Second Street Gallery’s Family Studio Day is a free studio day which invites families with kids of all ages to spend time creating art together in the gallery. All visitors have access to free art materials, prompts, and coloring pages to play with during their time in the space.

Each Family Studio Day, we take inspiration from the current exhibitions on view to create a range of kid-friendly activities and prompts. These activities get families engaged in not only the act of creation, but also in having thoughtful conversations about the artworks in the exhibition. These free events facilitate the growing accessibility of the gallery and allow us to share our resources of time and space with the community, in an effort to support a long-term engagement with the arts.

PROGRAM NOTES:
Space is limited and will be first-come, first-serve. If there is no space when you come by, please check back in within 15-30 minutes as families regularly come and go! All children must be accompanied by a guardian.

Photographs and video footage may be taken throughout Family Studio Day. These will be used by Second Street Gallery for marketing and publicity, on our website and in social media or gallery email campaigns.

Interested in becoming a Family Studio Day sponsor? Learn more HERE or become a sponsor today HERE.

UPCOMING FAMILY STUDIO DAYS

We hope you’ll join us for this free community event. All are welcome! Drop by anytime during the open studio day and stay as long as you like—no appointment necessary.

Mark your calendar with the upcoming FSD dates:

May 2023 - Collaging and assembling a selection of paper plant leaves with Brittany Fan

March 2023 - Drawing and re-envisioning favorite places in Charlottesville

April 2023: Coloring illustrations and made cards in celebration of Earth Day

Like our free in-gallery activities such as Family Studio Days and workshops? You can support the growth of these events by making a contribution to the gallery through a monetary donation or donating necessary art supplies for future programming.

Interested in becoming a Family Studio Day sponsor? Learn more HERE or become a sponsor today HERE.

Learn more about different ways to support the gallery HERE, or click the button below.

DONATE

April 2023: Coloring illustrations and made cards in celebration of Earth Day with Lara Call Gastinger

Visitors designed custom Valentine’s Day cards for friends and loved ones with artist Ryan Trott

Visitors designed custom Valentine’s Day cards for friends and loved ones with artist Ryan Trott

Second Street Gallery has been hosting a monthly Family Studio Day since December 2021 and each Family Studio Day invites the community to get inspired by our current exhibitions through some creative prompts.

Some past examples of family-friendly activities / prompts include:

  • September 2024: Our first Family Studio Day of the season focused on the seventh annual Teeny Tiny Trifecta 7 exhibition on view. Not only could guests make their own mini masterpieces, but they were able to take home a coloring book featuring artwork from 12 of the exhibiting artists. Big thanks to other exhibiting artists Hannah Diomataris, Zofie King, Some Louis, and Chris Haske for being present and introducing everyone to some new techniques as well! Another huge thank you to this month’s Family Studio Day sponsor, Charlottesville Skin and Laser.

  • December 2024: Gallery goers had the opportunity to meet exhibiting artist Hannah Diomataris and explore an activity using recycled materials and stickers to create interesting patterns and textures! We’re grateful to Hannah for leading this exciting activity and want to extend a special thank you to our December FSD sponsor, Martin Horn, Inc.

  • January 2025: Multimedia artist Paul Norton was in the gallery to help guests experiment with materials and forms similar to those seen in the ornate sculptures on view by Max Colby. January’s Family Studio day was generously sponsored by Frank Hardy Sotheby's International Realty.

  • February 2025:  Inspired by the mixed media artworks on view in the gallery, guests explored the many ways to collage and combine materials to achieve personal expression.  Special thanks to exhibiting artist Cassie Guy for being present and sharing her talents with our families! We’re also grateful to Crutchfield for generously sponsoring February’s Family Studio Day!

  • March 2025: With an eye towards Kirsten Hemrich’s exhibition, Signs of Life, families worked with mixed media materials to create scenes of joy and vibrancy.  The results were diverse and inspiring! Artist and educator Susan Northington led the event, sharing ideas and encouraging guests to get creative

  • April 2025: In honor of the group exhibition, Home, guests were prompted to draw their versions of family photos for display in their own homes. Tobiah Mundt and Derrick Waller of the Charlottesville Black Arts Collective were our project leaders, encouraging all the many ways we can envision home and family. A special thank you to Feast Market & Café for sponsoring this month’s FSD!

  • May 2025: Gratitude for families was at the forefront of this Family Studio Day. Kristen Finn, one of the photographers on view in Charlottesville Porch Portraits, spoke with children about their personal creations, many of which became Mother’s Day cards. We’re grateful to Harrison and Benjamin for generously sponsoring this event!

  • June 2025: Garden themes abounded as guests constructed paper flowers and bouquets based on the current exhibition, Pattern Gardens. Pipe cleaners, pom-poms, and tissue paper added extra dimension. Exhibiting artist Nikki Painter joined us in the gallery to chat with guests and share her floral-shaping techniques. A warm thanks to event sponsors Elizabeth and Tony Smith!

  • September 2025: The gallery welcomed over 70 visitors to this month’s Family Studio Day, where there was no shortage of inspiration found in the 603 artworks on view in Teeny Tiny Trifecta 8. Exhibiting TTT8 artists Ginny Krueger, Liz Mayer, Heather Kiser and Jane Belisle also attended and added extra encouragement as teeny tiny-sized surfaces were turned into mini masterpieces of all mediums. Merrie Mill Farm generously sponsored Sept FSD —thank you!

  • October 2025: This month’s activity was all about collage! We use printed portraits from the 19th-century and added a wide array of mixed media (lace, washi tape, rhinestones, tissue paper, fabric, stickers, etc.) to blend old and new, a practice that seemed to come naturally to guests of all ages. Exhibiting artist Corinne Diop, whose artwork served as the basis for this project, was present and engaged at length with visitors. We’re grateful to Ann Hay Hardy with Frank Hardy Sotheby's International Realty for sponsoring this event!

  • November 2025: Families and friends of all ages visited the gallery to create art inspired by exhibiting artist Zofie King. Zofie brought her cyanotype supplies and helped people make sunprints with lace, photographic negatives, fine leaves, and more. Participants then decorated their custom designs with markers, crayons, and collage like Zofie's photographic paintings and collages. Thank you to Caroline Wright Art Advisory for sponsoring this event!