Workshop: Beer and Cheese Tasting with Left Handed Giant Sunday 24 July, 1-3pm Left Handed Giant Brewing Co. presents an afternoon of beer and cheese tasting including an introduction to the British and American craft beer scenes, an overview of the brewing process, and the opportunity to taste five locally brewed American-style beers matched with cheese. £36

Workshop: Plant, Prune, and Propagate with the Head Gardener Saturday 6 August, 1-4pm Head Gardener Andrew Cannell teaches participants how to plant trees and shrubs to ensure their successful establishment and future growth. From cultivating the ground, knowing how deep to plant, and how to stake correctly, there really is more to it than you would imagine. Learn how to prune newly planted and established plants from magnolias to wisteria. Finally, learn the secrets of semi-ripe cuttings and their aftercare to ensure you keep hold of your favourite half-hardy and tender perennials through the winter. £35

Textile Fair Saturday 20 August, 11am-5pm Now in its third year, the Textile Fair will bring a wide range of specialist textile retailers to the American Museum. Browse antique, vintage, and world textiles as well as yarns and makers’ supplies in the Museum’s beautiful surroundings. Included with gardens admission

Workshop: Drawing Traditional and Ethnic Textiles Saturday 24 September, 10am-4pm Working from her own antique textiles and items from the American Museum’s handling collection, Janet Haigh will introduce the session by exploring the techniques found in these beautiful pieces. Students will use different media to express the detail and quality of these fascinating textiles, and focus on working in colour. £50

Course: Find your writing voice with Alex and Jude Tuesday 20 and 27 September and 4 and 11 October, 10am-12.30pm Using objects from the Museum’s collection as prompts, Alex Wilson and Jude Higgins will inspire you with their creative writing exercises and help you find your writing voice. Sessions are fun, informal, and explore character development, point of view, and plot, among other subjects. The sessions are suitable for complete beginners or for writers who would like an inspirational boost. £85 for whole course

Workshop: Ribbon Yoyo Saturday 8 October, 10am-4pm Janet Haigh teaches participants to make simple yoyos using their own ribbons, or the vibrant jacquard designs from Kaffe Fassett Studios. Appliqué them onto different backgrounds, building sumptuous patchworks and other fabrics. £50 plus £10 materials to be paid on the day

Include Me Out!: the Lives and Loves of a Hollywood Moghul Thursday 13 October 7-8.30pm Eavesdrop as larger-than-life film producer Samuel Goldwynn reveals all to his psychoanalyst. Find out how a glove salesman came to be one of the founding fathers of Hollywood, how the first feature film made in Tinsel Town nearly didn’t get released, and how a major actress came to be involved in a notorious murder. An original production by Northgate Theatre. £14

Bath Geek Fest Saturday 22 October, 11am- 5pm Join us for a day of all things geeky in celebration of An American Toy Story. Guests, stalls, talks, and lots more from the world of comics, TV, films, games, YouTube, and toys. Included with gardens admission Falconry Demonstration Tuesday 25 October, demonstrations at 12.30pm & 2.30pm Ray Prior is one of the leading falconers in the country, with a wide selection of beautiful birds. Come along to see his owls, eagles, hawks, and falcons swoop over the Museum grounds. Included with gardens admission

American Ghost Tours Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 October, 6.30pm The Museum’s evocative Period Rooms are the perfect setting for a sinister tale on a dark evening. Join us for a chilling journey through some of the darkest chapters of American history, starting in a seventeenth-century home in colonial Massachusetts at the height of the Salem witch trials. Not suitable for children. Tour repeated from 2015 £15

Museums at Night: Fright at the Museum Friday 28 October, 6-9pm As darkness gathers over the American Museum, restless spirits emerge to stalk through the gloomy galleries. Spooky scenes and spine-chilling stories await the intrepid visitor who dares to visit after hours. You have been warned! Included with full admission

