What's Free or Cheap in NYC?
Art & Architecture
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Check out NYCkidsARTS, a cultural calendar for teachers and parents. See also What's Free or Cheap in NYC - Phys. Ed. for walking tours that look at the architecture of New York, Art Resources and Architecture Resources.
The Joan Mitchell Foundation is taking a break from offering classes during 2016-17. However, it has produced an incredible directory of classes (pdf format) throughout the NYC boroughs, categorized by age group, including free art courses, summer and drop-in classes, performing arts and architecture as well as visual arts:
High 5 Tickets to the Arts provides teens with access to New York City¹s thriving arts scene for just $5! Open to students aged 13-18 or enrolled in grades 6-12, High 5 sells $5 tickets to events ranging from dance to music to theater and the visual arts?High 5 has a taste of everything for everyone! And teens can purchase $5 tickets for an accompanying adult, so the whole family can cash in on the best deal in NYC!
But High 5¹s got more than just $5 tickets. The FREE Teen Reviewers and Critics (TRaC) program and Freelance Writing Corps offer teens the chance to explore NYC¹s culturescape, write about their experiences and publish their work on The JAR , an interactive media hub fueled by teen arts coverage.
Go to their Calendar of Events for more information or to purchase $5 tickets, or call at (212) 750-0555 x462. And don¹t forget to fan High 5 on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute ticket offers and updates!
High 5 Tickets to the Arts is a program of Arts Connection.
Art Galleries in NYC display an enormous variety of fine art from all around the world. Most galleries are free and open to the public, with catalogues lying out for all to see, and educated individuals available to answer questions and describe the works of art. It’s easy to create self-guided tours by browsing the catalogues and asking a few questions. When you don’t know what to do for that next field trip, try visiting a group of galleries. Although there are galleries in every borough, and in more neighborhoods than I can count, the best areas are downtown Manhattan in Soho and Chelsea, and uptown Manhattan on Madison Avenue and on 57th Street where there are hi-rise buildings that have a gallery on every floor!
From a parent: I think subway art is the perfect marriage of art and life. What better place to appreciate a colorful or evocative scene than while you are waiting in a drab underground tunnel for a train--just livens it up and lets the mind and heart soar. Add to that a lonely musician playing a soulful tune reverberating between the roar and screeching of trains and it's pretty wonderful.
When I was a kid there was little or no art in the subways, besides graffiti, (which has since been recognized as fine art and removed from subways and into museums!). My favorites were the 1904 beavers at Astor Place--in honor of John Jacob Astor, who made a fortune in the beaver pelt trade.
But now art has blossomed everywhere in the subways and it's so creative and fun to see different artist's visions.
I poked around for images of the subway art that I have been seeing and discovered this great website, which has all kinds of cool stuff related to mass transit: Subway Art Guide
Governors Island is a 172 acre island in the heart of New York Harbor, only 800 yards from Lower Manhattan, and even closer to Brooklyn.
The Big Draw is an annual event in Battery Park City's Teardrop Park.
The Asian American Arts Centre, 26 Bowery, offers free self-guided tours. Its mission is to promote the preservation and creative vitality of Asian American cultural growth through the arts, and its historical and aesthetic linkage to other communities. The Arts Centre accomplishes this by presenting and interpreting the ongoing synthesis of contemporary American and Asian art forms, utilizing performance, exhibition, and public education. Call (212) 233-2154 for info.
The New Museum is at 235 Bowery, NYC 10002, (212) 219-1222 and is devoted exclusively to contemporary art. Free to 18 and under, general admission $12.
Located in lower Manhattan at 47 Great Jones St, 3rd fl, CultureHub offers free summer programs to teens ages 15-20, in the arts and technology: music, performance art, game design, coding, and more. Application deadline in 2016 is May 4th. For more info contact: colab@culturehub.org / 917 463 391.
