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Advance tickets are recommended and are available for visits through December. Book now

Visit the ICA during school vacation week for hands-on artmaking in the Bank of America Art Lab! Visitors may drop in anytime during our open hours; spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis.  

“Painting” off the Page, 12–4 PM

1st Floor, Art Lab

Inspired by Cicely Carew’s sculptural paintings, visitors are encouraged to play with abstraction, layering, and texture to create three-dimensional works that go beyond the frame. Using various paper, fabric, and cellophane, play and connect with the process and flow of “painting” in a whole new way. 

Last entry at 3:30 PM

Family Gallery Guides, 10 AM–4 PM

1st Floor, Art Lab and 4th Floor, Galleries

Pick up a Family Gallery Guide from the Art Lab and head to the 4th floor to view our current exhibits: Forecast Form: Art in the Caribbean Diaspora, 1990s – Today, Taylor Davis Selects: Invisible Ground of Sympathy, the 2023 James and Audrey Foster Prize, and Tammy Nguyen. Family Gallery Guides provide discussion questions to spark conversations about contemporary art for all ages. The galleries are open from 10 AM–5 PM. 
 

Free Admission for Youth

Youth 18 and under always receive FREE museum admission. The ICA is committed to providing access to the art and artists of our time—and we do this with the incredible support of our community. Explore the +1 Membership: a free ICA membership program for youth 0-18.

 

Questions? Reach out to us at familyprograms@icaboston.org. 

Your support helps keep programs like this—both virtual and in-person—free and accessible! If you are able, please consider becoming a member or making a one-time gift to support the ICA. 

Join Shadow Play artist Lily Xie for an introduction to stop-motion animation through light and layering! Learn about stop-motion animation and experiment with transparency and silhouette using layers of paper and light boxes. Create scenes and film short animations that play with light and shadow. All participants will have their videos emailed to them after the workshop (if desired).

Workshop recommended for ages 6+. When selecting tickets, please select “Participants” for those that are participating in making during the workshop and “Chaperones” (if applicable) for those accompanying/assisting. All youth under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Capacity is limited, advanced tickets are required. 

Shadow Play is on view in our Bank of America Art Lab most weekends through December 31st, 2023.

Join Shadow Play artist Lily Xie and artist Maria Fong for an introduction to stop-motion animation using paper puppets! Learn about the mechanics of stop-motion animation and create puppets out of paper. Use your puppets to film a short, animated video. All participants will have their videos emailed to them after the workshop (if desired).

Workshop recommended for ages 6+. When selecting tickets, please select “Participants” for those that are participating in making during the workshop and “Chaperones” (if applicable) for those accompanying/assisting. All youth under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Capacity is limited, advanced tickets are required. 

Shadow Play is on view in our Bank of America Art Lab most weekends through December 31st, 2023.

Relax this holiday weekend and stream FREE family-friendly short films created by kids, for kids, curated by the Boston International Kids Film Festival. Films will be streaming on this web page for a limited time from Wednesday, November 22 through Sunday, November 26. Films for all ages and a roughly one hour in total length.  

The virtual films are now closed.

Please note there is no on-site Play Date this month.  

Film List

Battle Plan – John Banana and Mathilde Michea (5 min) 
A car ride with Mum results in an epiphany for a young girl who must imagine her way to a better future. Her ideas grow and with them the chance to make a real difference. Battle Plan, a musical ode to young activists everywhere. 

Bedwoman – Rojan Emrani (6 min) 
Lorin has a secret in her bed. Will she be able to keep it from her mother? 

Blueberry – Stephanie Glover (5 min) 
A determined, practical boy has a change of heart when his favorite food comes to life. 

Homegrown – Daniela Loeza (6min) 
Shel wants nothing more than to bring some greenery into her drab city-life, but all her plants end up in the compost bin. Feeling horticulturally hopeless, Shel stumbles upon a special seed that seems to grow on its own. Things soon sprout out of control when instead of a simple houseplant, the seed grows into a living, breathing baby radish! Seems Shel has gotten a lot more than she gardened for… 

Oren’s Way – Keika Lee (16 min) 
A clever princess must capture a magical Golden Fox in order to save her kingdom from eternal sadness but on her journey, she conquers obstacles – the last of which reveals a hidden truth about herself. 

