Sip & Paint on Slate, Spring Session

Friday, April 26, 7-9pm

$40 per person

Pre-registration required

Join art instructor Darcie Parrot as she guides in how to paint a covered bridge scene on a locally-sourced slate tile. 

Price includes all materials, one drink ticket, and snacks.

Pre-registration is required. Please call 518-642-1417 or email executivedirector@slatevalleymuseum.org to sign up. If you reach the museum's voicemail, please leave a message and someone will return your call as soon as possible.

Photo: Courtesy Darcie Parrot

Pysanky Egg Workshop with Christine Levy

Saturday, March 16, 12-3pm

$40 per person

Pre-registration Required

Join artist Christine Levy to learn about the history and how-tos of making Pysanky, or Ukranian Easter eggs. Levy is a second generation Ukranian American and has been writing Pysanky since she was 10 years old.

All ages welcome. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Workshop fee includes all materials and supplies.

To register, please contact the museum at mail@slatevalleymuseum.org or at 518-642-1417. If you reach the museum's voicemail, please leave a message and someone will call you back as soon as possible.

Photo: Courtesy Christine Levy

Hudson River Ceili - Live Musical Performance

Traditional Celtic Music

Friday, March 15, 7-9pm

$20 per person, $15 for members of the museum

Pre-registration recommended

March is Irish American Heritage Month! What better way to celebrate than by joining us for a festive evening of music with Hudson River Ceili?

Hudson River Ceili is known for performing traditional Irish and other Celtic style music and dance. The group especially enjoys high energy dance tunes from the Irish, Quebecois, and New England traditions. 

Light refreshments will be available. 

To register, email Sarah at mail@slatevalleymuseum.org or call the museum at 518-642-1417. If you reach the voicemail system, simply leave a message and someone will return your call as soon as possible!

Learn more about the group on their website, https://hudsonriverceili.com/

Photo: Courtesy Hudson River Ceili.

Virtual Holiday Auction

Click here to access the auction website.

Image: Slate Garden Markers created and donated by CarolAnn Hawkins, 2023.

Sip & Paint on Slate, Holiday Session

Monday, December 11, 6:30-9pm

$40 per person

Pre-registration & Pre-payment Required

Join instructor Darcie Parrott as she leads the group step-by-step in how to create a festive winter scene with a red barn as the focal point.

Registration fee includes one beverage ticket and a selection of savory and sweet snacks. Additional beverages available for purchase.

The first half hour of the event will be time to explore the Festival of Trees. Art instruction will begin at 7pm.

To register, please email mail@slatevalleymuseum.org or call 518-642-1417. 

You can also download the brochure for the entire 2023 season by clicking here.

Photo: Courtesy Darcie Parrott.

Final Open Day of the 2023 Season

December 9 

Slate Valley Festival of Trees Display

December 3– 9, 10am-4pm

Free Admission

Visit the Festival of Trees with your group, family, friends, or coworkers!

Contact the museum at mail@slatevalleymuseum.org with questions.

EVENT POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER

Opening Event, Slate Valley Festival of Trees: Baking Spirits Bright 

Now Opening December 2, 4-8pm, Free Family Event

Join us for the opening event of our 2023 Festival of Trees! 

Contact the museum at mail@slatevalleymuseum.org with questions.

Image: Tree donated by Dottie Conklin, 2023.

Sip & Paint on Slate, Fall Session

Friday, October 13, 7-9pm

$40 per person

Pre-registration & Pre-payment Required

Join instructor Darcie Parrott as she leads the group step-by-step in how to create a spooky fall night on slate sourced from the Slate Valley.

Registration fee includes one beverage ticket and a selection of savory and sweet snacks. Additional beverages available for purchase.

To register, please contact museum associate Wendy Bordwell at associate@slatevalleymuseum.org or 518-642-1417. 

You can also download the brochure for the entire 2023 season by clicking here.

Photo: Courtesy Darcie Parrott.

Introductory Wire Wrapping Workshop

Friday, September 29, 7-9pm

$40 per person

Pre-registration Required

Join instructor Darcie Parrott to learn how to wrap wire around pieces of slate to create unique pieces of jewelry, charms, or decorations.

This workshop will provide you with the skills and understanding of how to encase a chunk of slate within a decorative and functional wire cage. You will have the opportunity to wrap two pieces of slate, one with thin wire and one with thick wire. At the end of the workshop, you will have created two slate pendants.