The Drawing Center at 35 Wooster St. between Broome and Grand, is a nonprofit museum of drawings, with free educational tours and workshops for school groups. For scheduling and questions, please contact the Education Coordinator, Dina Weiss, at (212) 219-2166, ext. 119 or dweiss@drawingcenter.org. There is also a free all-day family “drop-in” event in June called “Draw On-Site.”
Children's Museum of the Arts (103 Charlton Street, Info: (212) 941-9198, Offices: (212) 274-0986) is a hands on and typically pricey children's art museum which has several FREE programs during the summer.
FREE Art Island Outposts
Location: Governors Island, outside building 14 in Nolan Park.
Dates: Saturdays and Sundays from May 23 to September 27 plus September 7 (No programming July 4th).
Times: 11AM to 3PM.
Ages: 1 to 15.
Location: Hudson River Outpost, Pier 25 at North Moore Street.
Dates: Every Tuesday from July 7 - August 25.
Times: 1PM to 2:30PM.
Ages: All ages.
As always it's pay-what-you-wish at their cool indoor location at 103 Charlton St. in lower Manhattan on Thursdays from 4pm to 6pm.
Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, Manhattan. (212) 683-0023. Gallery, exhibitions, more.
The Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, at 82 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003, offers a highly competitive precollege art program at the Steinhardt School of NYU is free (there is another version that is expensive), and has a limited enrollment. Saturday art workshops can lead to a summer program called Visionary Studio: Summer All Access. Both are open to high school students entering their junior or senior year and planning to attend an art college. The summer program is limited to 15 young artists from the tri-state area, the application requires 10-15 images to be submitted along with a few short essays and a letter of recommendation from an art teacher. All materials are provided for accepted students! This is a very competitive program with hundreds of kids applying for the 15 spots. The 4-week summer program culminates with a month-long exhibit in The Commons gallery, the main gallery at Steinhardt. On the last night, recruiters from various art schools from around the country attend, look at the work and speak to the kids and parents individually. The kids rotate classes in sculpture, digital, drawing and painting plus field trips to galleries and museum and lectures by visiting artists. The day runs from 9:30 to 5:00 with extra studio time in the evening for anyone who wants it. The Saturday program is the precursor to the summer programs with the free All Access/Visionary Studio program being the most competitive pre-college program that they offer.
The Ukrainian Museum, 222 East 6th Street (bet. 2nd and 3rd Aves.) (212) 228-0110, is open Wed. thru Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Admission; $8.00 adults; $6.00 students (with valid ID); children under 12 - free. They have a folk arts collection and a fine arts collection featuring prominent Ukrainian artists. They also offer workshops.
Free Saturday art classes for teens at Cooper Union.
The Forbes Galleries is a small museum in Greenwich Village, 62 5th Ave. bet. 12th & 13th St., with a rare and unusual collection of tin soldiers and Russian Fabergée; eggs. Free admission, Tues. - Sat 10-4, with Thursdays reserved for group tours. Call (212) 206-5548 for general info, ( 212) 206-5549 for group tours.
The Rubin Museum of Art is dedicated to the art of the Himalayas and surrounding regions. 150 W 17 St at 7th Ave., (212) 620-5000. Open Mon & Thurs 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Wednesday 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sat & Sun 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year's Day. Admission: Adults $10.00, Seniors/Students/Artists with ID $7, Neighbors (zip codes 10011 & 10001 with ID) $7, Children (under 12) Free. Gallery admission is free to all Fridays 7 - 10 p.m. Saturdays at 2 p.m., family workshops in art, storytelling, etc., free with museum admission.
The Annual Knit-Out & Crochet, in Union Sq. Park (17 St.) is the first Sunday in October, noon-5, rain or shine. Free knitting & crocheting lessons, demos and fun for kids. See their website for schedule.
