UTICA, N.Y. — Families looking for a free activity during the Veterans Day school break can visit Munson on Wednesday, November 11, for an afternoon of hands-on art and live theater. The Utica arts organization announced that its first Art Alive! Family Day of the season will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 310 Genesee Street. Admission is free, and the event is open to the public.
Art activities and a live musical performance
Families can take part in art-making activities in the Munson Museum of Art’s Root Court throughout the event. The day also features a return appearance by the Pushcart Players, who will present A More Perfect Union at 11 a.m. in the Sinnott Family–Bank of Utica Auditorium. The group will lead a related workshop at 1 p.m. in the same auditorium.
According to Munson, A More Perfect Union is an interactive musical that marks the United States’ 250th anniversary. The performance combines history, humor, music and audience participation to explore the nation’s founding ideals, citizenship, democracy and the people and events that have shaped American life over two and a half centuries.
Rather than presenting history as a list of dates, the production aims to engage younger audiences in questions about the country’s ideals and its continuing efforts to form “a more perfect union.”
Accessibility and what families should know
An American Sign Language interpreter will be on stage for the 11 a.m. performance, Munson said.
- What: Art Alive! Free Family Day, including art activities and the Pushcart Players’ A More Perfect Union
- When: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
- Performance: 11 a.m.
- Workshop: 1 p.m.
- Where: Munson, 310 Genesee St., Utica, New York
- Cost: Free and open to the public
- Accessibility: ASL interpretation at the 11 a.m. performance
- More information: munson.art
Connecting children with the arts
Munson schedules its Art Alive! Family Days during school breaks to encourage creativity and introduce children and their families to museum experiences. The program combines making art with attending performances and participating in activities at one of Utica’s major cultural institutions.
Support for Art Alive! comes from the MetLife Foundation, Utica National Foundation, Preferred Mutual Insurance Company, Sheila and Ron Cuccaro, and Rona Lucas in memory of Roslyn and Irving Levine.
Munson is home to the Munson Museum of Art, presents performances and community events, offers art classes, and operates Pratt Munson College of Art and Design, an extension center of Pratt Institute.
Source: Munson news release dated Nov. 3, 2026, provided by Communications Manager Katie Voce.
