Saturday, July 18, 2026, 12-3pm

We invite the community to join us for a FREE event in celebration of art! Participate in awesome make-and-take art activities, watch masterful artist demonstrations, enjoy a museum scavenger hunt, and help create a collaborative work of art. Meet and hear from artists who are represented in the 2026 Danforth Annual Juried Exhibition. Food trucks, storytelling, poetry, music, DJ entertainment, and more.

All are welcome and admission is free!

Danforth Members have Early Access to Hype the Arts. Click here to become a member today!

The Early Access hour is also designated for neurodivergent visitors or anyone seeking a sensory-friendly hour. Our Quiet Room, equipped with sensory materials, is located on the 3rd floor during Hype the Arts. Please contact us regarding physical accommodations at 508-215-5118.

Make-and-Takes

We’ll have a variety of fun make-and-take activities. We’ll also have an open studio for you to try drawing at an easel!

Community Art Project

Join us all day for two Community Art Projects! This year, the Danforth presents a sandbox filled with colored sand and welcomes participants to engage with the designs to create new patterns, textures and color combinations. Inspired by Polish artist Adam Kalinowski’s work, Color Path, we hope this installation will provide an opportunity for sensory engagement with the tactile properties of the sand, creating a constantly shifting collaborative artwork. Our second community project is a Yayoi Kusama inspired “Obliteration Room”, where participants can make their mark in an installation on our lawn.

Artist Talks

Hype the Arts will feature artist mini talks. You will get to meet and hear artists represented in the 2026 Danforth Annual Juried Exhibition. They will speak on what inspired their work, their process, and their practice. We hope you’ll stop by to listen, learn, and interact with some amazing local artists!

1:00 pm – Liza Carter, Lawrence Elbroch, Victoria Elbroch, Sasha Knittel, Susan Polansky, Fay Senner, Martha Volcker

Artist Demonstrations

Join talented artists as they create beautiful works of art in their chosen medium. Drop in, observe, and ask artists questions on their methods, materials, or inspiration.

Ongoing – En Plein Air Painting with Paul Hackett

12:00 pm – Monotype Printmaking with Paula DeSimone

1:00 pm – Single Line Painting with Ryan Horton

Performances

Hype the Arts is not only about celebrating the visual arts at the Danforth, but also about bringing other art forms in to animate our space and engage with the community. Enjoy classic bossa nova and Brazilian-influenced tunes. Listen to a spoken word poet in the galleries. Hear a bilingual storyteller read children’s books in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Sway to upbeat music played by a DJ out on the back lawn.

Ongoing – DJ mortimer

11:45 pm – Music by The Brazilian Project

12:45 pm – Bilingual Storytelling with Rejane De Musis

12:45 pm – Poetry Performance with Cole Rodriguez

1:45 pm – Music by the Brazilian Project

Other Activities

Several other activities are sprinkled into the day’s schedule, including an airbrush tattoo artist, a caricaturist, a scavenger hunt, and a Hype t-shirt giveaway!

Caricaturist – A.J. Jerrett

Airbrush tattoo artist – Kids Party Productions

Food Trucks

Be sure to get a bite to eat or enjoy some dessert!

This year’s Hype the Arts Event Features two trucks: The Grub Guru and Dylan & Pete’s Ice Cream.

Parking & Bus Routes

Hype the Arts will take place at the Danforth Art Museum & School, which is located at 14 Vernon Street, Framingham, MA 01701.

Our parking lot is located behind the building, and is accessible via Grove Street. If our lot becomes full, additional parking is available in neighboring lots: Framingham Centre Nursery School, First Parish in Framingham Unitarian Universalists, the Plymouth Church in Framingham, and the Village Hall on the Common. These lots are located off of the Framingham Centre Common or along Edgell Road, and will be marked with Danforth “Event Parking” lawn signs at their entrances (see map for locations of lots).

If you are arriving by bus, there are two MWRTA fixed routes that will take you to the Framingham Centre Common. Route 2 and Route 3 stops at Edgell Rd on the weekends. Please click on each route to see details about their schedule and route.

All MWRTA services are currently Fare Free! For any fixed route, no card is required! Simply board the bus and receive free fare! Visit MWRTA’s website for more information about fares and transport options here.