Wheaton Wednesdays

Image of the banner for Wheaton Wednesdays. "Wheaton Wednesdays" is displayed, in large white text, over a multicolored patterned background with four fireworks. The background is a diagonal gradient that starts in the bottom left corner with blue, turns to purple, then pink, red, orange, and yellow. The gradient ends with green in the top right corner after the yellow.

Wheaton Wednesdays
July 17 & August 14, 2024

Open Late with FREE Admission
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. rain or shine!

WheatonArts is open late on two special Wednesdays this summer! Experience the grounds with creative activities designed for the entire family from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Highlights include design contests in the Glass & Pottery Studios, special exhibit tours in the Museum of American Glass and Folklife Center, free family art activities, a campus-wide scavenger hunt, live music, and more.

Wheaton Wednesday dates are FREE to the public, part of WheatonArts Family Days! Presented by PNC Arts Alive!

August activities are highlighted in red below.

Butterfly Tent

July 17
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Hosted by Rutgers Master Gardeners, the butterfly tent experience invites you to learn about the lifecycle of butterflies and experience the sensation of being surrounded by live butterflies. Our knowledgeable Rutgers Master Gardeners will share their knowledge about the stages of a butterfly’s life—from egg to caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult. Discover the critical role butterflies play in our ecosystem and how you can help support their conservation at home. Enjoy the rare opportunity to see these fascinating insects up close and take memorable photos. Perfect for all ages!

Close-up image of an orange, black, and white Monarch Butterfly perched on the side of a long, thin, and Q-Tip shaped light brown stick with a red top. The butterfly is perched on the top right side of the red portion. The background is blurred.
Image of three pieces from the Ceremonies in Circles exhibit on a white background. There are two tall drums that are wide at the ends and thin in the middles. The drum on the left has a light brown base with light brown stings extended vertically from the top of the drum to the bottom. A white strand is tied around the middle. The drum on the right is slightly shorter than the one on the left with a light brown strand tied around the middle and a reddish base color. In front of them is a smaller drum about half the size of the taller ones. This drum has a light beige base color and white vertical strands. Resting on top of the drum is the curved portion of a long, thin light beige piece with green patterned fabric wrapped around the end.

Down Jersey Folklife Center

In the Ceremonies in Circles exhibit, discover traditional West African masks, garments, woodcarvings, and ceremonial objects used in special rituals and community celebrations. 

July & Aug – Take a Themed Docent Tour
Experience a 30-minute docent tour exploring the different themes from the Ceremonies in Circles exhibit.
4 p.m. – “African Masquerade”
6 p.m. – “Moving in Circles”

Glass Studio

Design a Glass Mask Contest
July & Aug – 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Folklife Center’s exhibit Ceremonies in Circles is meant to inspire a meaningful dialogue about the significance of cultural heritage in our region’s multicultural landscape. Design a mask that tells a story about a ritual or celebration significant to you and your family. Our Glass Studio Team will sculpt select designs out of molten glass! Bring your designs to the Studio each hour before 6 p.m. for a chance to watch your vision come to life!

Image of one of the glass masks chosen from the "Design a Glass Mask" contest held during Wheaton Wednesday. The mask is attached to the end of a glass-blowing pole. The face of the mask is white with a purple smile and purple circles for eyes. At the top of the mask are two dark purple triangular ears with a short maroon and orange horn in the middle. The image was taken in the Glass Studio, where WheatonArts Glass Artist Kendall Frank is speaking into a microphone in the background.
Image of WheatonArts potters Amy Pesseller and Phyllis Seidner-Vesely. Amy and Phyllis are wearing WheatonArts t-shirts and are sitting around two pottery wheels, smiling at each other while shaping clay. They are surrounded by a variety of clay projects.
Image of three clay jack-o-lanterns lined up in a row outside in front of the WheatonArts Pottery Studio. The jack-o-lanterns have large open mouths, curly green stems, and a beige pumpkin body.

Pottery Studio

Stop by the Pottery Studio to see wet clay sculpted into beautiful and functional works of art throughout the day. Ask to take a kiln tour while you’re there!

July 17 – Bird Bath Design Contest
Let your creativity soar by submitting a ceramic bird bath design for our ceramic artists to make! At the end of the day, one adult and one child design will be picked to be reproduced in clay. Winners will receive the final piece after it’s glazed and kiln fired around 2-3 weeks later.

Aug 14 – Jack’O’Lantern Design Contest
Try your hand at designing a ceramic Jack’o’lantern for our ceramic artists to make! At the end of the day, the artists will pick one adult and one child design to reproduce in clay. Winners will receive the final piece after it’s glazed and fired in the kiln, about 2-3 weeks later.