Call the museum at 518-642-1417 to register.

CANCELLED

Historic Architecture Tour of Saratoga: Elements of both Landscape Architecture and Built Architecture (rain or shine)

September 16, 10:15am, $15 for Members; all others $20

Pre-registration & Pre-payment Required by 4pm on Tuesday, 9/12

Saratoga Springs has thrived, in part, due to the underground and above ground landscape within the city. Join guest curator and research Bob Isherwood as he explores the historic district of the Congress Park area and the adjoining East Side Neighborhood. Exploration of these city areas will use Saratoga as an example of some of the themes around city planning and the use of slate in the post Civil War/Gilded Age period as developed in the exhibition, One Painting, Many Stories. 

The walking tour will conclude with a picnic lunch (bring/buy our own) on the grounds of the Saratoga Spa State Park where attendees will be able to view the WPA era architecture of Dwight J. Baum and others.

Space is limited and RSVP is required. Please call 518-642-1417 by 4pm on Tuesday 9/12 to register and pay to participate in the tour.  Details on where to convene will be provided upon registration.

The event is rain or shine, with the picnic dependent on the weather conditions. This is primarily a walking tour with variations of street and sidewalk conditions. Please dress appropriate for walking and weather. 

Photo: Courtesy private collection.

Workshop: Painting on Slate—Folk Art Designs with Heather Bellanca

September 15, 7pm, $40 per person

Pre-registration & Pre-payment Required

Join artist Heather Bellanca and learn how to  transfer folk art designs to slate and then create your own unique, colorful artworks using paint pens.

Space is limited. Pre-registration and prepayment are required. Those interested in attending should contact the museum at 518-642-1417 or mail@slatevalleymuseum.org. 

Photo: Courtesy Heather Bellanca

The 90th Anniversary Civilian Conservation Corps & History of the Poultney & VT CCC Camps

Marty Podskoch

August 19, 1pm

Free for Members; All others $10 

Author and historian Marty Podskoch will give a presentation on the history of the Vermont Civilian Conservation Corps Camps. 

Photo: Taken at CCC Camp in Poultney, VT. Courtesy Stanley Flak.

Sip & Paint on Slate, Late Summer Session

Friday, August 18, 7-9pm

$40 per person

Pre-registration & Pre-payment Required

Join instructor Darcie Parrott as she leads the group step-by-step in how to create a colorful Zinnia flower on slate sourced from the Slate Valley.

Registration fee includes one beverage ticket and a selection of savory and sweet snacks. Additional beverages available for purchase.

To register, please contact museum associate Wendy Bordwell at associate@slatevalleymuseum.org or 518-642-1417. 

You can also download the brochure for the entire 2023 season by clicking here.

Photo: Courtesy Darcie Parrott.

SlaterDay: Featuring Lives Engraved in Slate, Granville High School Student Project

August 12, 10am-4pm

Free with Museum Admission

Join us as we celebrate the opening of an exciting collaborative exhibition featuring the work of students from Granville Junior-Senior High School!

Photo: Elizabeth Shaw (interviewee) and Renad Al-Assere and Elyas Al-Assere (student interviewers) at the Slate Valley Museum on interview day. Courtesy Granville Junior-Senior High School.

Jordan LaMothe, Winner of Forged in Fire, Blacksmith Demonstrations

July 29, 1-4pm

Free with Museum Admission

LaMothe will fire up his forge on the museum grounds and demonstrate the craft of blacksmithing, including the forging of tools.

Photo courtesy Jordan LaMothe

Jordan LaMothe, Winner of Forged in Fire, Blacksmith Talk

July 29, 10:15am, Free for Members; All others $10

RSVP Recommended 

The Master Smith will discuss his experience as a blacksmith and the role of the craft historically and today. Jordan will emphasize specifically how blacksmiths support other trades by forging tools, and will cite his own experience making tools for woodworking and chisels for local slate quarries.

Photo Courtesy Jordan LaMothe

Workshop: Painting on Slate – Transfer Method 

July 21, 7-9pm, $40 per person

Instructor: Heather Bellanca 

Pre-registration & Pre-payment Required

During her two-hour workshop, Bellanca will guide participants in how to transfer an image from paper to a locally sourced slate tile. She will provide four options of imagery for guests to choose from. They’ll learn how to transfer the pattern to slate and create their works using paint pens.

