Family activities at the AGA provide opportunities for families to connect to exhibitions through exploratory programs focused on play, hands-on art-making and exciting in-gallery experiences.
Tours for Tots
Drop-in Wednesday mornings for these family fun adventures with art! Visits include Gallery explorations, art-making, story-telling, and more! Each Art Adventure has a different theme related to current exhibitions and promotes early childhood learning skills such as literacy, numeracy, community awareness and creative expression.
For families and kids aged 3-5
Wednesdays, 10-11 am
Free with Gallery admission
Please note that the Tours for Tots program is designed for children aged 3-5 accompanied by an adult. Day care and other community groups can book a School Program here.
February 1
Imaginary Worlds
It’s our first look at a brand new exhibit by local artist Chris Millar! Get inspired by Millar’s fantastic universes and use your imagination to create your very own dream world. Will there be mountains made of ice cream? A waterpark on every block? Does it rain Jello in your dream world? Let’s find out!
February 8
Sculpture Search
Ready, set, sculpt! Investigate sculptures throughout the Gallery in this 3-D adventure! Explore how artists use various materials to create sculptures and installations before creating you own sculpture made entirely out of found objects.
February 15
Landscapes Inside Out
It’s time to say goodbye to the paintings in A Passion for Nature: Landscape Painting from the 19th Century. Explore the art of landscape and place with this hands-on investigation. Look to Monet, Courbet and Renoir to learn about landscape before creating your own landscape using coloured paper and pastels.
February 22
Cubist Creations
Time to explore a new exhibition: Icons of Modernism! Investigate the work of Pablo Picasso, Paul Cezanne and more to explore that art of Cubism. Join the adventure by looking and learning about the art of cubism, and then try your hand at creating a “cubism collage” of your own to take home.
February 29
Am I Dreaming?
Can the impossible exist? What if our dreams came true? They can with art! A continuation of our discussion and discovery of modern art leads us to the world of surrealism. What is surrealism? Can we be surrealists too? Anything is possible in this fun and interactive visit at the AGA.
March 7
The Comics!
It’s time to giggle because the funnies are here! Discover the art of comics as we look and learn about artwork inspired by comics and cartooning. Explore art in the Gallery and then create a comic strip of your own.
March 14
Back to School…in March?
A new exhibition called Art School is here! What are the ABC’s of art? Look for all the different lines, shapes, colours, and textures that can be found at the AGA. Once you know the ABC’s, use them to create your own art book inspired by art throughout the Gallery.
March 21
Women in Art
Alberta Mistresses of the Modern:1935-1970 is the newest exhibition at the AGA! This “all women” show will be the inspiration for our discussion and discovery of the importance of women in art, especially in Alberta! We can all be artists as we create works inspired by women artists in Alberta.
March 28
1,2,3 Count With Me!
Discover numbers in art and learn how math and art connect. Investigate art and architecture through counting, patterns, and ordering while learning the art of numbers!
BMO All Day Sundays
Art activities for all ages
Third Sunday of every month, noon-4 pm
Free with Admission
BMO All Day Sundays at the AGA feature full afternoons of activities, story-telling and Gallery explorations for people of all ages. Activities are themed around current exhibitions so there are new exciting art opportunities each month!
Method & Madness
February 19
Enter into the world of a new, imaginary culture where language, myths and legends are created through the pattern and colour of geometric shapes! For this very special All Day Sunday, the AGA invites families to join us for the opening of a new installation in the BMO World of Creativity designed by local illustrator Gabe Wong. Decode cryptographic messages, arrange shapes and blocks to re-imagine mythological creatures and create musical compositions through movement!
ISM Extravaganza!
March 18
Dadaism, Cubism, Surrealism…oh my! Move throughout the AGA to investigate ISMs through drawing, sculpture, and collage projects. Explore the exhibition Icons of Modernism to discover the work of Picasso, Duchamp and Dali before creating your own ISM-inspired art with Gallery Educators.
Comic Relief
April 15
Explore the imaginary universes of Alberta artist Chris Millar with this exciting All Day Sunday program. Participate in interactive storytelling activities in the exhibition The Untimely Transmogrification of the Problem before creating your own mixed-media compositions using comic books, paint and image transfer techniques.Be inspired by Millar’s fantasy worlds and create your own characters in the form of comic puppets!
View music video from All Day Sunday: Make Some Noise! on May 9, 2010 >
AGA Birthday Parties
The Art Gallery of Alberta offers birthday parties for children aged 4 years and up. Party bookings are available on weekends and include a gallery exploration, exciting studio project and time for birthday fun in the Singhmar Centre for Art Education!
Program Cost
$150 / $135 AGA Members (plus GST)
Program cost includes a group of up to 15 children and four supervising adults
$9/person thereafter
This two hour program includes:
- A Gallery Educator to lead your program
- A 20-30 Minutes Gallery tour of exhibitions connected to your studio project
- A studio art project to take home (see below for project options)
- Time for birthday festivities (Gifts, snacks, cake, etc…)
- Full use of a studio space for 2 hours
- Access to a fridge and limited storage space
The AGA does not provide catering services but parties are welcome to bring their own refreshments. Up to four supervising adults are free with your program cost (but expected to supervise!)
Is 2 hours just not enough time? The studio space can be rented for an additional $50/hour. Your Gallery Educator will remain with your group to assist you for this time.
Project Options
Choose from one of the options below for your Birthday Party program.
1. Play on Architecture
Ages 4+
Explore the architecture of the AGA from the inside out with storytelling, gallery activities and building exercises! In the studio, create a 3-D architectural sculpture from wood blocks and then paint your creation.
2. Painted Places
Ages 6+
Investigate spaces and place throughout the Gallery with searching and sketching activities. In the studio, work with oil pastels, coloured inks and watercolour paints to create a painted place of your own.
3. Colour Party!
Ongoing
Ages 4+
Play with painting and music in this project! Explore the Gallery to find out how artists use colour to create moods, then experiment with colour mixing to create your own abstract painting while listening to different moods in music. All the paintings together will create a colourful mural!
Program Booking
To book a birthday party, please fill out the online booking form. Any cancellations or changes to your booking(s) must be made within one week of your party booking. Failure to do so will result in a $35 cancellation fee.
BMO World of Creativity
The BMO World of Creativity is an interactive, hands-on space where children and their grown-ups can explore their creativity. BMO World of Creativity exhibitions and themes change from year-to-year.