HiArt, at 601 W. 26th St. in Chelsea, (212) 362-8190, is an arts summer camp and after-school program for ages 2-12, popular with homeschoolers, offering group classes in all the fine arts including dance, musicals, opera, film-making, manga, robotics -- you name it. They can be expensive, but encourage applications for partial scholarships by emailing the Director: Cyndie Bellen-Berthézène at hiart@earthlink.net.
The International Center for Photography (ICP), 1114 Ave. of the Americas (6th Ave.) at 43rd Street, is both a museum and a school of photography, with a full offering of expensive adult courses. They recommend applying for scholarships to their summer and year-round courses in color and black & white photography for teens, although lab and registrations fees will still apply. Download applications on their website for this and financial aid forms for the teen academy internship which allows 17 highly motivated teens to prepare themselves for a possible career in photography. Also, group tours and polaroid workshops are available for school groups, free to NYC public school groups.
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, (212) 832-1155. Open Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., Saturday & Sunday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.. The gallery is closed on all Mondays and major holidays. General admission $12; students & seniors $10; children under 16 free. Exhibits and programs displaying all facets of Japanese culture.
Formerly the American Crafts Museum, the Museum of Arts & Design, 40 West 53rd Street New York, (212) 956-3535, holds "Well-Crafted Weekends" for kids, every Sunday, 2-4pm (unless otherwise noted). All ages 6 and up welcome. All materials provided. No reservations required, but space is limited. $7 program fee per individual or family unit. For more information, call (212) 956.3535 x159 or e-mail aliza.boyer@madmuseum.org. They also have demonstrations, lectures, and Summer Open Studios.
The Museum of Modern Art is at 11 W. 53rd St. between 5th and 6th Aves. with entrances from 53rd and 54th Sts. Call them at (212) 708-9400. Admission, one of the priciest in town ($20/adults, children 16 and under free), is free Friday evenings from 4-8 p.m. Film tickets, free with the price of admission, can be obtained Friday evenings after 4 p.m. for same-evening showings (be prepared for a line).
They also have family activity guides, free museum audio guides, and programs for children with special needs.
The Folk Art Museum, (212) 265-1040, at 45 West 53rd St., has a hefty admission price of adults/$9, seniors and students $7, while children under 12 are free. But Fridays after 5:30 p.m., general admission is free for everyone. Regular hours are Tues-Sun 10:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Friday 10:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Family Art Workshops designed to introduce families to the galleries are on Sundays 2:00 - 4:00 p.m., are $5 per family (free to members). For reservations, please call (212) 265-1040, ext. 160, or email Madelaine Gill, family programs coordinator: mkgill@aol.com. You will receive a reply only if the workshop is full. Prices for year-round school programs are preK-1 $3.00/child for a 30-min. tour & 30-min. workshop; $3.00/student for 1-hour tour (grades 2–12); $5.00 per student for 45-minute tour and 45-minute workshop (grades 2–12). Tour Reservations call (212) 265-1040, ext. 381 or email grouptours@folkartmuseum.org.
The Dahesh Museum of Art at 580 Madison Ave. bet. 56th & 57th Sts., exhibits 19th-century European art and sculpture. Open Tues. - Sun 11-6, normally admission is $10 for adults, $6 for students and free for those under twelve, but the museum is free to the public on the first Thursday evening of every month from 6-9 p.m. Educational school tours (usually one hour long and limited to 20 or 30 kids) are also free. Their phone is (212) 759-0606, but to book a tour call Laura McGowan, Education and Programs Dept., LMcgowan@daheshmuseum.org, (212) 759-0606 x 249.
Tour topics include: “Tours for Tots: Story Time” for ages 3-4; “Exhibition Highlights” for grades 4-12 with writing and drawing activities; “Learning to Look” for first-time visitors grades K-12; “Write Your Way through Art” for grades 3-12, a writing-intensive tour that allows students to reflect on works of art in their own poetry and prose; “Art Academy Tour” for grades 1-12, students will reflect on the art they have examined through a hands-on art activity (45-minute tour; 45-minute workshop with a $5 material fee per student); and programs for groups with special needs.