Photo: Courtesy Heather Bellanca.

Exhibition Opening Day, Featuring Curator Krista Rupe

Saturday, July 8, 10am

Free with Museum Admission

Early trailblazers in the slate industry were more than successful business owners. They helped shape an important economy that came to define the Slate Valley region.

In the Slate Valley Museum's newest exhibition, researcher Krista Rupe and photographer Chuck Helfer explore the lives of these early "Slate Barons," their contributions to society both locally and beyond, and the legacy in objects and architecture that we can see from them today.

Image: Courtesy Slate Valley Museum permanent collection.

Slate Roof Birdhouse Workshop for Kids 10+

June 17, 1pm

$40 per person

Pre-registration & Pre-payment Required

Instructors Tom DeMatties and his son Sam will lead in constructing wooden birdhouses with slate tile roofs. 

In addition to guiding participants through the construction process, DeMatties will also cover basic woodworking safety. All participants will need to have long hair tied back and no loose shirts or hoodies with strings will be permitted in the workshops for safety reasons. Safety glasses will be available to borrow from the museum, but attendees may bring their own if they desire to do so.

The fee to participate in the workshop is $40 per child, with a limit of one birdhouse per child. An adult must accompany each child and should expect to assist with the construction process. Any adult helper is welcome to build a birdhouse as well for an additional fee of $20.

Call the museum to register.

Slate Roof Birdhouse Workshop for Kids 13+

June 16, 6pm

$40 per person

Pre-registration & Pre-payment Required

Instructors Tom DeMatties and his son Sam will lead in constructing wooden birdhouses with slate tile roofs. 

In addition to guiding participants through the construction process, DeMatties will also cover basic woodworking safety. All participants will need to have long hair tied back and no loose shirts or hoodies with strings will be permitted in the workshops for safety reasons. Safety glasses will be available to borrow from the museum, but attendees may bring their own if they desire to do so.

The fee to participate in the workshop is $40 per child, with a limit of one birdhouse per child. An adult must accompany each child and should expect to assist with the construction process. Any adult helper is welcome to build a birdhouse as well for an additional fee of $20.

Call the museum to register.

SlaterDay: Slate in Historic Preservation

June 10, 10am - 4pm

Free with Museum Admission

See slate work first hand and listen to slaters share stories of their work! Our first SlaterDay of the 2023 season explores examples of slate in historic preservation efforts. Representatives from Camara Slate will join us for demos and discussion throughout the day.

The day will also highlight updates to the One Painting, Many Stories exhibitoin that features Martha Levy's Men Working in Slate Quarry WPA era mural, which hangs at the museum.

Photo: Camara Slate Quarry.

Sip & Paint on Slate, Early Summer Session

Friday, June 2, 7-9pm

$40 per person

Pre-registration & Pre-payment Required

Join instructor Darcie Parrott as she leads the group step-by-step in how to create a patriotic slate - an American flag painted in the night sky behind a shadowed woodline.

Registration fee includes one beverage ticket and a selection of savory and sweet snacks. Additional beverages available for purchase.

To register, please contact museum associate Wendy Bordwell at associate@slatevalleymuseum.org or 518-642-1417. 

You can also download the brochure for the entire 2023 season by clicking here.

Photo: Courtesy Darcie Parrott.

Slate, Strikes, and Unions: Exploring the History of Labor in the Slate Industry

Virtual Program & Online Exhibition Launch

Featuring Guest Curator Kaidin Phelan

Friday, May 26, 6pm

Streamed for FREE via Zoom

Click here to access the program

Since at least 1840s, the slate industry has operated in the Slate Valley, where thousands of skilled laborers have extracted slate from the Earth. The relationship between workers and quarry owners has been contentious at times, leading to strikes and demands through labor unions when tensions flared. 

Join guest curator and researcher Kaidin Phelan for a program exploring how he developed the new online exhibition. He will lead a "tour" of the virtual exhibition, which will be made public on the Slate Valley Museum website for the first time at this program.

Click here to access the program.

Photo: Courtesy Slate Valley Museum

Exhibition Grand Opening & Curator's Talk by Carwyn Rhys Jones

Saturday, May 20, 10am

$10 per person; Free for Museum Members

Photographer Carwyn Rhys Jones will join us at the Slate Valley Museum to open his original exhibition, Quarrymen. The event will feature a curator's talk and discussion, as well as an opportunity to meet the artist. Refreshments will be available.