Museum of American Glass

Visit the Museum for special tours of the new exhibition, Centuries of Tomfoolery: Trick Glasses, Pipes, & Whimsical Delights. Discover how contemporary glassmakers use practical archaeology to understand Renaissance drinking games and party tricks. Visitors of all ages will enjoy the whimsical animals and toys from the past.

July & Aug – Guided Exhibit Tours
Experience a 30-minute docent tour of the Centuries of Tomfoolery exhibit.
12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m.
3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 5:30 p.m.

Image of a lady with a clear horn-shaped trick glass in front of a dark teal background. The lady has her head tilted back as she pours a clear liquid out of the trick glass into her mouth. The liquid instead spills all over her face ,mouth, and light teal colored shirt. The lady has shoulder length, curly brown hair and red lipstick.
Practical Archaeology, Drinking Horn, crafted by Marc Barreda. Captured by Marije Kuiper, Hazazah Film & Photography.
A child is wearing a blue button up and safety goggles while designing a pendant to be fused in the center of the image. At the bottom of the image are materials for the pendant place in cups. There are 3 cups of materials and 3 containers of beads. The first cup on the left contains green glass pieces, the middle cup contains small blue glass , and the right contains small yellow glass. The pendant in the center has an orange base, a blue square glass fragment, a blue and yellow fragment, a square black fragment, and a bright yellow fragment. The kid is holding a small design tool in his right hand.

Education Studio

Fused Glass Magnet, Pendant, or Suncatcher
July & Aug – 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., fee-based
Create a fused glass magnet, pendant, or suncatcher beginning with pre-fused glass blanks. Using small pre-cut pieces of glass and an assortment of accessory glass, including frit and stringers, create a design to be tack fused. After firing your fused glass, our artists will attach a bail, magnet, or leather cord, depending on your project choice. In one week, completed glass projects will be ready to pick up or ship (for a fee). This glass fusing activity has a discounted fee of $10 per magnet/pendant and $20 per suncatcher. 

Free Family Art Activities

Chalk-Topia: Sidewalk Chalk Station
Created by the WheatonArts Teen Arts Council, Chalk-Topia is an interactive installation constructed from repurposed pallets, coated with vibrant chalkboard paint. This creative space invites visitors of all ages to express themselves by drawing directly on the pallet walls. With an array of colorful chalk at their disposal, participants can transform the station into a dynamic, ever-evolving canvas of community creativity.

July 17 – Butterfly Stick Puppets & Monarch Lifecycle Coloring Page 
Color while learning about the fascinating stages of a monarch butterfly’s life cycle and create beautiful butterfly puppets with vibrant colors and intricate designs using cardstock, crayons, and craft sticks.

Aug 14 – Finger Labyrinths
Enhance your labyrinth walk experience by designing a portable finger-tracing labyrinth to complement and deepen your journey of reflection and mindfulness. This creative process is fun and relaxing and offers an opportunity to personalize your labyrinth with meaningful symbols, colors, and patterns. 

July & Aug – Easel Art Using Pastels 
Experiment with blending, layering, and shading techniques as you create your own pastel composition. Our instructor will guide you through the basics while allowing plenty of room for imaginative expression.

Image of an assortment of beads from Chris Coffman. There are two small light purple beads, three light small green beads, two small light pink beads, three clear beads with multicolor swirls in the middle, four clear beads with blue swirls around the middle, and three flower-shaped pink and purple beads with orange centers.

Gallery of Fine Craft Trunk Shows

July 17 – Chris Coffman 
Visit WheatonArts’ Flamework Artist Chris Coffman in the Gallery of Fine Craft as she showcases her newest glass jewelry collection. Each earring, bracelet, and necklace for sale is handmade by Chris using a torch.

August 14 – Susan Boyce
Stop by to create your own necklace or bracelet by selecting flameworked glass beads created by Susan Boyce. She will string it for you on the spot! Dichroic glass cabochons will also be available to merge onto her new slider chains and bracelets. Prices vary by design.

Music on the Grounds

July 17
11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Chris Lax
3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – The Rollers
August 14
11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Dale Bierman
3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – The Rollers

Food Vendors

July 17
Creek’s Edge BBQ
Frosbite 
August 14
Latin Bites
Frosbite
Image of Chris Lax performing outside in front of the Museum of American Glass. Chris is playing a guitar with a black and white houndstooth strap, while sitting in front of and singing into a microphone. Chris has a black hat, black sunglasses, a reddish brown beard, and is wearing a black t-shirt.

We will update this page as programming for the event becomes available. Please check for updates as the event gets closer. Thank you!