The Adventures of Baxter & Clyde – John Michaud (8 min) 
An adventurous boy & a magical duck join forces to avert a crisis of lunar proportions. Set in 1960 in rural Maine and inspired by American animated tv serials of that time. 

The Sound Collector – Float Your Boat – Chris Tichborne (5 min)
When the Sound Collector travels in his boat on the stream, things get a little out of hand – and so does his ukulele playing! 

You Are Not Small – Sherene Strausberg (2 min) 
This short, animated film “You Are Not Small” was created with Lucy Hawking, children’s book author and daughter of scientist Stephen Hawking. This film was inspired by her latest book series, “Princess Olivia Investigates” which helps young minds connect with climate science to understand how they can help save our planet too. Although scientists, activists and charity workers are adults, kids can also work together to do amazing things! 

About BIKFF and the 11th Boston International Kids Film Festival

Created in 2013 by Filmmakers Collaborative, The Boston International Kids Film Festival (BIKFF) highlights the talent of independent filmmakers everywhere while inspiring young people to share their own stories with the world. Filmmakers Collaborative created the BIKFF with a goal of showing kids that making a film can be a powerful way to tell a story, express your emotions, state a point of view, and to have fun! 

 The 11th Boston International Kids Film Festival takes place November 10–12 at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA. BIKFF is a weekend of workshops and screenings of family-friendly films, both professionally and student-made, hailing from countries that span the globe. For more information & tickets go to www.bikff.org.  

Questions? Reach us at familyprograms@icaboston.org.

Orange logo for Boston International Kids Film

Your support helps keeps programs like this – both virtual and in-person – free and accessible. If you are able, please consider becoming a member or making a one-time gift to support the ICA. 

Celebrate the creativity and magic of spooky season with artmaking and gallery fun! Create your own shadow puppets with Shadow Play artist Lily Xie in the Bank of America Art Lab. Pick up a Shadow Play Gallery Guide and visit the 4th floor to see more ways that artists tell stories through light, form, and sound. Families are welcome to dress in costumes! Reserve free admission tickets online in advance. * 

*On Saturday, October 28, museum admission is FREE for families when accompanied by kids ages 12 and under, with up to 2 adults per family. Tickets must be reserved online in advance. Use the code PLAYDATE when reserving your ticket(s). Advance tickets are strongly recommended; day-of tickets are not guaranteed. All activities are drop-in, first come first served, space is limited.  

Shadow Play with Lily Xie, 10 AM–3 PM

1st Floor, Art Lab

Meet and make Lily Xie, the artist behind Shadow Play! Artists of all ages are invited to experiment with shape, shadow, and light as they create and perform their own shadow puppets. Drop-in, first come first served, space is limited. Last entry to the Art Lab will be 2:30PM.

Shadow Play will be on view most Saturdays and Sundays from 12-4 PM through December. More information and hours can be found here. 

Books + Looks, 11:30 AM + 12:30 PM

4th Floor, Mediatheque

Come up to the Mediatheque for a staff-led reading of family-friendly storybooks and make connections to artworks on view. Drop-in, first come, first serve, space is limited. 

Shadow Play Gallery Guides, 10 AM–4 PM

4th Floor, Galleries

Pick up a Shadow Play Gallery Guide from the Art Lab and head to the 4th floor to view our current exhibits: Forecast Form: Art in the Caribbean Diaspora, 1990s – Today, Taylor Davis Selects: Invisible Ground of Sympathy, the 2023 James and Audrey Foster Prize, and Tammy Nguyen. Visitors are encouraged to think about how artists tell their own stories through light, form, and transformation.  

