Upcoming Events
Kenosha Public Museums offer many cultural and educational activities throughout the year.
Bird Day
Saturday, May 11, 2013; 10am-2pm
In celebration of International Migratory Bird Day and Celebrate Urban Birds, learn about the birds who are with us year-round, seasonally, and just passing through.
View "Bird Fair" booths of vendors and environmental organizations featuring bird-watching and bird-friendly landscaping information and products. Experience the excitement of live raptors! At 11am, see Ed Foster's raptors and Northern Illinois Raptors at 1pm.
Listen to presentations about birds and their habitats:
| 10:30 am | "Blue Birds" presented by Hoy Audubon Chapter |
| Noon | "Planting for the Winged Ones - Native Gardens to Sustain Native Birds" presented by Nan Calvert of Wild Ones |
| 12:45pm | "Chiwaukee Prairie Birds" presented by members of Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund |
Participate in family crafts to design your own bird and make a whirling bird, and participate in a bird observation study.
Wisconsin Museums Week
May 12-18, 2013
International Museum Day
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Support your Museums during Wisconsin Museums Week and on International Museum Day where there is always something new to learn, exciting to see, and fun to do.
Sunday Funday
Sunday Fundays are drop-in programs for adults with children. Free family activities are offered at the Kenosha Public Museum and the Dinosaur Discovery Museum. Sponsored by the Friends of the Museums.
- Animals in Art
May 19, 2013; 1-4pm
See the exhibit "Art and the Animal" and then create your own animal art. Make an animal mask, create animals from your hand print, and play a "How Animals Move" game.
American Wildlife Art
Sunday, May 19, 2013; 2pm
Dr. David Wagner explains how aesthetic idioms and imagery of American wildlife art evolved. Its ecological ideologies changed with changing circumstances and ideas about animals and their habitats. Artists and entrepreneurs developed and influenced the market for wildlife art. Artists, collectors, conservationists, students, and educators - anyone who already enjoys wildlife art or who is learning about it - will be fascinated by this presentation. Be sure to visit the "Art and the Animal" exhibit before or after the presentation.
Woolly Lemon Art Market
Thursdays only - June 6 - August 29, 2013; 5pm-8pm
Visit with Lemon Street Gallery artists at the Kenosha Public Museum. Buy one-of-a-kind art from sme of the area's finest artists.
Design-Your-Own-Tour" Wednesdays - Guided Tours of the Kenosha Public Museum
Wednesdays, June 12-August 28, 2013; 1pm
Want to learn more about the "big ugly fish," The Schaefer mammoth, the totem pole, or some other object or exhibit at the Kenosha Public Museum? Join us each Wednesday at 1pm for free guided highlight tours. You pick the exhibits and objects on the tour and volunteers and staff share their insights. Reservations are not required.
Gateway Rose Society Annual Rose Show
Saturday, June 22, 2013; 1-4pm
Join us for the annual rose show! This show is free and open to the public.
Annual Train Extravaganza
Saturday, June 29, 2013; 10am-5pm; Kenosha Public Museum and Civil War Museum
Sunday, June 30, 2012; Noon-4pm; Kenosha Public Museum and Civil War Museum
Visit the annual train extravaganza and see all makes and all models. On view at the Kenosha Public Museum and the Civil War Museum.
Sponsored by the G-Scalers Model Train Club.
Celebrate America
Thursday, July 4, 2013; Kenosha Public Museum and Civil War Museum
The Kenosha Public Museum and Civil War Museum will be open 1pm-5pm. Participate in special craft activities 1:30-4:30pm. Make a patriotic pinwheel at the Kenosha Public Museum and a flag fan at the Civil War Museum.
Experience Watercolors!
Saturday, July 6, 2013; 10am-2pm
Members of the Transparent Watercolor Society will be in the West Gallery painting amongst the paintings. You can experience watercolors, too, on the Mezzanine where paints, paper, brushes, and objects to arrange your own still life await you.
Museum Crawl
Friday, July 12, 2013; 6-10pm
Join us for a progressive party at the Museums! We'll have gourmet snacks, microbrews and wine, amazing entertainment, and goodie bags.
| 6pm | Pick up your wristband and goodie bag at the Kenosha Public Museum east entrance or at the Dinosaur Discovery Museum. |
| 6-7:30pm | Dinosaur Discovery Museum: Food and beverages by Franks Diner, music by Rosie Beane |
| 7-8:30pm | Civil War Museum: Food and beverages by Kaiser's Pizza & Pub; entertainment by Four Comedians and a Mic. |
| 8-10pm | Kenosha Public Museum: Food and beverages by Captain Mike's Beer & Burger Bar; music by Matt Meyer |
Exhibits, galleries, and gift shops will be open! Crazy games and prizes at each Museum! Park in the Kenosha Public Museum or Civil War Museum parking lots and take the streetcar to the Dinosaur Discovery Museum. Get a free ride back with your wristband anytime before 8pm. Tickets are limited to the first 150 people. For tickets, call the Museum at 262-653-4140. $25 FOM/$30 non-members. (Must be 21 years or older and present a photo I.D.)
16th Annual Pike River Rendezvous
Saturday, August 4, 2013; 9am-5pm; Simmons Island, free parking in Kennedy Park
Sunday, August 5, 2013; 9am-4pm; Simmons Island, free parking in Kennedy Park
Step back to the time when Native Americans and fur traders gathered to exchange goods and services and to celebrate! Talk with more than 300 reenactors at a rendezvous. There will be craft and trades demonstrations throughout the camp; musical entertainment and juggling; pirate battles on the beach; and hands-on games, activities, and entertainment for young and old alike.