When visiting the museum, ask at the admissions desk for the free family guide with interactive activities to help children explore the galleries, or ask for The Drawing Tour Kit, a hands-on activity bag for ages 6-12 with drawing tools and activities to be used in the galleries. They also have monthly family programs, free with admission.
The Art Students League at 215 W. 57th St. bet. 7th & B’way, offers 3-1/2-hour children’s art classes Sept-June on Saturdays or Sundays for $60.00/month, and has a similarly priced summer program. It works out to just over $4.00/hr. which is considered fairly cheap for an established art school. Call (212) 247-4510 for a catalog or check out their courses on the web (go to Classes then Children's Weekend).
Museum of Biblical Art (MOBIA) is at 1865 Broadway at 61st Street, New York, NY 10023-7505. Tel 212-408-1500 Fax 212-408-1292 Email info@mobia.org Closed Monday and Tuesday, Open 10 – 6 PM Wednesday to Sunday and 10 – 8 on Thursday, FREE admission at all times.
The Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators, at 128 East 63rd St, is open Tuesday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Wed - Fri 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sat noon - 4 p.m. (212) 838-2560.
The Asia Society 725 Park Ave (between 70 and 71 Sts), (212) 288-6400. Tuesday - Sunday, 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., with extended evening hours Fridays until 9:00 p.m. Closed on Mondays and major holidays. Admission: $10; $7 for seniors and students with ID; free for members and persons under 16; and free to all on Fridays, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. The collection includes masterworks from South, Southeast, and East Asia, dating from 2000 B.C.E. to the 19th century, reflecting the great achievements and wide diversity of Asian arts and cultures.
The Frick Collection is at 1 East 70th Street (between Madison and Fifth Avenues). Phone: (212) 288-0700. They have a reference library and also offer programs for students. After-school and weekend programs for middle and high school students with an exceptional interest in the arts. Classes are free, but online registration is required.
Art auction houses offer a free art education to any browser willing to check out the viewings and peruse their catalogues filled with photos and details on each work of art. Sotheby’s and Chistie’s are the two largest art auction houses in NYC, with branches all over the world. Their exhibitions are like fine museum collections, but here, if you ask nicely, you can handle anything no matter how rare. Check out their online calendars and catalogues to find the viewing that interests you. Return for the auction if you like and see what it’s like for buyers from around the world (including those invisible buyers on the telephone) to bid for highly valuable art objects.
The Whitney Museum is at 945 Madison Ave. at 75th St. (212) 570-7745. It normally charges $12/adult (students or seniors $9.50, children under 12 free), but on Fridays from 6 - 9 p.m. they are pay-what-you-wish. All exhibits are open and they sometimes provide free musical entertainment. Family activity guides and family audio guides can be borrowed free (with the price of admission). The last Saturday of October is free Family Fun Day for ages 4-11 and their adult caregivers, with refreshments and fun activities on every floor and gift bag with art supplies to take home. Register in advance for this annual event at their website.
Museum activities free with admission include:
The following programs are $8 per family for nonmembers ($6 for members). All children must be accompanied by an adult. Registration for all programs is required; call (212) 671-5300.
For teenagers: Teen Party Night, tours given by teens for teens, and the Artist-Youth Dialogue series at the Whitney are all free, for registration and info call (212) 570-7745. This museum gives free admission to NYC public school students with ID. A city-issued metro card should suffice.
Free with the cost of admission (suggested donation), the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 82nd St. and Fifth Ave., (212) 535-7710, (open Tues-Sun 9:30-5:15, 9:30-8:45 Fri. and Sat.) has sketching in the galleries and family films every weekend, Friday eves, and weekdays during summers and vacation periods, drop-in programs for ages 5-12 and Start for Art for ages 3-7. Call (212) 570-3961 for schedule and information for school groups. Pick up MuseumKids guides and family guides free at the information desk.
