Worcester Art Museum Announces New Schedule of Events for Fall/Winter 2026
Worcester, MA—August 14, 2026—This fall, the Worcester Art Museum (WAM) will host a landmark Director’s Talk with Max Hollein (the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Marina Kellen French Director and Chief Executive Officer) in conversation with Matthias Waschek (the Worcester Art Museum’s Jean and Myles McDonough Director). Held at the city’s historic Tuckerman Hall, this year’s Amelia and Robert H. Haley Memorial Lecture —titled “Art Museums in a Globalized World”—will feature an in-depth conversation examining the changing relationships between museums and globalization. Hollein and Waschek will discuss the roles and identities of museums in a world that is increasingly aware of issues of provenance, the ethics of collecting, and cultural preservation impacts, reconning with the impacts of globalization stemming from power imbalances and colonialism. The talk will begin with a presentation from Hollein on his experiences as director of The Met, followed by a conversation with Waschek and time for audience questions. Advance registration is highly recommended.
In addition to the talk, the Museum announces a wide-ranging schedule of public events, including talks with artists, free admission days, After Hours parties, classes and workshops, and the Museum’s annual four-day Flora in Winter event. These programs will engage audiences in the Museum’s offerings, Beasts of Legend: Animals in East Asian Art (November 21, 2026–February 21, 2027), a new major installation by Martine Gutierrez titled First Revelation of the Sovereign Queen (open September 23, 2026), and a refreshed gallery of Chinese and Korean art (opening October 24, 2026).
To view all upcoming programs, events, exhibitions, and learn about related Member benefits, visit worcesterart.org.
Flora in Winter 2027
From Thursday, February 25, to Sunday, February 28, Flora in Winter 2027 invites visitors to see art in a new way, reinterpreted through dozens of floral arrangements. Special admission prices apply during Flora in Winter (free for Worcester Art Museum Members). Admission tickets to Flora in Winter are available at the door only. Select talks and demonstrations require advance tickets, available on the Museum’s website.
Talks
The Worcester Art Museum hosts talks by artists and experts on a wide variety of subjects throughout the year. On September 17, 2026, Max Hollein, Marina Kellen French Director and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, will join Matthias Waschek, the Museum’s Jean and Myles McDonough Director, for a conversation on the changing relationship between museums and globalization for the Museum’s annual Amelia and Robert H. Haley Memorial Lecture. The talk will take place at Tuckerman Hall. On September 27, 2026, Martine Gutierrez, the artist behind First Revelation of the Sovereign Queen, will discuss the inspiration for the installation and her unique approach to photography in a special Artist Talk at the Museum.
Thursday, September 17, 2026: Amelia and Robert H. Haley Memorial Lecture, with Max Hollein and Matthias Waschek
Sunday, September 27, 2026: Artist Talk: Martine Gutierrez
Free days
The Worcester Art Museum is open with free admission for select holidays and events throughout the year, including additional open hours on several Monday holidays. Upcoming free days include the Museum’s annual Diwali and Lunar New Year Celebrations.
Monday, October 12, 2026: Free Day: Indigenous People’s Day
Monday, November 1, 2026: Free Day: Diwali Celebration
Monday, January 18, 2027: Free Day: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Sunday, January 31, 2027: Free Day: Lunar New Year Celebration
After Hours
The Worcester Art Museum’s After Hours series brings together exhibition openings, themed parties, and more, with music, drinks, and art lovers. After Hours events are free for Members and students at College Partner schools.
Friday, September 25, 2026: After Hours: “First Revelation of the Sovereign Queen”
Friday, October 30, 2026: After Hours: Ghosts in the Galleries
Friday, November 20, 2026: After Hours: Beasts of Legend Opening
Tours and demonstrations
Every Sunday at 1 pm, the Museum offers guided Tours of the Galleries, free with admission. Led by docents, these tours offer visitors a trip through the galleries to discover highlights of the vast collection. Tours of special exhibitions are offered most weekends.
A rotating schedule of live demonstrations and activities are offered throughout the year, with a schedule available on the Museum’s website.
Classes and community exhibitions
Classes are offered year-round for students of all ages and experience levels in the Museum’s Higgins Education Wing. Spanning a wide variety of media, classes offer an opportunity to learn and create in a dedicated studio space, drawing inspiration from the Museum’s world-class collection and exhibitions. Registration is now open for youth, teen and adult fall classes. Winter family workshops will also take place on Saturdays December 5, 12, and 19, with artmaking activities inspired by Beasts of Legend: Animals in East Asian Art.
The Higgins Education Wing is also home to rotating community exhibitions, featuring art created by class participants, students, community partners, and more. Open Call: To the Earth with Love is on view through August 30, 2026, and explores how the Museum’s community cares for and interacts with the Earth. The Museum will also host its annual Youth and Teen Student Exhibition from September 1 to 26, 2026. Admission to the Higgins Education Wing is free.
About the Worcester Art Museum
The Worcester Art Museum creates transformative programs and exhibitions, drawing on its exceptional collection of art. Dating from 3000 BCE to the present, these works provide the foundation for a focus on audience engagement, connecting visitors of all ages and abilities with inspiring art and demonstrating its enduring relevance to daily life. Creative initiatives—including pioneering collaborative programs with local schools, fresh approaches to exhibition design and in-gallery teaching, and a long history of studio class instruction—offer opportunities for diverse audiences to experience art and learn both from and with artists.
The Worcester Art Museum, located at 55 Salisbury Street in Worcester, MA, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. For information on admission and discounts, visit https://www.worcesterart.org/visit. Museum parking is free.
For more information, please contact:
Madeline Feller
Worcester Art Museum
MadelineFeller@worcesterart.org
508-793-4373
