A visit to AMP is always a great opportunity to get creative and collaborate…and it can also be FUNNY! This interactive, all-ages program led by Music Theatre of Connecticut’s Deb Holleran will teach you the basics of improvisational comedy via interactive games and activities that make it easy for everyone to join in at their own pace. Improv comedy sharpens great skills: listening, teamwork, and saying “yes” to new ideas. Best of all, we could all use a good laugh!
Deborah Holleran has been teaching and directing at Music Theatre of Connecticut’s School of Performing Arts for more than three decades, guiding students ages 6–18 in acting, musical theatre, improvisation, and performance. She has directed over 100 student productions, including such favorites as Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, The Wizard of Oz, Spamalot, and Seussical. Deb also created and led the McKinley School Drama Club for 12 years, introducing younger students to the stage.
AMP’s Family Days are supported by the generosity of the Comis Foundation and Torrington Savings Bank. The Teen Art Studio is made possible in part by Torrington Savings Bank Foundation.
Make a one-of-a-kind holiday wreath from living plants and other natural materials with the Grace Farms Garden Team.
Nature Workshops by Kimberly Kelly invite adults of all experience to learn about the various cultural practices that rely on nature, including flower bouquets, the impact of seeds, permaculture, and holiday décor.
FAMILY DAYS
Looking for creative, engaging activities for the whole family? AMP’s Family Days offer an exciting lineup of hands-on activities for children of all ages. Games, storytimes, art projects, and interactive learning programs spark kids’ curiosity and creativity—and celebrate the art of work. AMP’s Family Days are the perfect way to spend quality time together.
𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵. 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘆!
Family Days also coincide with AMP’s popular Teen Art Studio from 10:30am–1:30pm—something for everyone in the family.
January 10 Family Day Schedule
𝟭𝟭𝗮𝗺: 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 & 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁
𝟭𝟮𝗽𝗺: 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗠𝗣
Includes scavenger hunts and kid-friendly tours.
𝟭:𝟯𝟬𝗽𝗺: 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺: 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚-𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙮
Put your senses to the test! White Memorial will be onsite, bringing along their Barred Owl, Zelda, and their Honduran Milk Snake, Peaches. Participants will explore the five human senses and compare them to the incredible sensory abilities of these animals.
AMP’s Family Days are supported by the generosity of the Comis Foundation and Torrington Savings Bank. The Teen Art Studio is made possible in part by Torrington Savings Bank Foundation.
HAPPY HOUR PIANO SERIES
Who doesn’t need to decompress and unwind after the grind? AMP’s popular Happy Hour Piano Series eases you into the weekend with live piano music and libations in Connecticut’s most unique art space.
Held the fourth Friday of the month from 5pm to 7pm, AMP’s Happy Hour Piano Series features a captivating pianist performing in a variety of styles including jazz, blues, pop, classical, and more. It can be a relaxed hang with friends or an intimate evening out.
Reserve your $8 tickets in advance or purchase at the door.
AMP’s regular Friday exhibit hours (10am to 5pm) are extended for the Happy Hour Piano Series, 5–7pm. The cash/credit bar opens at 5pm. Live music begins at 5:30pm.
Christopher Casey, Jazz
Friday, January 23
5–7pm | Music Starts: 5:30pm
Christopher Casey earned a bachelor’s degree from The Hartt School and studied under Jackie McLean, Jackie Byard, and Hotep Galeta. An active pianist, composer and arranger, Chris performs extensively throughout New England and the New York area. He has performed with such greats as Jackie McLean, Nat Reeves, Steve Davis, Claudio Roditi, Slide Hampton, Houston Person, Jacomo Gates, Bob Berg, Jimmy Greene, and Greg Banaszak. His works have been commissioned by Jackie McLean, Curtis Fuller, Steve Davis, PBS Television, and The Polish National Chamber Orchestra of Slupsk. Recordings include “Double Vision”, “Jazz in the Wild”, “Sounds of Hartford”, “Head over Heals”, and “Imagination”.
The Happy Hour Piano Series is supported in part by the Greenberg family.
Join us on Saturday, October 18, 2025 in the Bellarmine Hall, Museum Classroom for a Family Day. Learn more about the exhibitions here! The first session will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m. and the second at 2:30 p.m.
During this Family Day event, kids ages 4-10 will learn about Pointilism, Pop, and Post-Impressionism – come learn to draw and paint a pumplin in the style of different artistic movements!
Please note: participants can only sign up for one session. If you cannot attend Family Day, we request that you cancel your reservation either through Eventbrite or by emailing museum@fairfield.edu. Frequent no-shows will result in the inability to register for additional Family Day programs. Thank you!