Free art classes for middle and high school students! You only need to register in advance. For high school classes call (212) 650-2832, or send an email to students@metmuseum.org. For middle school classes call (212) 396-5121. Provide child’s name, school, grade, telephone number, and the choice of classes. There are also gallery talks and art history lectures for all ages daily, all free with admission.
Tour fees are waived for NYC public school students, which includes homeschoolers. To organize a free group tour, make reservations in the early fall. They usually don't take reservations in the summer, and they do fill up with school commitments. See School Group Visits.
The Children's Museum of Manhattan, The Tisch Building, 212 West 83rd St, between Broadway and Amsterdam. (212) 721-1234. Open Wednesday - Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday & Sunday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., closed Mondays and Tuesdays for School and Outreach Programs. Admission for adults and kids is $8, kids under 1 free. Exhibits, programs, internships available.
Goddard Riverside Community Center, 593 Columbus Ave (88 St), Manhattan. (212) 873-6600 offers Artworks!, a free non-graded program in painting or sculpture on Saturday, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., for 7th grade and up. Sponsored by the Joan Mitchell Foundation, there is no charge for classes or materials. For information, call Susan Peters, (212) 799-9400.
The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Museum of Design, on 91st St. off 5th Ave., (212) 849-8400, offers free and low-cost design courses called Design Directions for high school students year-round and summers. Courses include industrial design, city planning and urban design, portfolio classes, career opportunities in design, and more. Call (212) 849-8385 for info and reservations.
Creative Arts is a Multi-Arts Summer Program sponsored by the Convent of the Sacred Heart on 91st St. between 5th and Madison, for ages 6-15. Although sponsored by a Catholic church, this is in no way a religious program. The Director is Suzanne Clifton Walsh, (212) 722-4745 ext. 856. Kids have five periods a day and choose from over 50 classes to make up their own schedule. Choices include acting, painting, dancing, puppets, robots, animation, tech theater, guitar, yoga, pottery, and sports, to name a few. Kids select their own program, and it is so popular that parents start to reserve space in December! Scholarships are available, so ask!
At The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Avenue at 92nd Street, Manhattan, (212) 423.3200. September 18-October 9, 2007, Tuesdays, 4:00-5:30 pm --Painting Impressions: Exploring Pissarro. Discover the world of Impressionist painting inspired by the exhibition Camille Pissarro: Impressions of City and Country. And learn about the art of plein-air painting (painting out-of-doors) through trips to Central Park. For ages 11 to 14. This series is free with museum admission, but there is limited availability and participants must register in advance by contacting the Scheduling Coordinator at (212) 423.3225 or schedulingcoordinator@thejm.org.
Hands-on workshops on the Middle Ages, for ages 4 and up, are held on Saturdays 10 a.m. - noon at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Amsterdam and 114th St. at the bargain price of $5.00 per child with accompanying adult, considering the art materials used. The workshop includes weaving, brass rubbing, clay gargoyles, copying medieval illuminated letters, cutting out for stained glass effect, and chiseling on a limestone block. The kids have fun and are allowed to take their work home (well, not the limestone block). No reservations are needed, but you can call ahead to reserve a space, probably wise during holiday times, to find out about other family workshops, or to be added to their mailing list: (212) 932-7347.
The Studio Museum in Harlem is a contemporary art museum that focuses on the work of artists of African descent locally, nationally and globally. It is located at 125th Street (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd) between Lenox Avenue and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd (7th Ave). Hours are Wed - Friday noon - 6:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Sunday noon - 6:00 p.m. Admission is by suggested donation and free for children under 12. They offer guided tours (by appointment), workshops, readings, concerts, and lectures -- see their website for info. Family programs for families with children ages 5-10 years old are free but pre-registration is required: call (212) 864-4500 x264 to RSVP or if you have questions. Someone will get back to you within three business days. For info on high school internships email internships@studiomuseum.org.
