Concerts at the National Gallery are open to the public, free of charge. Admittance is on a first-come, first-seated basis, beginning 30 minutes before each concert.

Family Workshops are designed for children and adults to participate in together. Taught by artists and museum educators, each two-hour workshop includes an interactive tour in the galleries followed by a hands-on studio session. See the complete listings below for topics, required age range, dates, and times. All workshops begin in the Education Studio, located on the East Building Concourse. Workshops are free, but preregistration is required.

Our winter programs are organized into two series—Stories in Art (ages 4–7) and Artful Conversations (ages 8–11)—designed to engage children and adults with works of art in the galleries. While many of the Gallery's family programs work with a broad range of ages, these winter programs are age-specific. Children’s developmental stages have been taken into account in the planning of the programs, so as a courtesy to the group, we will only accept sign-in for children in the age ranges listed.

These free drop-in programs are designed for individual families, and we cannot accommodate groups. Space is limited to 70 children per session. There is no advance registration; participation is on a first-come, first-served basis. Each program lasts approximately 60 minutes. Program times, dates, and topics follow. For information, call (202) 789-3030.

(ages 4 to 7) This series of programs uses storytelling to introduce children to works of art. Led by museum educators, each program includes reading a children’s book, looking at one work of art in the galleries, and completing a simple hands-on activity. The winter series features works in the East Building while the summer series explores works in the West Building.

Sign-in for the Winter Story Series will take place in the East Building Atrium, beginning at 11:00 a.m. on each date, and will continue until all spaces are filled.
 

Winter Story Series: Investigate Modern and Contemporary Art

How do you investigate a work of art? Learn to make careful observations, analyze artists' choices, ask questions, and use your imagination while exploring works of art in the East Building. This winter, three thoughtful stories are paired with three artists in the collection. After examining how nature inspired each artist, you will experiment with diverse media to create your own works of art. You will receive a notebook to accompany the Winter Story Series and a stamp for each program attended. Collect all three stamps to earn a prize! If you would like to purchase your own copy of these children's books, they are available at the Children's Shop on the Gallery's Concourse and online.
 

(ages 8 to 11) Designed for children and adults to participate in together, this series of programs uses observation and discussion to explore works of art in the collection. Led by museum educators, each program includes looking at one work of art in the galleries, accompanied by a poetry-writing activity.

Sign-in for Artful Conversations will take place in the East Building Atrium, beginning at 10:00 a.m., and will continue until all spaces are filled.
 

Many museum visitors spend only seconds looking at a work of art. Find out what you can discover when you spend more than an hour exploring one work of art! Bring your observation skills, imagination, curiosity, and creativity to these guided discussions that delve deep into masterpieces from the Gallery's collection. Each month you will compose a poem inspired by the work you investigate. You will receive a notebook to accompany this series and a stamp for each program attended. If you have all three stamps at the end of the series, you will receive a prize!
 

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