Day of the Dead Fiesta Sunday 30 October, 1-4pm Join us for a fiesta to celebrate the Mexican festival of Day of the Dead, in which families honour deceased loved ones with sugar skulls, dancing skeletons, and piles of marigolds. Enjoy music from Mariachi Tequila and leave an offering on the altar. Included with gardens admission

Christmas Craft Fair Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 November, 11am-4.30pm Our Christmas Craft Fair returns with a diverse range of work on offer, from ceramics and textiles to jewellery and prints. Meet the makers themselves, discuss their techniques, and find unique Christmas gifts in a festive atmosphere away from the bustle of town. Free parking and entry to fair

Concert: Christmas with Noctis Saturday 10 December, 7.30-9.30pm Join Bath’s award-winning chamber choir for a selection of carols and festive music. £10

americanmuseum.org

Events And Workshops 2016

Delve Deeper

American Museum in Britain, Claverton Manor, Bath BA2 7BD01225 460503 enquiries@americanmuseum.org www.americanmuseum.org

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An American Toy Story Launch Saturday 19 March, 12noon-5pm An American Toy Story comes to life for our opening weekend. Meet your favourite film characters and check out some very special movie vehicles. Bring along your toys and collectables for a live valuation hosted by Antiques Roadshow’s Marc Allum and Lisa Lloyd. Included with gardens only admission. Visitors who arrive dressed as their favourite film character will be given free entry.

Easter Yarn Bomb Trail Friday 25 - Monday 28 March, 12noon- 5pm This year our knitted trail celebrates An American Toy Story, recreating some of your favourite film characters in wool. Can you spot a knitted Jack Sparrow, a restful Sleeping Beauty, or your favourite Disney characters? All items are hand knitted by Museum volunteers. Supported by Red Heart Wool. Included with gardens admission

Concert: Lady Sings the Blues Thursday 31 March, 8-9.30pm In the centenary year of Billie Holiday’s birth, join us for a multimedia celebration of the life and songs of America’s most iconic jazz and blues singer. Natalie Davis and Dave Merrick revisit Lady Day’s story through recordings and live footage and perform a selection of their favourite Billie Holiday songs. £10

Workshop: Needle Felted Butterflies and Bees Saturday 9 April, 10am-3pm Spend an enjoyable day learning the new craft of needle felting with Sophie Buckley, one of the authors of Making Needle Felted Animals. Begin by creating a delightful bee, then make a butterfly from soft merino wool. Price includes tools to carry on creating at home, with plenty of inspiration and materials for future projects. £35 plus £5 materials to be paid on the day

Concert: Northern Harmony Thursday 14 April, 7.30-9.30pm Northern Harmony, the unique world-music vocal ensemble from Vermont, USA, presents a vibrant evening of world harmony traditions, including South African songs and dances, traditional polyphony from Georgia, Corsica, and the Balkans, American shape-note singing and quartet gospel, and renaissance motets. £12

Workshop: Northern Harmony Friday 15 April, 10am-12noon Join Larry Gordon and Northern Harmony for a workshop including American shape note singing, gospel, and South African song and dance. Northern Harmony singers support each vocal part making the teaching particularly efficient and rewarding. No experience necessary. £13

New Native Art: Cara Romero Wednesday 20 April, 6.30pm Fine art photographer Cara Romero was raised on the Chemehuevi Valley Indian reservation in the heart of the Mojave Desert. She studied photography and cultural anthropology, developing a distinctive photographic style with a refreshingly modern Indigenous worldview. Her beautiful and compelling images invite viewers to abandon preconceived notions about Native art, cultures, and people. See Cara’s work at Rainmaker Gallery, Bristol. £7

