaics and Plant Art: Create seed mosaics with Montana crops as well as plant art projects. Catch our Seed Swap event from 12-3pm where gardeners can bring seed to trade and find plant starts for donations. Free workshop, open to the public, no registration required.
Saturday June 29, 10:30am-12:00pm, Natural Tie-Dye Workshop with Kelly Kohlberg, grades 1-6: Together we’ll explore the fun technique of tie-dyeing, while discovering how to extract colors from Earth's own palette. Using natural dyes sourced from roots, flowers, and leaves, young artists will create unique designs on fabric. This workshop is a chance for kids to learn about sustainable alternatives to synthetic dyes and textiles. It is designed to nurture appreciation for the beauty and versatility of natural materials. Join us for a day of colorful fun and eco-friendly creativity. Free workshop, registration strongly encouraged. REGISTER HERE >>
Saturday July 13, 11am-12pm, Six Viewpoints Kids Workshop with Isabel Shaida: Isabel Shaida will lead participants in a free workshop exploring the Six Viewpoints, a technique of improvisation and observation created by Mary Overlie. This practice deconstructs the primary materials of performance into six studies: Space, Shape, Time, Emotion, Movement and Story. This workshop is an opportunity for your child (and you!) to explore movement, body shapes, and spatial awareness. REGISTER HERE >>
Saturday July 20, 10-11am, Botanical Cyanotypes with Bozeman Public Library at Tinworks. For elementary schoolers. Discover trailblazing photographer and botanist Anna Atkins (1799-1871) and then create Prussian blue images using UV light and iron salts.
Saturday July 27 – 1 hour, time TBD, Montana Science Center Workshop. Cost $20. More details coming soon.
Saturday August 3, 10:30-12pm, open to grades 1-6, Wild Clay Whistles with Ned Beardsley. Learn all about wild Montana clay, our geologic history, and sound while creating clay whistles with artist Ned Beardsley. Inspired by 2024 The Lay of the Land exhibition artists Lucy Raven, Robbie Wing, and Wills Brewer students will build, experiment, and play with their whistles during this workshop. Projects can be picked up 1-2 weeks after creation to allow whistles to dry and be kiln fired. REGISTER HERE >>
Saturday August 17 – 1 hour, time TBD, Montana Science Center Workshop. Cost $20. More details coming soon.
Saturday August 10, 11am-12pm, Six Viewpoints Kids Workshop with Isabel Shaida. Isabel Shaida will lead participants in a free workshop exploring the Six Viewpoints, a technique of improvisation and observation created by Montana artist Mary Overlie. This practice deconstructs the primary materials of performance into six studies: Space, Shape, Time, Emotion, Movement and Story. REGISTER >>
Saturday August 31, 10:30am-12:00pm, Flower Pounding Workshop with Kelly Kohlberg, grades 1-6. Experience the magical art of flower pounding. Using fresh dye flowers, including cosmos, coreopsis, marigold, and pincushion, children will learn the gentle technique of transferring vibrant colors from the garden onto pre-treated cloth, resulting in unique and beautiful creations. Students will be invited to create a carefully designed pattern or wild improvisation, following their own personal response to nature’s inspiration. Instruction will include discussion surrounding why certain flowers yield permanent dye, and how fabric can be pre-treated to boost vibrance and ensure lasting results. Additionally, homage will be paid to the Japanese roots of this satisfying art form, known as Tataki Zome. Come and create in collaboration with mother earth. Free workshop, registration strongly encouraged to allow instructor for material preparation. REGISTER HERE >>
Saturday September 7, 10:30am-noon, Nature Weaving with Kelly Kohlberg, grades 1-6. Young artists will discover the art of loom-building using simple materials sourced from nature, participating in an ancient form of craftsmanship. Using an array of plant-based fibers such as grasses and vines, kids will explore the rich textures of the natural world and fill their loom with simple weaving techniques. Through sensorially rich, hands-on learning, kids will develop a deeper appreciation for sustainable practices and the beauty of handmade creations. They will connect with the natural human instinct to gather available materials and combine them to make something new. Join us for a day of creative exploration and eco-conscious crafting. Free workshop, registration strongly encouraged to allow instructor for material preparation. REGISTER HERE >>
September 28, 10:30am-12pm, Cardboard Playhouses with Ned Beardsley, grades 1-6. Inspired by the work of 2024 The Lay of the Land exhibition artist James Castle and Stephen Shore students will explore the concept of home and create their own life-size cardboard playhouse. Taking a page from Castle’s use of everyday found materials and recycled surfaces, students will build their dream home out of cardboard boxes and string, and will paint on the structures with tempera. Homes will be able to collapse flat for take home use and be easily reassembled for play spaces. This workshop is free and open to the public, registration recommended to ensure material preparation by instructor. REGISTER HERE >>
Saturday October 12, 1 hour, time TBD, Montana Science Center Workshop. Cost $20. More details coming soon.
Sundays with Wheatfield - In the fall, take part in harvesting, threshing, and hand milling wheat from artist Agnes Denes’ Wheatfield – An Inspiration. The seed is in the ground. Families can BYO bread toppings for communal snacking on wheat products made with the wheat as well.
Off-site workshops – Tinworks Community Outreach and Education Coordinator Angela Yonke will be doing select art workshops related to the exhibition for select dates
Monday July 15 & Wednesday July 17, 1:30pm - 2:30pm at Bozeman Public Library. Play With Your Food, Elementary Schoolers, Birth - 5 Come to the Bozeman Public Library to create fruit and veggies sculptures with artist Angela Yonke of Tinworks Art.
Friday August 9, Noon-2pm Bubblepalooza at Bozeman Public Library (front plaza or community room in case of bad weather, kids ages birth – 11 and their caregivers. Delight in all things effervescent and translucent in this end of summer bubble festival. Create bubbles big and small, make art with bubbles, and dance in endless streams of bubbles.
Summer Camps – Camps will take place mornings Monday through Friday 9am-12pm on select weeks. Participants will tour the 2024 exhibition and make multimedia projects based on the artists and topics. Families welcome for mini-art show the last day!
Food & Farming Camp, June 24-28, 1st-3rd graders. Explore local agriculture, sustainability, plant growth, natural materials, food, nutrition, seeds, and soil. REGISTER HERE >>
Land Art Camp, July 22-26, 4th & 5th graders. Learn about local landscape, land use, geology, topography, and natural resources. Explore natural art materials and engage with our environment. REGISTER HERE >>
Perspective Camp, August 12-16, 6th-8th graders. Study different points of view, topography, geography, maps, navigation, performance art, 3D art, and optical illusions. REGISTER HERE >>
Schools and Educators
Tinworks Art offers free tours, spanning 45 minutes, for school groups with accompanying free activities students can complete within 45 minutes. Tours can be tailored to connect with your regular class curriculum if requested. Large groups will be split into smaller groups of up to thirty kids at a time, and will rotate groups between exhibition tours and art projects. Students are expected to follow visitor expectations when at Tinworks. Our Family Guide and Family Pack containing mini versions of the artworks to touch and explore can help engage students while moving through the gallery spaces as well. Please contact Community Outreach and Education Coordinator Angela Yonke to schedule a visit by emailing angela.yonke@tinworksart.org.
Tinworks also offers free tours and activities to large social groups, staff team building sessions, and clubs. Schedule your group tour by contacting Community Outreach and Education Coordinator Angela Yonke at angela.yonke@tinworksart.org.
