Get to know Santa Cruz’s WILD SIDE at the Museum of Natural History! Nerd out on your night out during monthly after-hours events, featuring rotating themes, vendors, and activities. FREE admission to the Museum all day 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with special festivities from 5 – 8 p.m. Just like mixing a palette, we...
Come to SOMOS Watsonville for an art activity: Discover a botanical process with fresh flowers and a cardboard press. Come and learn how to make a plant press to dry and preserve your favorite flowers. Open to Watsonville Residents ¡Venga a SOMOS Watsonville para una actividad artística: Descubra un proceso botánico con flores frescas y una...
Love nature, science, and art but don’t know where to start? Here is your opportunity to master a new skill and bring home your own environmentally-inspired masterpiece after just one class. Learn the basics of watercolor and gouache with step-by-step instruction by a master scientific illustrator. After a nature walk to gain knowledge of local...
Make a print that will last forever inspired by the different things you see in nature! This printmaking technique is called “embossing”. Used during the 19th century to design stamps and seals for documents, to make coins, and to make a variety of different types of prints. Open to Watsonville Residents ¡Haga una impresión que...
As part of this Springtime special, get up close and personal with the art of butterflies! Featuring beautiful insect displays, from the rarely seen insect taxidermy collection, this program is perfect for aspiring artists and entomologists alike. Taught by a professional entomological illustrator, this workshop will begin with a scientific presentation on insects before transitioning...
As part of this Art of Nature special, learn from one of the featured exhibitors on how to capture the intricate beauty of birds. Spotlighting local Santa Cruz species as models, participants will learn how to paint the nuanced features of these stunning seasonal subjects. In addition to learning the painting techniques, participants will also...
Go green this Earth Day by creating a work of art from upcycled beach glass! As part of this special seasonal offering, discover the beauty of beachcombing as you create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece made from shoreline treasures. Using local and sustainably-sourced resources, participants will learn the basics of environmental sculpture and design with step-by-step instruction....
Let’s go to the beach and learn to paint in oils! In recognition of Earth Day, learn how to use oil paints in an environmentally friendly, solvent-free way. This open-air art workshop will teach the techniques necessary to capture environmental perspectives through the creative use of negative space, layering, various stroke techniques, and more. Paint a...
Find the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History at Wilder Ranch’s Art in the Park! We’ll be hosting environmentally-inspired art activities and displaying beautiful artifacts from our collections. Come celebrate the incredible artistic talent we have in our community, especially artists inspired by nature. Bring your art supply of choice and get creative, or take...
Go outside and learn to paint gouache and watercolor landscapes while surrounded by nature as inspiration. This open-air art workshop will teach the techniques necessary to capture environmental perspectives through the creative use of negative space, layering, various stroke techniques, and more. Using the Museum’s exclusive access to various vistas as reference, participants will be...
Love nature, science, and art but don’t know where to start? Here is your opportunity to master a new skill and bring home your own environmentally-inspired masterpiece after just one class. Celebrate Micro May through stipple art, which uses small dots to create the impression of texture, shading, or solidity. Learn this unique art style...