New Native Art: Diego Romero Friday 22 April, 6.30pm Cochiti potter Diego Romero’s ceramic vessels can be found in museums across the world. Working in a narrative style that references pre-contact Mimbres pottery, Pop Art iconography, and classic comic books, Romero’s bowls and vessels employ an acerbic humour to explore the marginalized status of Indigenous history and society. Drawing inspiration from Greek pottery and cartoon crusaders, he raises contemporary Indian narratives to the level of the superhero. See Diego’s work at Rainmaker Gallery, Bristol. £7

Course: Traditional Ash Basketry Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 April, 10am-4.30pm Prized for their durability, functionality, and beauty, ash baskets were once made by native tribes of north-eastern America. Now considered a dying art, ash basketry is an important link to the cultural history of Eastern Canada and America. Join basket-maker and craftsman Josey Goodin and create your own ash basket. £80 for whole course plus £40 materials to be paid on the day

Walk and Talk Tour: Jeremiah! Inspired Interiors Friday 28 April and Tuesday 2 June, 11am A guided tour of the exhibition and discussion about the life and career of interior artist Jeremiah Goodman, hosted by Dean Rhys Morgan. £5

Workshop: Dry Stone Walling Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 May, 10am-4pm Learn the traditional craft of dry stone walling in the American Museum’s beautiful grounds. No prior experience is required for this introduction to dry stone walling, which will teach you all the skills you will need to dismantle and rebuild a section of wall. £30 per day

Concert: Jerri Hart Thursday 26 May, 7.30-9.30pm Following his successful appearance at the American Museum last year, Jerri Hart returns with a new show. See him as you’ve never seen him before in a magical mix of music, comedy, and mild-mannered mayhem. £10

Classic American Dance Classes Saturdays 4, 11, 18, and 25 June, 2pm Want to learn to bop, stroll, and jive? Try out some classic American dances in a fun, informal environment, and then join us for our Independence Day party on 2 July to put what you’ve learned into practice. No experience necessary. £8 per session

New Native American Art: Del Curfman Thursday 9 June, 6.30pm An enrolled member of the Crow tribe of Montana, emerging artist Del Curfman’s culture has been a constant influence on his life and work. He writes: ‘as a child, I grew up split between modernism and traditionalism. As I study more about the history of my people I find my art transforming into a vessel, a passage through which information travels.’ Join Del for an introduction to his work in celebration of his first solo show, at Rainmaker Gallery, Bristol. £7

Workshop: Drawing Butterflies, Beetles, and Bees Saturday 11 June, 10am-4pm Natural history artist Cath Hodsman takes you on a journey through the fascinating anatomy, form, and colour of both exotic and indigenous insects. Using microscopes, macro photographs, and specimens, you will create your own detailed and unique microscopy sketch. £45

Workshop: Interiors Illustration Friday 17 and Saturday 18 June, 12noon-4.30pm Starting with the inspirational interiors painting of American artist Andrew Wyeth, this course will explore the use of windows as a bridge between interior and exterior spaces. Andrew Lansley will guide participants to develop sketches into egg tempera painting. £75 for whole course plus £20 materials to be paid on the day

Independence Day Fair and BBQ Saturday 2 July, 12noon-8.30pm Roll up, roll up for the American Museum’s first Independence Day Fair! Expect fun, games, and mouth-watering food from Spitfire Barbecue. Join us in the evening for live music from Kabinrock on the lawns. Before 5pm: included with gardens only admission. After 5pm: £2 adults, £1 children, £5 family

Quilting BeeEvery Tuesday until 25 October, 12noon-4pmQuilting Groups from all over the region demonstrate their talents and chat with visitors in our textile room.Included with full admission

All participants must register to take part in courses, workshops, and talks. To register call 01225 820866 or email: workshops@americanmuseum.org

Become a member! Enjoy repeat entry and behind-the-scenes access. To join call 01225 823010, or email: membership@americanmuseum.org

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Sat 19 March –Sun 30 October 2016

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New events are added to our programme throughout the year. Please sign up to our e-newsletter via our website to stay up-to-date.

Cover Ceramic : Diego Romero