Previously on view at the National Slate Museum and other venues in Wales, this special exhibition features Jones' creative use of double exposure photography and video documentary to share the stories of quarrymen who once worked in the quarries of Northern Wales. 

Image: Courtesy Carwyn Rhys Jones.

Exhibition Preview Reception & Curator's Tour of Quarrymen, by Carwyn Rhys Jones

Friday, May 19, 7-9pm

$15 per person; Free for Museum Members

Photographer Carwyn Rhys Jones will join us at the Slate Valley Museum for a special preview of his original exhibition, Quarrymen. Jones will provide a tour of his exhibition. Refreshments will be available.

Previously on view at the National Slate Museum and other venues in Wales, this special exhibition features Jones' creative use of double exposure photography and video documentary to share the stories of quarrymen who once worked in the quarries of Northern Wales. 

Image: Courtesy Carwyn Rhys Jones.

Granville: Raised in Stone

Film Viewing and Q&A with Filmmaker Marielle Scott

Saturday, May 6, 1pm

Streamed for FREE via Zoom

Click here to access the webinar - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84688954640 

Marielle’s film follows Paul Labas, who is a third-generation slate maker born and raised in Granville, NY. This small town rests on the border of Vermont and New York and is known as the colored slate capital of the world. The town’s development has historically relied on the success of the slate industry. But, as time moves on, both the town and the industry face many challenges - and Paul finds himself at the center of them. 

Program includes a viewing of the film and time for Q&A with the filmmaker.

Please click on the following link to access the webinar - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84688954640.

Image Courtesy Marielle Scott

Sip & Paint on Slate, Spring Session

Friday, April 28, 7-9pm

$40 per person

Pre-registration & Pre-payment Required

Join instructor Darcie Parrott as she leads the group step-by-step in how to create a painted trout fish on slate.

Registration fee includes one beverage ticket and a selection of savory and sweet snacks. Additional beverages available for purchase.

To register, please contact museum associate Wendy Bordwell at associate@slatevalleymuseum.org or 518-642-1417. 

Pysanky Egg Workshop for Kids with Christine Levy

Saturday, March 25, 1-4pm

$40 per child; must be ages 6-12 to participate

Pre-registration & Pre-payment Required

Artist Christine Levy will welcome children ages 6-12 to learn about the history and how-tos of making Pysanky, or Ukranian Easter eggs. Levy is a second generation Ukranian American and has been writing Pysanky since she was 10 years old.

Children should be accompanied by an adult who can assist them, as the workshop involves the use of hot wax to create the egg designs. 

To register, please contact museum associate Wendy Bordwell at associate@slatevalleymuseum.org or 518-642-1417. 

Workshop fee includes all materials and supplies.

Photo: Courtesy Christine Levy 

Pysanky Egg Workshop for Adults with Christine Levy

Friday, March 24, 6-9pm

$40 per person

Pre-registration & Pre-payment Required

Join artist Christine Levy to learn about the history and how-tos of making Pysanky, or Ukranian Easter eggs. Levy is a second generation Ukranian American and has been writing Pysanky since she was 10 years old.

Workshop fee includes all materials and supplies.

To register, please contact museum associate Wendy Bordwell at associate@slatevalleymuseum.org or 518-642-1417.  

Photo: Courtesy Christine Levy

Gypsy Reel Annual St. Patrick's Performance

Saturday, March 18, 7pm

$20 per person, $15 for members of the museum

Pre-registration & Pre-payment Encouraged

Gypsy Reel returns for their annual St Patrick’s concert! Joining them this year will be two of their favorite guitar/ upright bass players -  Jon Scaife (over from the UK) and Silas Hamilton. These fantastic rhythm and tune players will keep the heat on the beat for the dance tunes and are fabulous accompanists for the Celtic songs. 

Get your tickets early, this will be a memorable concert at a fantastic venue. Feel free to wear green and bring your dancing shoes!

 Enjoy stirring songs as well as a selection of breads, spreads, and beverages donated by local stores and bakeries. 

Beer will also be available for purchase. 

Pre-registration and pre-payment are strongly suggested due to the popularity of this event. There may be a limited number of seats available the night of the concert, but there is no guarantee. Please contact museum associate Wendy Bordwell at associate@slatevalleymuseum.org or 518-642-1417.

