Shelburne Museum Announces Spring 2026 Webinar Series
Free webinars highlight art, nature, and collection insights
Shelburne Museum invites the public to participate in a dynamic lineup of free virtual and hybrid webinars this spring, offering behind-the-scenes perspectives, creative skill-building, and scholarly insights inspired by the museum’s renowned collections and exhibitions. Designed for audiences of all ages and experience levels, the programs connect art, history, and preservation through engaging, interactive formats. Advance registration is required for all programs. Go to shelburnemuseum.org/museum-from-home/webinars for more information and to register.
Nature Drawing for All
Wednesdays, Feb. 4 and 18, March 4 and 18, noon-1 p.m.
Four-part free virtual drawing series that explores the natural world through creative expression, in a friendly and informative structure. Develop and refine your skills, build comfort and confidence in landscapes, botanicals, and capturing nature.
Sessions begin with a warmup, followed by an introduction to essential techniques, live demonstrations, and practice time focused on the day’s theme. Inspired by works from the museum’s collection and scenes from the museum’s grounds and gardens, the series is for artists of all ages and skill levels and is designed to work with materials most have at home. Registration is required.
Caring for Treasures at Home: Shelburne Museum Conservators Answer Your Questions
Monday, March 9, noon-1 p.m.
Conservators rely on science, art history, and knowledge of art materials to preserve cultural heritage for future generations. How do the techniques of museum conservation provide insight into caring for your beloved treasures at home? In this responsive webinar, Director of Collections & Conservation Nancie Ravenel and Associate Conservator Awyn Rileybird answer your questions about preserving textiles, objects, paintings, photos, or other beloved belongings you have at home.
Participants will have the opportunity to submit questions prior to the webinar on the website. If you have questions about safely storing or displaying your personal treasures, let us know! Conservators will select questions and themes to answer in their presentation and will also engage in a live Q & A at the close of the session. Participants will leave with strategies, advice, resources, and tools to best care for their personal collections. Registration is required.
Varied and Alive: A Closer Look
Thursdays, March 26 and April 2, 6-7 p.m.
Let’s dive in deep, exploring curator highlights from the exhibition Varied and Alive (on view May 9-Oct. 25), an expansive look at collection treasures rarely seen or exhibited. Learn contextual, artistic, and historical background on selected works after engaging in close-looking activities and discussion. Curators Katie Wood Kirchoff (March 26) and Kory Rogers (April 2) provide unique opportunities to engage with the museum’s permanent collection. Registration is required.
Exhibition Preview – Norman Rockwell: At Home in Vermont
Wednesday, April 29, 6 p.m. Hybrid Event: Attend in person at the Pizzagalli Center for Art & Education or livestream event on Zoom. Lecture followed by audience Q & A.
Join us in person or online for a sneak peek at the exhibition Norman Rockwell: At Home in Vermont, on view June 20 through Oct. 25. In this illustrated lecture, Tom Denenberg, the John Wilmerding Director, will highlight some of the artworks and key themes in the exhibition, which explores how this beloved American illustrator crafted an idealized vision of Vermont – nostalgic, resilient, and mythic – during his years in Arlington (1939-1953). Zoom: Advance registration required. In person: Limited seating; advance registration strongly recommended.
On Point: New Research into Vermont Needlework
Wednesday, April 15, 6-7 p.m.
Join Shelburne Museum curator Katie Wood Kirchhoff in conversation with the Vermont Sampler Initiative’s Ellen Thompson to explore extraordinary examples of schoolgirl artworks made in Vermont, ranging from traditional samplers and silk-on-silk embroideries to memorials, family registers, and more. This webinar will preview some of the remarkable items that will be on display as part of Shelburne Museum’s 2026 exhibition On Point: Needlework from the Garthwaite Family Collection. Visit shelburnemuseum.org/museum-from-home/webinars to register.
This is such a wonderful lineup of programming from Shelburne Museum. The conservation webinar sounds especially usefull since so many of us have family heirlooms we're not sure how to care for properly. Dunno about everyone else but I've been meaning to figure out what to do with my grandmother's old textiles for years now. Great to see museums making this kind of expert knowledge accessable to everyone.