The Cloisters, the medieval branch of the Metropolitan Museum, located in Fort Tryon Park in northern Manhattan, has family workshops and gallery and garden tours free with admission. Call (212) 650-2280 for info and group visits.
The Beam Center, 47 Bergen Street, Brooklyn, offers scholarships for elementary and high-school kids. Programs include courses in art, electronics, puppetry and design. Recommended by homeschoolers!
The Brooklyn Flea is at 180 Seventh Avenue, Park Slope, PS 321, Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 3pm. Free educational activities for kids including: mini-book-writing workshops by 826NYC, dance lessons by Mark Morris Dance Center, physics experiments by Carmelo the Science Fellow, recitals by Brooklyn Conservatory of Music students, and filmmaking by Reel Works. See the full schedule.
The Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, (718) 638-5000, TTY: (718) 399-8440, has a world-class collection that rivals the Metropolitan, especially in Egyptian art, a real art school on the premises, and tons of activities for kids and families. Admission is $8/adults, $4/students and children under twelve free.
Brooklyn Cultural Adventures Program (BCAP) Summer Camp is an innovative 2-week day camp for youth ages 7 through 12. Call (718) 638-7700 for scholarship information.
Eyebeam's After-School Digital Art Program offers free workshops every Thursday, 3-6 p.m. Workshops start at 4 p.m. Students can participate in a hands-on workshop, focusing on audio mixing and editing, video production, video game design, or other software based activities. Students who drop-in will then continue to work on skills learned, or other computer-based projects on following Thursdays.
Participating students will have full supervised use of Eyebeam’s Mac lab, which includes: Apple Intel G5 computers loaded with software including Adobe’s Creative Suite, Final-Cut Pro, and more.
Home schooled students are welcome to participate in the youth drop-in program as long as they are between the ages of 13–18. All students are strongly encouraged to RSVP via email or phone to: stephanie@eyebeam.org, 212-937-6580 x247
Location: Eyebeam is located at 34 35th St, 5th Fl, Unit 26. Brooklyn, 11232
Kentler International Drawing Space, 353 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn, (718) 875-2098. Exhibits drawings and work on paper by New York-based artists as well as artists nationally. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 12 - 5 p.m., free. See website for info on exibitions.
Studio Creative Play in Park Slope, Brooklyn is a creative enrichment studio that offers a Holistic Process Approach to art and creativity-based learning, for children 3 to 5. At the end of every August they offer full and partial scholarships to children 3, 4, and 5 years of age. For more information, call 917-202-0574 or e-mail khahtee@ studiocreativeplay.org. 
The Alliance of Queens Artists, 99-10 Metropolitan Ave., Forest Hills, NY 11375, (718) 520-9842, is dedicated to the creation and presentation of the visual arts.
The Museum for African Art, 36-01 43rd Avenue at 36th St, Long Island City. (718) 784-7700 Open Monday, Thursday, Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Admission: $6 for adults $3 for seniors, children, and students. Free for Members and children under 6 years FREE from 10-11am, Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Exhibitions, programs, and workshops.
The Museum of the Moving Image, 35 Avenue at 36 Street, Astoria, (718) 784-0077. Admission: Adults: $10.00, Children (5-18): $5.00 ,under 5: Free. Admission to galleries is free on Fridays, 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. (Film screenings not included.) The collection covers motion pictures, television programs, video art, and computer games.
The Noguchi Museum in Long Island City, Queens, is free on the first Friday of every month. At 2 pm they offer free gallery tours. Daily general admission is $10/adults but free for children under 12 and teens with student ID (bring your IHIP approval letter to use for student ID).
Making Your Mark is a free summer program at the Isamu Noguchi Museum where students will discuss art, learn drawing techniques and how to work with traditional sculptural materials. Students meet on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 11am-3pm for a month starting in early July. Application deadline is in early June.