Special Thanks to Our Business Partners on this Event

Donors of Breads & Spreads: Argyle Cheese Farmer, The Bread Basket, B & G Foods, Consider Bardwell Farm, Grottoli's Maple, Larson Farms & Creamery, Nuns of New Skete, Rupert Rising, and Vermont Creamery

Beverage Partner: Slate Town Brewery

Ethnic Bread & Soup Night

Friday, March 3, 6-8pm

$10 per person; $15 extra for commemorative soup bowl (limited number available)

Taste a variety of 20 warm soups with culinary roots connected to the immigrant groups that worked in and around our region's slate industry.

Soups, stews, and chowders include traditional recipes from Wales, Ireland, and Eastern Europe, as well as other immigrant groups represented in our region, including ethnic groups from Europe and the Americas.

A selection of crusty and delicious breads donated by Rock Hill Bakery will be also available to pair with soup tastings.

Special Thanks to the Following Business Partners on this Event

Soup Donors: Dorset Inn, Granville Family Diner, Mach's Market, Olive Garden - Queensbury, O'Toole's Pub & Restaurant, Red Lobster - Queensbury.

Bread Donor: Rock Hill Bakehouse

And North Granville Pottery Co. for creating and donating a limited number of bowls for the event.

Sip & Paint on Slate - Cabin Fever Session

Friday, February 24, 7-9pm (rescheduled to snow date)

$40 per person 

Pre-registration required

Join us for our first Sip & Paint of 2023! Meet our new instructor, Darcie Parrott, as she leads participants in creating a wintery scene with birds and birches.

Registration includes one drink ticket plus delicious locally or regionally-sourced snacks and bites.

Call 518-642-1417 or email associate@slatevalleymuseum.org to register or with questions.

Sip & Paint on Slate, Holiday Session

Wednesday, December 14, 7-9PM

$40 per person; discount for multi-session registration

Pre-registration Required

Download our brochure and registration form here!

This Sip & Paint session features a serene winter landscape with snow-covered evergreens. Leave yours natural, or add holiday decorations! A painting instructor from the Traveling Paints will return to help guide us in the process of making our own painting  (image, left) on a roofing tile that was quarried and crafted right here in the Slate Valley.

Pre-registration is required. Registration forms are available by clicking here. Complete the forms and return them to the museum or contact Museum Associate Wendy Bordwell at 518-642-1417 or associate@slatevalleymuseum.org. 

Slate Valley Festival of Trees: Let's Gather Together Again

Public Opening Event, Friday, December 2

Free Community Event

Whether we're gathering around the table or around the Christmas tree, we hope that this year marks a return to togetherness and community.

Help us celebrate this year's Festival's theme - "Let's Gather Together Again" - by joining us at the museum for our grand opening event, which features live music, refreshments, a kids' craft activity, and Santa Claus.

Or visit during the week! Bring friends, family, coworkers, etc. to experience the Festival!

Do you work at a senior facility, school, or other community organization? Call and schedule a group at 518-642-1417 or email associate@slatevalleymuseum.org

3rd Annual Virtual Holiday Auction

Now through December 10 at 4pm

Bid Online Here!

Browse an array of holiday items, including entertainment, cuisine, decor, gift cards, and gift baskets! All proceeds benefit the museum's programs, exhibitions, and general activities throughout the year. 

New items will be added throughout the auction so check back often!

Bid online here!

**NEW DATE**

Excavating Stories: How A Small Museum Uncovers Misplaced, Forgotten, and Even Unknown Histories

Wednesday, November 16, 7pm

Virtual-Only, Zoom Program

Free

Click here to stream online!

How do museums uncover hard-to-find histories? Listen in on a virtual roundtable discussion among current and former Slate Valley Museum staff and collaborators as they discuss how they worked with other museums, libraries, archives, galleries, and historical societies to chase the echoes of illusive histories. 

Click here to join the program via Zoom.

Photo: Learn more about the mural here.

Sip & Paint on Slate, Late Fall Session

Friday, November 4, 7-9PM

$40 per person; discount for multi-session registration

Pre-registration Required

Download our brochure and registration form here!

This Sip & Paint session features a late autumn scene after the foliage has fallen and much of nature is falling into its winter sleep . A painting instructor from the Traveling Paints will return to help guide us in the process of making our own painting  (image, left) on a roofing tile that was quarried and crafted right here in the Slate Valley.

