This Holiday Season Glitters and Glows at the Worcester Art Museum!
Deck the Halls at WAM features art-themed trees, concerts, and holiday programs for all ages.
WORCESTERt, MA – November 4, 2021– Love is celebrated in its many forms this holiday season at the Worcester Art Museum (WAM). This year Deck the Halls at WAM will feature Sunday concerts and holiday programs for all ages, surrounded by artfully decorated trees by Sally Jablonski of Herbert E. Berg Florist, Inc. and themed around the classic love story, Dr. Zhivago.
WAM will also be hosting Dwight Sturtevant and his interactive model train layout, sure to delight visitors of all ages. These exciting displays will celebrate the love, elegance, and splendor of winter and will be on view at the Worcester Art Museum from November 26, 2021 through January 9, 2022.
Deck the Halls at WAM launches on December 4th with “The Gatherings” tour, followed by a FREE Community Day Celebrating Hanukkah.
WAM partners with the Worcester JCC and the Jewish Federation of Central MA to host this full day of programming that celebrates Hanukkah with activities for all ages.
Throughout the holiday season, all are invited to enjoy many wonderful events that WAM is hosting to celebrate this holiday season including: concerts, tours, ice carving, a screening of the 1965 film Dr. Zhivago, and much more.
“The weekend programs have something for all ages,” says Aileen Novick, Manager of Education and Public Programs at the Worcester Art Museum. “Visitors can stroll the galleries and take in the sounds of the Merrimack Valley Ringers’, or see Chip Koser creating a love stories themed ice sculpture outside, or see John McDonough’s Pumpernickel Puppets Musical Variety Show.
There will be a lot of fun things for all ages at WAM this winter!
Events Schedule
All programs and activities listed below are free with admission, unless otherwise indicated, and held at the Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury Street in Worcester, MA. Masks are now required for all visitors, age 5 and over, to the Worcester Art Museum, regardless of vaccination status. Museum parking is free, but limited.
For directions and a map of additional parking around the Museum, visit:
http://www.worcesterart.org/information/directions/
Saturday, December 4, 2pm, and Saturday, December 18, 2pm
Meet in Lancaster Lobby
December is a month where families around the globe gather for different winter holidays and festivals. Join docent Susan Gately as she leads WAM’s special tour of the month, “The Gatherings.” She will present visitors with expected and unexpected objects throughout the museum that are related to gatherings.
From the Chapter House, to a Japanese Tea Service, to Pieter Brueghel II’s The Marriage Procession.
Community Day: Hanukkah at WAM
Sunday, December 5, 10am-4pm
WAM partners with the Worcester JCC and the Jewish Federation of Central MA to host this full day of programing that celebrates Hanukkah with activities for all ages.
Join us for Klezmer music, live cooking demonstrations of latke making, story times in collaboration with PJ Library, art activities, and discussions about the traditions and history of Hanukkah.
Sunday, December 12, 2pm
Renaissance Court
Hear the joyous sounds of holiday bells across the Museum with the Merrimack Valley Ringers! This popular hand-bell ensemble will perform holiday favorites with warmth and gusto, sure to delight listeners of all ages.
Read more about the Merrimack Valley Ringers
Holiday Concert: Arianna Falk, Peter Sulski, and Neighborhood Strings
Sunday, December 19, 2pm
Renaissance Court
Enjoy a soaring string performance in the Museum’s Renaissance Court! Arianna Falk, cello, and Peter Sulski, viola, are joined by Worcester’s Neighborhood Strings for a special holiday concert surrounded by inspiring artwork.
John McDonough’s Pumpernickel Puppets Musical Variety Show!
Sunday, December 26, 2pm
Renaissance Court
Join Bugsy and his Pumpernickel Puppet Friends both old and new for an interactive, musical variety show featuring hand, string, and life size puppets. Come see the colorful characters, live voices, and exciting and humorous adaptations of classic folk and fairy tales. Be sure to stay to the end for a behind the scenes demonstration of the puppet show.
Ice Carving by Chip Koser of South Cape Ice Sculptures
Saturday, January 8, 11:30am
Lancaster Plaza
Step outside to watch an ice sculpture be created before your eyes! Chip Koser will work to hand carve a unique sculpture inspired by WAM’s special exhibition, Love Stories from the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Sunday, January 9, 1-4:30pm
Second Floor Conference Room
(limited seating – pre-registration required)
Be transported to early 20th century Russia in a special screening of the 1965 classic film, Doctor Zhivago.
Come see one of the most epic love stories of all time, take in the winter scenes of Russia, and notice influences that inspired this year’s holiday decorations!
About the Worcester Art Museum
The Worcester Art Museum creates transformative programs and exhibitions, drawing on its exceptional collection of art. Dating from 3,000 BC to the present, these works provide the foundation for a focus on audience engagement, connecting visitors of all ages and abilities with inspiring art and demonstrating its enduring relevance to daily life. Creative initiatives— including pioneering collaborative programs with local schools, fresh approaches to exhibition design and in-gallery teaching, and a long history of studio class instruction—offer opportunities for diverse audiences to experience art and learn both from and with artists.
Since its founding in 1896, the Worcester Art Museum has assembled a collection of 38,000 objects: from the ancient Near East and Asia, to European and American paintings and sculptures, and continuing with works by contemporary artists from around the world. WAM has a history of making large scale acquisitions, such as its Medieval Chapter House, the Worcester Hunt Mosaic, its 15th-century Spanish ceiling, and the Flemish Last Judgment tapestry.
In 2013, the Museum acquired the John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection, comprising two thousand arms and armor objects. It continues to commission and present new works, such as 2019’s exhibition, With Child: Otto Dix/Carmen Winant.
For more information about the Worcester Art Museum, visit
The Worcester Art Museum, located at 55 Salisbury Street in Worcester, MA, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission is $18 for adults, $14 for seniors 65+ and for college students with ID.
Admission is free for Museum Members and children ages 0-17.
On the first Sunday of each month, admission is free for everyone.
Museum parking is free.
Tickets may be purchased in advance at worcesterart.org
Visitors are advised to check the Museum website for visiting requirements related to COVID-19.