ICA Bat Booth

1st Floor, Elevator

Bring home a special Halloween memory! The ICA’s glass elevator transforms into a dramatic Bat Booth, where you can snap a pic with friends, family, and hundreds of winged creatures of the night.

About the Artist

Lily Xie (she/they) is a Chinese-American artist and educator whose socially-engaged work explores desire, memory, and self-actualization for communities at the margins. In collaboration with local residents and grassroots organizers, she facilitates creative projects with a focus on public space, housing, and racial justice. The work they create together often takes the form of animation, video, print media, and installation. 

Free Admission for Youth

Youth 18 and under always receive FREE museum admission. The ICA is committed to providing access to the art and artists of our time—and we do this with the incredible support of our community. Explore the +1 Membership: A free ICA membership program for youth 0-18.

Questions? Reach us at familyprograms@icaboston.org.

Join us for a day of family fun! Explore different ways of telling a story through artmaking, music, and performance. Reserve free admission tickets online in advance*. All activities are drop-in, first come first served, space is limited.   

*On Saturday, September 30, museum admission is FREE for families when accompanied by kids ages 12 and under, with up to 2 adults per family. Tickets must be reserved online in advance. Use the code PLAYDATE when reserving your ticket(s). Advance tickets are strongly recommended; day-of tickets are not guaranteed.

What’s your Uh-Oh or Yippee moment? With Jo Ham | 10 AM–3 PM

Art Lab, 1st Floor 

Enter the world of Jo Ham’s dynamic character Rabbit by choosing your favorite Rabbit print (selection to be supplied) and letting your imagination create the wider story to make their own Yippee or Uh-Oh moment! Landscapes, room sets, new characters, colorful props and more can all be added using paint, pens, stickers and craft materials, with help on hand from the HAM team. While supplies last.

Book Signing with Jo Ham | 3–4 PM

Art Lab, 1st Floor 

Meet beloved illustrator, artist, and now author Jo Ham, and get your copies of her new children’s books Yippee! Rabbit and Uh Oh! Rabbit! signed! Copies of the books and other HAM selects will be available to be purchased on site — including a special limited edition print to celebrate the occasion, only available at the ICA Store!

Musical Storytelling with The Rubin Brothers | 11 AM-12 PM

Outdoors, Grandstand + Plaza

Circus musicians, vaudeville entertainers, and real-life brothers AJ & Colescott present an all-ages show of interactive musical storytelling, complete with acrobatics, unicycling, juggling, and unbridled silliness!

Books + Looks | 10:30 AM + 12:30 PM

4th Floor, Mediatheque

 
Join for a staff led reading of family-friendly storybooks and make connections to artworks on view. Drop-in, first come, first serve, space is limited. 

In the Galleries, 10 AM–5 PM

4th Floor, Galleries

Our Visitor Assistants (VA) are always eager to talk about the artworks and answer your questions. Pick up a gallery game card to explore the museum as a “Thinker, Maker, Explorer, or Performer”. Great for a variety of ages and for intergenerational audiences to play together. Cards are available on the 1st and 4th floor near the elevators. Questions? Ask a VA on the 4th floor. Only #2 pencils allowed in the galleries.

Warm Up with a Mug | 11 AM–4:30 PM

1st Floor, ICA Wine + Coffee Bar

Stop by the ICA Wine + Coffee Bar for a free coffee, tea, or hot chocolate with the purchase of a HAM mug.

About Jo Ham

Jo Ham graduated from the Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford, where she gained a degree in fine art with a focus on anatomy. In 2011, she formed her studio—HAM, developing bespoke products and artwork for global brands, creating large-scale installations, and raising funds and awareness for charity. Informed by her studies and early career in design, Jo has always been fascinated by popular culture and uses Rabbit to shine a light on life’s simple pleasures—in particular how we interact with one another through work and play. The resulting social commentary creates Rabbit’s happy world, where our daily rituals, likes, and hobbies are immortalized in print for all to enjoy. In 2018, Jo was awarded the Aviva Women of the Future Arts and Culture Prize and the NatWest Great British Creative Industries Entrepreneur of the Year. Jo’s work can be found online at hammade.com and on Instagram at @HamJoanna.