Pre-registration is required. Registration forms are available by clicking here. Complete the forms and return them to the museum or contact Museum Associate Wendy Bordwell at 518-642-1417 or associate@slatevalleymuseum.org. 

Trick-or-Treat at the Museum!

Monday, October 31, starting at 3:30pm

This year, the museum is participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project, an initiatve aimed at providing nonfood goodies to trick-or-treaters in an effort to provide safe experiences for the millions of children living with food allergies.

Stop by in costume starting at 3:30pm and say "trick-or-treat!" at our front desk. We'll send you away with a fun treat in your Halloween basket, bag, or bucket!

Sip & Paint on Slate, Early Fall Session

Friday, September 30, 7-9PM

$40 per person; discount for multi-session registration

Pre-registration Required

Download our brochure and registration form here!

This Sip & Paint session features colorful fall birch trees. A painting instructor from the Traveling Paints will return to help guide us in the process of making our own painting  (image, left) on a roofing tile that was quarried and crafted right here in the Slate Valley.

Pre-registration is required. Registration forms are available by clicking here. Complete the forms and return them to the museum or contact Museum Associate Wendy Bordwell at 518-642-1417 or associate@slatevalleymuseum.org. 

Exhibition Opening Reception - Castleton Made: Paintings and Pencils

Curated by Estelle Kearns

Friday, September 23, 7pm

$10 per person; free for Museum Members

The newest exhibition at the Slate Valley Museum will explore the use of slate in Castleton, Vermont through both historic and modern contexts. By examining the legacy of the old pencil mill and modern paintings on roofing slate, we can see slate's continuing influence on the individual and the town.  

The paintings of Tom Kearns of Castleton take inspiration from the early morning scenes of nature on Lake Bomoseen and the surrounding area, where the environment has reclaimed the old pencil mill and other closed quarries. 

Mask-Only Curator's Tour of One Painting, Many Stories

Led by Curator Bob Isherwood

Friday, September 9, 10am

$10 per person; free for Museum Members

RSVP Required by 9/8

Curator Bob Isherwood will lead a special tour of the museum’s latest exhibition, which explores the historical trends and societal movements and shifts that led to the public art movement, and most notably the creation of murals by artists employed during the Great Depression New Deal Programs. 

The tour will be offered in conjunction with the museum’s regularly scheduled mask-only hours, a specially designated block of time when masks are required for all visitors to create access for those who are most comfortable around others who are masking in public due to COVID. 

Annual Dinner & Silent Auction Fundraiser

Monday, August 29, 6pm

Lake St. Catherine Country Club

$50 per person

RSVP by August 23

Enjoy dinner and bid on array of silent auction items, all to support the Slate Valley Museum!

Download our reply card and return it to the museum with your payment today!

BBQ Chicken Dinner Fundraiser at the Granville American Legion

Saturday, August 27, 4pm

Take-Out Only

$13 per person

Support the museum by purchasing a take-out meal cooked at the American Legion! Includes chicken, potato, and baked beans, and roll. 

Sip & Paint on Slate, Late Summer Session

Friday, August 19, 7-9PM

$40 per person; discount for multi-session registration

Pre-registration Required

Download our brochure and registration form here!

This Sip & Paint session features a rich evening scene on the water. A painting instructor from the Traveling Paints will return to help guide us in the process of making our own painting  (image, left) on a roofing tile that was quarried and crafted right here in the Slate Valley.

Pre-registration is required. Registration forms are available by clicking here. Complete the forms and return them to the museum or contact Museum Associate Wendy Bordwell at 518-642-1417 or associate@slatevalleymuseum.org. 

SlaterDay: Slate Working Demos and Hands-on Activities

Saturday, August 13

Regular Admission Applies: $5 for people 12+, $3 seniors, free for kids under 12, slate workers, and military

Come to the museum for a day of slate! 

Join us at 10am for a special reception highlighting our Silver Anniversary wall, clad entirely with Slate Valley red floor tiles designed and engraved by the specialists at Sheldon Slate Products in Middle Granville. 

Slate working demos at 11:45am, 12:45pm, and 1:45pm. We are welcoming modern-day Slate Valley slate worker and company owner Jon Hill of Greenstone Slate to demonstrate slate working skills of his choice. 