Don't miss the fun for kids at the Laughing Fox Tavern and Family Activities Area: play period games, do period chores, make a beaded necklace, create a corn husk doll. Period foods, snacks, and "souvenirs" available from vendors.
Pick up a schedule at any of the entrances. Take the horse-drawn wagon shuttle service from Kennedy Park to the event. Here's an event map.
Be sure to visit the Kenosha Public Museum, Dinosaur Discovery Museum, and Civil War Museum as part of your visit to the Rendezvous.
49th Annual Art Fair
Sunday, July 21, 2013; 10am-5pm - NEW LOCATION AT THE MUSEUMS CAMPUS
FIRST AVENUE AND 56TH STREET
Indoor and outdoor fine arts and crafts booths, music, food, kids' art tent, and free admission.
Call for Artists: Here is the application. Application deadline is May 1, 2013. To get on the Art Fair mailing list or for more information, call the Kenosha Public Museum at 262-653-4140.

Peter V. Bianchi Artists Studio
The Kenosha Public Museum is pleased to host guest artists in the Artists Studio. Artists are invited into the studio to demonstrate and share their artistic expertise. Museum visitors can watch as the work of art evolves and interact with the artists in an informal setting. The Artists Studio is located in the South Gallery on the second floor of the Museum. Demonstrations are free and open to the public. Drop in anytime during the announced hours.
Here is the upcoming schedule (subject to change without notice):
| Date | Time | Artist | Medium |
| MAY | |||
| 7 | 10am-1pm | Marie Johnston | Basketry |
| 9 | 10am-2pm | Dave Watling | Acrylics |
| 14 | 9am-2pm | Tom Clark | Mosaics |
| 17 | 9am-Noon | Wendy Niemann | Mixed Media |
| 18 | 10am-2pm | Denny Bell | Woodcarving |
| 19 | 1pm-3pm | Cyndi Jara-Almonte | Weaving |
| 23 | 10am-2pm | Dave Watling | Acrylics |
| 26 | 12:30-4:30pm | Ralph Ziegler | Woodcarving |
| JUNE | |||
| 4 | 10am-1pm | Marie Johnston | Basketry |
| 6 | 10am-2pm | Dave Watling | Acrylics |
| 9 | 1pm-3pm | Cyndi Jara-Almonte | Weaving |
| 12 | 12:30-3:30pm | Kathryn Comstock | Pen & Ink |
| 15 | 10am-2pm | Denny Bell | Woodcarving |
| 20 | 10am-2pm | Dave Watling | Acrylics |
| 21 | 9am-Noon | Wendy Niemann | Mixed Media |
| 30 | 12:30-4:30pm | Ralph Ziegler | Woodcarving |
| JULY | |||
| 2 | 10am-1pm | Marie Johnston | Basketry |
| 12 | 9am-Noon | Wendy Niemann | Mixed Media |
| 20 | 10am-2pm | Denny Bell | Woodcarving |
| 21 | 1pm-3pm | Cyndi Jara-Almonte | Weaving |
| 28 | 12:30-4:30pm | Ralph Ziegler | Woodcarving |
| AUGUST | |||
| 17 | 10am-2pm | Denny Bell | Woodcarving |
| 18 | 1pm-3pm | Cyndi Jara-Almonte | Weaving |
| 25 | 12:30-4:30pm | Ralph Ziegler | Woodcarving |
2013 Travelogues
The 2013 season has ended! See you again in the fall.
We're looking for a sponsor partner for 2013-14! Call 262-653-4140 for details.
A travelogue is a professional 90-minute presentation shown on a big screen with one intermission. It documents interesting places around the world, describing art, music, architecture, culture, and history from a first-person perspective. Travelogues are produced in the enhanced digital format and narrated live by the filmmaker.
Travelogues open the world for people of all ages, enhancing student classroom experiences, and enabling adults to relive (or plan for) vacations and business trips around the world.
Fridays, 7pm; Doors open at 6:15pm
Reuther High School Auditorium, 58th Street and Sheridan Road
Admission is free, and seating is unreserved.
Travelogues are sponsored by the Kenosha Public Museums and supported in part by grants from Kenosha News.
Kenosha Festival of Cartooning Mini-Fest
Saturday, November 2, 2013
A one-day event featuring MAD magazine caricaturist Tom Richmond and internationally syndicated crtoonist John Hambrock. Cartooning and caricature workshops and an evening receptions. We'll have more details here in the fall!
Painting Watercolors Without Guessing - Watercolor Workshop with Joe Fettingis, NWS
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, November 14-16, 2013; 9:30am-4pm
Class #0620213403, $180 ($155 FOM)
Learn how to work with values, how to mix colors, how to control moisture, and how to compose a painting. Each student receives a photo and a drawing to get started. There are 5-6 short demonstrations each day focused on problem-solving with plenty of time to paint. Fettingis works one-on-one with each student. "My goal is for every student to go home with more knowledge than when they came in. After teaching watercolors over 30 years all over the U.S. and Canada, I have realized the "must" things each student needs to know to be able to paint successfully." This workshop is not for new students to watercolors. Some watercolor painting experience is required.
Fettingis is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society and has been published in American Artist, Palette Talk, and International Artist magazines. He has been featured in the books Splash 6, Painting Color, and Best of Watercolors 2. He regularly lectures, demonstrates, and conducts workshops nationally and in Canada. A supply list is available on his website at www.jfettingis.com.
Kenosha
Public Museum