About the Rubin Brothers

AJ and Colescott Rubin are Boston-based circus musicians & vaudeville entertainers who lift spirits and make smiles wherever they go, performing swing & popular songs of yesteryear with a lighthearted energy and danceable beat. Known internationally for their unicycling, juggling, & acrobatics while playing instruments, they play sold out shows from coast to coast. They have performed and/or recorded with Esperanza Spalding, Old Crow Medicine Show, Patrice Rushen, Catherine Russell, Charmaine Neville, & John Legend, and around the world in New Orleans, Iceland, Moscow, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, and elsewhere. Student and staff at Berklee College of Music, respectively, they are recipients of the 2021 City of Boston Opportunity Fund Award, and recently made their debut recording on all pre-1930s recording equipment in NYC. They play stadium halftime shows as the house brass band for the major league rugby team of New England and make their circus debut September 2023 in NYC.

Facebook | Instagram | Tiktok

Free Admission for Youth

Youth 18 and under always receive FREE museum admission. The ICA is committed to providing access to the art and artists of our time—and we do this with the incredible support of our community. Explore the +1 Membership — A free ICA membership program for youth 0-18.

Questions? Reach us at familyprograms@icaboston.org.

Your support helps keeps programs like this – both virtual and in-person – free and accessible in this time of uncertainty. If you are able, please consider becoming a member or making a one-time gift to support the ICA.

This Feburary vacation try your hand at storytelling and comic making, inspired by local illustrator and comic creator Dave Ortega. Join us in the Bank of America Art Lab for sketching, writing, and investigating story arrangement and sequence. On Fri, Feb 19, work with the artist himself!

Plus, play gallery games, listen to book readings especially for families, and enjoy the view.

Illustrator Dave Ortega is creating a life-size comic book in the ICA’s Bank of America Art Lab. Join the artist to explore how stories and pictures are arranged to create narrative and experiment with telling stories of your own.

Local artist Dave Ortega has spent years interviewing his now 100-year-old abuela (grandmother) and telling her story in comics. Learn more about Dave Ortega and his Frame by Frame project at the ICA.

Explore how pictures are arranged to make stories – and experiment with telling your own – Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 4 through May 2.

Local artist Dave Ortega has spent years interviewing his now 100-year-old abuela (grandmother) and telling her story in comics. In the Bank of America Art Lab he’ll create a life-size comic book where participants can explore how stories and pictures are arranged to create narrative and experiment with telling their own stories. 

Meet the artist during vacation week! Dave Ortega will be in attendance at the museum Fri, Feb 19, 2–4 PM and Fri, Apr 22, 2–4 PM.

Ortega’s work has appeared in several comics anthologies; his comic Abuela y Los Dead Mexicans was named a notable comic by Best American Comics. He’s taught at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and been an exhibitor at the Small Press Expo, Brooklyn Zine Fest, Grand Comics Fest, New York Art Book Fair, and Comic Arts Brooklyn, among other places. He is currently working on a graphic novel about his abuela.

Explore how pictures are arranged to make stories – and experiment with telling your own – 11 to 4 during April Vacation week.

Local artist Dave Ortega has spent years interviewing his now 100-year-old abuela (grandmother) and telling her story in comics. In the Bank of America Art Lab he’ll create a life-size comic book where participants can explore how stories and pictures are arranged to create narrative and experiment with telling their own stories. 

Meet the artist during vacation week! Dave Ortega will be in attendance at the museum Fri, Apr 22, 2–4 PM.

Ortega’s work has appeared in several comics anthologies; his comic Abuela y Los Dead Mexicans was named a notable comic by Best American Comics. He’s taught at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and been an exhibitor at the Small Press Expo, Brooklyn Zine Fest, Grand Comics Fest, New York Art Book Fair, and Comic Arts Brooklyn, among other places. He is currently working on a graphic novel about his abuela.