Local painter Dr. Mike Dashnaw will also exhibit his methods for painting on slate. Also known to many in the community for his years in the medical profession, Dr. Mike now directs his passions toward creating painted slates to benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation. 

The museum will also offer a "Create with Slate!" activity where visitors can drop in throughout the day to craft their own piece from slate. 

Jewelry making demos, chalk art on the lawn, and museum tours also offered.

Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy family time by the Mettawee River!

Featured Partner Event: Romancing the Stone,  The 22nd Annual Garden Show 

Presented by the Slate Valley Museum and the Tri-County Farm and Garden Association

Saturday, August 6, 10am-4pm

FREE

The theme of this year's show honors the relationship between stone and flowers. More than 30 artistic creations are connected to or inspired by stone, all in celebration of the Slate Valley of New York and Vermont.

Virtual Summer Auction

Sunday, July 10 - Sunday, July 24

Access Auction Here

Bid on more than 20 items, featuring an array of summertime experiences at local and regional attractions, as well as specialty products from the Slate Valley!

All proceeds support the museum's exhibitions, programs, and collections care activities.

SlaterDay: Slate Working Demos and Hands-on Activities

Featuring Dave Lundy from Hilltop Slate in Granville

Saturday, July 9

Regular Admission Applies: $5 for people 12+, $3 seniors, free for kids under 12, slate workers, and military

Come to the museum for a day of slate! 

Slate working demos from 11am-Noon. We are welcoming modern-day Slate Valley slate worker Dave Lundy from Hilltop Slate to demonstrate slate working skills of his choice. 

Local painter Dr. Mike Dashnaw will demonstrate his methods for painting on slate. Also known to many in the community for his years in the medical profession, Dr. Mike now directs his passions toward creating painted slates to benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation. 

The museum will also offer a "Create with Slate!" activity where visitors can drop in throughout the day to craft their own piece from slate. 

Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy family time by the Mettawee River!

Evening at the Museum: Curator's Tour of One Painting, Many Stories Special Exhibition

Bob Isherwood, Guest Curator and Content Researcher

Friday, June 24, 7pm

Free for Museum Members; $10 all others

Join us for a special evening with the curator of our new One Painting, Many Stories exhibition. Bob Isherwood will guide us through the gallery,  sharing the content within it, the process behind its creation, and the stories that we are still chasing today.

Refreshments including wine, beer, non-alchologic beverages, and hors d'oeuvres will be available.

Sip & Paint on Slate, Early Summer Session

Friday, June 17, 7-9PM

$40 per person; discount for multi-session registration

Pre-registration Required

Download our brochure and registration form here!

This Sip & Paint session features an image of soft blooming branches, perfect for ushering in the summer season! A painting instructor from the Traveling Paints will return to help guide us in the process of making our own painting  (image, left) on a roofing tile that was quarried and crafted right here in the Slate Valley.

Pre-registration is required. Registration forms are available by clicking here. Complete the forms and return them to the museum or contact Museum Associate Wendy Bordwell at 518-642-1417 or associate@slatevalleymuseum.org. 

Plated on Slate: Spring Soirée at Dancing Ewe Farm

Museum Fundraising Event located at Dancing Ewe in Granville, NY

Saturday, June 4, 6PM

$85 per person; RSVP required by 5/20

Reserve your spot for this brand new spring fundraising event! 

Dancing Ewe is a curated farm-to-table dining experience. All event guests will be greeted with a flute of Prosecco wine as they enter into the Farm’s  unique atmosphere.  Dinner will be comprised of a three-course, handcrafted meal inspired by fresh seasonal farm harvests and accompanied by live music by Celtic harpist Darhon Rees-Rohrbacher.

Attendees will also browse and bid in both silent and live auctions. Items will include seasonal and regional experiences that showcase the unique characters of the Slate Valley, Washington County, and the neighboring Adirondacks and Green Mountains. 

All funds raised will benefit the museum's programs, workshops, exhibitions, and other offers.

Local Author Series: Sharing The Heart of Salem: From Its Origins to 2009 with Author William "Al" Cormier

Saturday, May 21, 1PM

$10 per person; Free for Museum Members

Stream online for Free (streaming details to be shared at a later date)

Pre-register for the online event here

Longtime historian and local author William A. Cormier will discuss his latest book, The Heart of Salem, which chronicles Salem, NY from its origins to 2009.

