What's on
Galleries
Further info
Activities
Summer fun
A programme of arts and crafts workshops promises to banish boredom for 8-12 year olds! Each workshop costs £5 or £3 with a Watford Plus Card and runs from 10.30am to 12.30pm. To book your place, call 01923 232297 or email info@watfordmuseum.org.uk.
Thursday 31st July
Garden Sundials
Tell the time by sunlight and shadow with your own garden sundial!
Friday 1st August
Mechanical Tortoises and Snails
How slow can you go? Make, decorate and race your own mechanical tortoises and snails.
Thursday 7th August
Stained Glass Lanterns
Brighten up a garden lantern with your own stained glass design.
Friday 8th August
Model Theatres
Direct your own plays by creating a model theatre with moving characters.
Thursday 14th August
Abstract Acrylics
Look at abstract artists such as Matisse and Picasso for inspiration to create your own acrylic masterpiece.
Friday 15th August
Mechanical Marvels 2
Back by popular demand - model making with difference!
Thursday 21st August
Mini Piñatas
Create your own personal-sized piñata - the Mexican party favourite.
Friday 22nd August
Crafts: 10,000 Years BC
Make a blow pipe or bull-roarer using natural materials and prehistoric techniques!
Thursday 28th August
A Mini Book of Mini Beasts
Will you choose creepy crawlies or pretty butterflies as the theme for your mini nature book?
Friday 29th August
Recycled Rag Rug Bugs and Butterflies
Make an fantastic insect badge or magnet using recycled materials to decorate your fridge, jacket or bag.
space2
The new Space2 exhibition spaces are now open, at Watford Town Hall, the Pump House Theatre and Arts Centre and Watford Museum.
For information about current and forthcoming exhibitions, head over to our dedicated Space2 pages, which are always available via the menu on the right-hand side of every page.
High Street Trails
The return of the popular walking tour of Watford's town centre heritage with Sarah Priestley, Heritage Officer at Watford Museum:
- Saturday 7th June
- Saturday 12th July
- Saturday 2nd August
Trails start at 11.00am and cost £3 per person. You can book your place by calling Watford Museum on 01923 232297 or emailing info@watfordmuseum.org.uk.
Drums of Afrika - African Drumming Workshops
Grab an opportunity to experience the magical Drums of Africa with Butshilo. Organised by Herts Mind Network, the workshops are free and take place at 1.30pm on Tuesdays at Watford Museum from 27th May to 17th June 2008. For more information or to book, please call Anabel on 01442 215117.
Watford Museum School of Drawing and Painting
Learn to draw and paint, or improve on existing skills, in an informal and social atmosphere. £5 per session or £9.00 per day, including coffee.
- Drawing and painting:
Thursdays, 10.15am - 12.15pm and 1.30 - 3.30pm - Watercolour and drawing:
Fridays, 10.15am - 12.15pm - Oil painting:
Fridays, 1.30pm to 3.30pm
For more information, phone the museum on 01923 232297.
Art appreciation lectures
Given by Martin Smith, the tutor of the Watford Museum School of Drawing and Painting, the following lectures cost £5 including tea or coffee:
Saturday 5th July, 11.00am -12.30pm
'Portraits, Landscapes and Figures'
Portraits spanning four centuries, and landscape and figure painting across three centuries feature in this lecture. Artists shown include: Constable, Degas, Millet, Morisot, Rembrandt, Reynolds, Rubens, Titian, Watts and de Zurbaran.
Saturday 9th August, 11.00am - 12.30pm
'Paintings of England'
A look at English artists and their paintings featuring works from Hogarth to Lowry. Artists shown include: Bevan, Constable, Crome, Hunt, Augustus John, Lambert, Palmer, Reynolds, Stubbs, Turner, Morris and Wilkie.
Scrabble Club
Want to improve your word score? Join our friendly Scrabble Club for a game at 2pm on Friday afternoons at the museum. Each session costs just £1.45.
Friends of Watford Museum events
Thursday 17th July, 2.00pm
'The Wonderful World of Willow' by Sandra Barker
Illustrated talk and demonstration of the ancient crafts of basket-making and the changes over time.
Thursday 14th August, 2.00pm
'The History of St Paul's Cathedral' by Jo and John Brewster
'A tour' of the church floor and crypt and some entertaining stories.
Friday 19th September, 2.00pm
'The Life of a News Reporter' by Michael Pickard
The inside story of a reporter on the Watford Observer.
Thursday 16th October, 7.30pm
'The Contribution of Printing to Civilisation and the Part Played by Hertfordshire' by Andrew Gunton
The history of the changing nature of the industry in the county.
Entry to these talks is free for Friends of Watford Museum, or £2 for members of the public.