MILLVILLE, NJ (June 30, 2026) – Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center is welcoming summer with new, fun programming available to visitors throughout July and August. Enjoy new hands-on activities, demonstrations, tours, and more. Guests can explore the popular Design-A Series in both the Glass and Pottery Studios, where visitors of all ages are invited to submit drawings based on a specific theme for the opportunity to have them brought to life by studio artists. Families can also experience the interactive Play Grove, an imaginative outdoor space designed to encourage creative play, exploration, and connection with nature. With engaging experiences happening throughout the campus all summer long, WheatonArts offers something for everyone to discover, create, and enjoy.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Join us in the Glass Studio on July 4th for Historical Object Demonstrations to honor the 250th anniversary of America.
• Design-A Object will be available on Thursdays. Draw the themed object for that week and watch the Glass Studio Team bring some of these designs to life. 
• Science Sundays will take place in the Glass Studio from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Watch demonstrations and learn about the process of working with plasma and neon.
• Visit the Museum of American Glass to see the 2026 exhibits Portals and Passages, Ghost Optics, and Transformations: The Wasserstein Collection of Contemporary Glass.
• Partake in the two new self-guided activities in the Museum of American Glass.
  • Who’s Looking at You? Explore the Museum to find people depicted in glass. Look for all the unique faces and expressions. Recognize anyone?
  • America 250. Discover 250 years of American history captured in glass. Can you find symbols of patriotism—eagles, flags, presidents, and more?
• Take a 45-minute guided tour, Highlights of the Museum of American Glass, offered daily at 2 p.m. 
• Visit the Down Jersey Folklife Center to see the current exhibit Communities and Cultures of Down Jersey.
• Design a Birdbath in the Pottery Studio during the month of July. Select designs will be chosen at the end of the month to be created and taken home by the winner.
• Design a Jack’O’Lantern in the Pottery Studio during the month of August. Select designs will be chosen at the end of the month to be created and taken home by the winner.
• Pottery themed coloring sheets will also be available in the Pottery Studio.
• Sit outside at a tabletop easel to engage with the landscape and campus in our Plein Air Studio on Thursdays and Fridays.  
• Join us for Thursday Family Art Studios, where you will be guided by an instructor for an all-ages project. There will be four rotating projects throughout July and August.
• As you walk around, have fun searching for the clues to our campus-wide Scavenger Hunt.
• Engage with our new creative space, the Play Grove, outside the General Store. Play Chalk Games, perform on the Stage with the provided props, enjoy classic board games, and fill the area with sound at the Music Wall. 

WheatonArts strives to ensure the accessibility of its exhibitions, events, and programs to all persons with disabilities. Provide two weeks’ notice for additional needs. Patrons with hearing and speech disabilities may contact WheatonArts through the New Jersey Relay Service (TRS) at 800-852-7899 or by dialing 711.  

Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and the New Jersey Cultural Trust. WheatonArts also receives general operating support from the New Jersey Historical Commission, Division of Cultural Affairs in the New Jersey Department of State, and is supported in part by the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism.  

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About WheatonArts: With a history spanning over five decades, WheatonArts has earned regional, national, and international recognition for its unique collections and programs. The Museum of American Glass (accredited by the American Alliance of Museums) houses one of the most comprehensive collections of American glass in the country – from the first glass bottles made in America to celebrated works by Dale Chihuly, Paul Stankard, and other contemporary glass artists. Visitors experience the art of glassmaking, ceramics, and flameworking in the Artist Studios. From April through December, the Museum of American Glass and Down Jersey Folklife Center present special exhibitions. WheatonArts also offers traditional and multicultural programs, classes, workshops, performances, and weekend festivals. The award-winning Museum Stores offer traditional and contemporary art and craft in all mediums. 

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