Saturday, November 1, 2025 | 2 to 4:30 pm
$95 Members; $65 Youth Under Age 16; $105 General Admission
Join artist Nickola Pottinger for a lively, hands-on workshop that offers participants both a hands-on introduction to paper pulp sculpting and a deeper engagement with narrative-making using personal and/or familial materials. Drawing from the techniques and approaches she uses in her own practice, and highlighted in her current exhibition fos born at The Aldrich, Nickola will guide participants in crafting their own one-of-a-kind three-dimensional paper pulp objects and sculptures. Whether you come with family, friends, or on your own, you will create a work that’s uniquely yours.
The workshop will begin with an introduction to Nickola’s practice, in which she merges traditional papermaking with found objects, weaving personal and cultural narratives into layered, tactile forms. Her work often transforms everyday and salvaged materials into objects rich with memory and meaning—inviting us to reconsider what we keep, discard, and reimagine.
Participants will then have the opportunity to create their own original paper pulp sculpture (approximately 10 x 10 x 10 inches or smaller) using all materials provided. To make the work personal, attendees are encouraged to bring a small item from home to serve as a structural support or adornment for their piece. This could be anything from a figurine, photo frame, drawing, or piece of cardboard, to an organic material, document, or other found object—provided it fits within the finished sculpture’s scale.
Because the paper works require drying time, participants will return to the Museum later in the week to pick up their completed sculpture.
Additional Details:
All materials and aprons will be provided; please dress for a wet and hands-on art-making process.
Participants are invited to join an optional guided tour of fos born led by a Museum Educator from 1:30 to 2 pm before the workshop begins.
Open to all ages; families with children are invited to register.
Saturday, December 6, 2025 | 7 pm
$10 Members and Students; $15 General Admission
Join us for an intimate duo performance by composer and percussionist Sarah Hennies and bassist Tristan Kasten-Krause, presented in connection with Zak Prekop: Durations. Hennies and Kasten-Krause will present a 40-60 minute set of experimental music within the Museum’s galleries, offering a meditative, resonant experience that blurs the boundaries between sound, space, and visual art.
Sarah Hennies is known for her immersive and durational performances that explore psychoacoustic phenomena, queerness, and the act of listening. Her duo with Kasten-Krause combines sensitivity and restraint, crafting quiet, expansive works that unfold gradually over time.
This event is presented in conjunction with Zak Prekop: Durations (on view through January 11, 2026), an exhibition exploring visual rhythm, repetition, and the temporality of painting. It also marks the launch of Zak Prekop’s first museum publication. This fully illustrated, 32-page softcover catalogue features bold new abstract paintings by the artist, along with an interview between Prekop and curator Eduardo Andres Alfonso. The catalogue will be available for purchase at the event.
Thursday, December 11, 2025 | 6 to 7 pm
Free: Members; $10 General Admission; $5 Seniors/Students
Join Diana Bowes Chief Curator Amy Smith-Stewart for an exclusive after-hours tour of Uman: After all the things…. The exhibition includes new and recent paintings, a mural, and sculpture. New York Magazine recently hailed the artist’s work as “a reminder of what painting can still do.”
Members, please join us at 5:30 pm for refreshments with Amy Smith-Stewart prior to the tour. To become a member, email hhart@thealdrich.org or join online here.
Join us on Saturday, November 15, 2025 in the Bellarmine Hall, Museum Classroom for a Family Day inspired by the artwork on view in our exhibition Stitching Time: The Social Justice Collaboration Quilts Project and Give Me Life: CPA Prison Arts Project. Learn more about the exhibition here! The first session will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m. and the second at 2:30 p.m.
During this Family Day event, kids ages 4-10 will explore different ways of using fabric: creating a self-portrait and creating a four-aquare mini-quilt with a personal narrative!
Please note: participants can only sign up for one session. If you cannot attend Family Day, we request that you cancel your reservation either through Eventbrite or by emailing museum@fairfield.edu. Frequent no-shows will result in the inability to register for additional Family Day programs. Thank you!
Join us on Saturday, December 6, 2025 in the Bellarmine Hall, Museum Classroom for a Family Day inspired by Snow and Songbirds! The first session will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m. and the second at 2:30 p.m. Learn more about our current exhibitions here!
During this Family Day event, kids ages 4-10 will creat crafts inspired by our feathered friends and the songs they sing!
Please note: participants can only sign up for one session. If you cannot attend Family Day, we request that you cancel your reservation either through Eventbrite or by emailing museum@fairfield.edu. Frequent no-shows will result in the inability to register for additional Family Day programs. Thank you!