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SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College is opening its doors to the public for a day of free events on the fifth annual Frances Day, a community open house.
On July 14 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., visitors can experience multiple contemporary art exhibitions, art-making activities, food, music, and fun in honor of the museum’s namesake, Frances Young Tang.
Visitors to this year’s Frances Day will have numerous opportunities to interact with artists whose work is exhibited in the museum while being able to engage in art-making activities inspired by the work on view in the museum. In addition to button making and visor decorating, visitors can join in the creation of a collaborative two-sided artwork inspired by Dona Nelson’s two-sided paintings. The collaborative artwork will be created by threading yarn of various colors through a pegboard, allowing visitors to create abstract images on both sides.
“We go through a lot of different growing stages and thinking about who we are in the world and we’re still thinking about that,” Michael Janairo, Assistant Director for Engagement, said about the museum.
“We’re quite successful and quite well known among academic museums around the world, which is very different from, if you’re a family in Saratoga. We have a very strong family Saturday program that’s been around for 14 to 15 years ... So we were thinking what could we do to engage better with the local community, the people who live around here,” he added.
The Tang Museum aims to disrupt the notion that going to museums is an elitist activity. The museum’s actual structure is the proof. The Tang Museum includes various entrances, and multiple staircases that put forward the idea that the museum should be inclusively accessible to all. The museum has classrooms where classes are held for the students at Skidmore College as well.
“We are open to the public all the time but we find... It’s not that we’re not open to the public; it’s just that people need invitations to come. So we think having a day where there’s a lot of interactivity can create an exciting moment for people to come check things out,” Janairo said.
Frances Young Tang was a businesswoman, philanthropist, and 1961 Skidmore College graduate who died in 1992. In her memory, the Tang family made a substantial donation that led to the Tang Teaching Museum becoming a reality in 2000. Frances Day honors Frances Young Tang’s legacy of creativity and philanthropy with a day of free activities.
Visitors will also be able to sign up for giveaways of Tang- related prizes, including private museum tours, exhibition catalogs, CDs, and more.
To find the schedule and full list of activities for Frances Day visit www.tang.skidmore.edu.