The Slate Valley extends as far south as Salem on the New York side, and we are excited to explore the history of another town with a history connected to the slate industry.

This program will also be live streamed online for free. Those interested can pre-register to attend the evet here.

Spring Reopening Celebration

Saturday, May 14, 10AM-4PM

Regular Museum Admission (click for details)

Join us for a day of celebration as we reopen for the 2022 season! It's a great day to visit the museum and explore our new exhibition, One Painting, Many Stories: Exploring the Legacy and Context of a WPA Mural.

The day also marks the return of our Create on Slate! arts and crafts activity series. Start your own flower plant and paint mini garden stones on slate chips and chunks. Fun for all ages! All materials provided by the museum.

Light refreshments will also be provided.

Preview Reception for One Painting, Many Stories: Exploring the Legacy and Context of a Slate Valley WPA Mural

With Special Guest, Exhibition Curator & Researcher Bob Isherwood

Friday, May 13, 7-9PM

Free for Slate Valley Museum Members; $10 per person, all others

This special preview reception celebrates our new exhibition, which explores the social, economic, and artistic roots of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) mural that was commissioned by Granville High School and completed by artist Martha Levy in 1939. Exhibition curator Bob Isherwood will be on hand to answer questions. Light drinks and refreshments will be served.

Sip & Paint on Slate, Spring Session

Friday, April 29, 7-9PM

$40 per person; discount for multi-session registration

Pre-registration Required

Download our brochure and registration form here!

Join us for the first 2022 session of our popular paint on slate art workshop! A painting instructor from the Traveling Paints will return to help guide us in creating bright spring creation (image, right) on a roofing tile that was quarried and crafted right here in the Slate Valley.

Pre-registration is required. Registration forms are available by clicking here. Complete the forms and return them to the museum or contact Museum Associate Wendy Bordwell at 518-642-1417 or associate@slatevalleymuseum.org. 

Ethnic Bread & Soup Night

Friday, March 25, 6-8PM

$8 admission; additional $12 for limited-edition bowl

RSVP Required

Join us as this popular community event returns! Taste a variety of warm soups and breads with culinary roots that can be traced across the Atlantic. 

Featuring recipes made by local museum friends with ties to many of the immigrant groups that helped drive the region’s slate industry. Rockhill Bakehouse will also provide a selection of their naturally leavened hearth breads including Pane Bello, Whole Wheat, Rustic Farm, and Sourdough. 

RSVP is required. Call 518-642-1417 or email Wendy at associate@slatevalleymuseum.org to reserve your spot.

Many thanks to our event partners, North Granville Pottery Company, Rock Hill Bakehouse & Cafe, and Rupert Rising Breads.

Exploring Slate Around the World:

Slate Carving with Belizean Artist Jorge Castellanos, Demo & Discussion Live-Streamed Event

Monday, March 21, 6:30PM

Click here to attend virtually via Zoom for Free

Join us for an online only event featuring Belizean slate carver Jorge Castellanos! During this interactive Zoom live-stream event, attendees will enjoy a carving demonstration by the artist along with time to ask questions. 

Castellanos, who has been carving natural stone like slate since he was eight years old, draws inspiration from the Mayan culture that surrounds him at his home in Belize. 

On this evening, the Equinox, the Xunantunich Mayan Temple, visible from the artist’s workshop, is in a specific position that aligns the top of the structure with the setting sun.  This spectacular display of archeoastronomy – the study of astronomical knowledge within ancient cultures – can only be observed on the Spring or Fall Equinox. Participants will have a unique opportunity to witness this extraordinary moment.

The event will be live-streamed via Zoom for free. Visit the following link to pre-register and receive instructions on how to attend the virtual program.

Gypsy Reel Musical Performance

RESCHEDULED for Sunday, March 13, 7-9PM

$12 per person, $8 for museum members for in person attendance (SOLD OUT)

View the recording here on Facebook Live

The popular Celtic band Gypsy Reel returned to the Slate Valley Museum for a live performance in celebration of St. Patrick's Day! This popular event has sold out every year.

Special thanks to our event partners: 

Consider Bardwell Farms, the Nuns of New Skete, Saratoga Bread Basket, and Slate Town Brewery. 

The performance was streamed for free on Facebook Live at this link (click here - no Facebook account required to access).