Socrates Sculpture Park, at 32-01 Vernon Blvd. and Broadway in Long Island City, is open year-round with no admission. An outdoor museum, they exhibit large-scale outdoor sculpture and sponsor free concerts, performances, classes, art workshops and special family events. See their schedule online or call to reserve for a group (718) 956-1819.
The Summer Arts Institute is a tuition-free, intensive, arts program for New York City public school students entering grades 8-12, held at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School in Astoria, Queens. Students can major in dance, theater, instrumental music (band), vocal music, film, string orchestra or visual arts. The program is designed for students at an intermediate or advanced level of study in their chosen discipline.
The Queens Art Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona Park is so far afield that it’s almost always empty. They have the Panorama of NYC, a scale model of all five boroughs, which truly charms young children, and related pre- and post-visit materials to download on their website (also for free).
Sunday afternoon free drop-in art workshops for ages 5-12 with an adult companion. Call (718) 592-9700 x 137 for additional information. Call (718) 592-9700 x136 for additional information for children with special needs. For info on free high school portfolio workshops for public school students call (718) 647-3377 x18.
To apply for a high school internship call (718) 592-9700 x132 (or visit the website). Museum admission is by suggested donation. Open W-F 10-5 (12-5 in summer), Sat and Sun 12-5. Main phone is (718) 592-9700.
Exhibitions at Flushing Town Hall in Queens are free or a bargain. Check out their website for more info: art exhibits for gallery exhibit free to children under age 16. (Adults are $5, members are free.)
The Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, offers Teen Spot, free after-school programs in visual mixed media (Mon and Tues, 4 - 6 p.m.) and Architecture (Wed and Thurs 4 - 6 p.m.).
The Bronx River Art Center, 2064 Boston Road, Bronx, NY 10460, phone: Rene Crespo at (718) 589-5819. GALLERY HOURS: Wednesday - Friday: 3pm - 6:30pm Saturday: 12pm - 5pm Gallery hours are only in effect during the exhibition dates. OFFICE & CENTER SUMMER HOURS: Monday - Thursday: 10am - 5pm Saturday: 12pm - 4pm Exhibitions, events. Some classes and workshops in the areas of Painting, Drawing, Photography, Printmaking, Ceramics, and Digital Media are not free, but fee waivers and scholarships are available.
Explore art and digital technology at the Teen Project Studio at Bronx River Art Center.
Free for teens 14 - 19, Tuesday and Thursday 4 - 6 pm, October - December and Jan - March. Instructor: Ryan Hale, artist and animator. Teen Project Studio is an intensive, interdisciplinary art and design program led by artist and designer Ryan Hale. Students will gain first-hand experience with sophisticated digital design processes while problem-solving challenging environmental and social issues. Working in teams, you will focus on your immediate surroundings to develop concrete solutions to everyday problems while developing an eco-friendly worldview. The semester focuses on a specific design problem and carries it through from conception to model, to finished prototype. The program includes workshops with artists, designers and professionals from associated fields as well as field trips to sites of interest.
For more information, or to register, please contact Rene Crespo, rcrespo@bronxriverart.org or call (718) 589-5819.
The Point, 940 Garrison Ave., (718) 542-4139. Local arts center with classes, exhibits, and programs.
The Victorian home of noted photographer Alice Austen, 2 Hylan Boulevard , (718) 816-4506.
The Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, 338 Lighthouse Ave., (718) 987-3500, is open Wed - Sun, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Admission: Adults - $5; Students - $3; Children 12 and under - $2. The collection is housed in two buildings designed to resemble a Himalayan mountain temple. There are terraced meditation gardens and a lotus and fish pond.
The Snug Harbor Cultural Center at 1000 Richmond Terrace was a 19th century home for retired seamen and is now a regional arts center housing myriad museum and arts programs as well as an active Artist-in-Residence program. (718) 448-2500
