Open Studio
First explore the Museum yourself and then head for the studio – or the other way round? Every first Sunday of the month, our studio is open to anyone who before or after touring the Museum wishes to be creative, explore things, or experiment. The studio is run by two art educationalists who are at hand with support and advice and the one or other surprise.
Date: on the first Sunday of each month, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Meeting point: HAUPTBAU, Atelier Bildung & Vermittlung
Participation free of charge
Sunday, 5.1.2025, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Hauptbau Atelier, Participation free of charge
Art round and colorful
It's all around the studio! Balls roll, discs whirl, colors flow and it Fantastic works of art are created. Together we experiment with spindles, circles and co. and let ourselves be surprised by the results.
Sunday, 2.2.2025, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Hauptbau Atelier, Participation free of charge
Snow white and mud brown
When will the first snow fall? When will the last frost thaw? On this Sunday we deal with snowwomen and men, with ice crystals and bright white, but also with the brownish gray of winter, when the snow stays away. A whole day around the shapes and colors of winter, before the first spring messengers cast it out!
Sunday, 2.3.2025, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Hauptbau Atelier, Participation free of charge
Paper carnival
Inspired by the lanterns and the imaginative costumes of the Basel Carnival, we invite you in March to creatively capture the magic of the three most beautiful days. Create a colorful artwork made of Räppli and confetti, design a mask with a mischievous look, or bring the mystical atmosphere of the nighttime Fasnacht celebrations to paper. An open studio dedicated to this year’s Fasnacht theme!
Sunday, 6.4.2025, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Hauptbau Atelier, Participation free of charge
My body, a landscape
Let your body speak! With hands, feet, and knees, we work on a composition of body shapes and gestures. With plenty of time, clay, and plaster, immediate and abstract works emerge.
Sunday, 4.5.2025, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Hauptbau Atelier, Participation free of charge
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
In this open studio, everything revolves around reusing existing materials: Using old newspapers, cardboard, fabric scraps, and plastic packaging, we create unique works of art. Whether imaginative collages, colorful sculptures, or practical everyday objects – creativity knows no bounds! Together, we explore how something new and beautiful can emerge from what seems like waste.
Sunday, 1.6.2025, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Hauptbau Atelier, Participation free of charge
Of Drawing and Tearing
Off to the collection with pen and paper! Create sketches of images and objects, then unleash your energy by working on the drawings in the studio – they will be perforated, sanded, crumpled, and torn. By gluing and rearranging the resulting fragments, new and unexpected images can be created.
Sunday, 6.7.2025, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Hauptbau Atelier, Participation free of charge
My XXL Body
What would it feel like if your arms were twice as long? How many boxes would we have to stack on top of each other until our tower reaches the studio ceiling? Today, we’re breaking all boundaries and taking up as much space as we want—with our bodies and sculptures!
Sunday, 3.8.2025, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Hauptbau Atelier, Participation free of charge
The freedom of the bird
This Sunday, we will explore the mysterious beings of the skies. We will draw and paint swallows and other summer birds, study their bodies and plumage, and try to see the world from a bird’s perspective. Using wire, straws, cardboard, or plaster bandages, we’ll create large and small models of birds—whether from nature or our imagination. Come and fly with us!
Sunday, 7.9.2025, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Hauptbau Atelier, Participation free of charge
Colors of Nature!
Whether it's blackberry red or grass green – this Sunday at the Open Studio, we'll take a closer look at the colors of nature. Using earth, water, plant juices, or pigments, we’ll explore playful color experiments on various surfaces such as fabric, paper, or cardboard.
Sunday, 5.10.2025, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Hauptbau Atelier, Participation free of charge
Nature, colors, fashion
To kick off October, we’re creating our own pigments in autumnal tones! We’ll experiment with natural dyes like soil, onion skins, turmeric, or paprika powder. Afterwards, you'll have the chance to use the resulting color palette to design your own fashion pieces or an entire fall collection on paper.
Sunday, 7.12.2025, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Hauptbau Atelier, Participation free of charge
Open studio: Ghost transformations
The museum is haunted! Create your own talisman in the studio to ward off evil spirits
or let yourself be enchanted and become a ghost yourself. In a
joint procession, we will haunt the museum!
Sunday, 14.12.2025, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Hauptbau Atelier, Participation free of charge
Open studio: Gift wrapping station
Design your own wrapping paper or bring your gifts with you and wrap them
in the studio with paper, cardboard, and much more.
Sunday, 21.12.2025, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Hauptbau Atelier, Participation free of charge
Open studio: Last-minute gifts
We draw letters, print cards, and build small cheerful objects. Come and make
the gift that's still missing: for others or for yourself!
Cooperation partner
- Freunde des Kunstmuseums Basel
Next dates
PROGRAM DAY
HAUPTBAU
10:00–16:00
Open studio: Ghost transformations
The museum is haunted! Create your own talisman in the studio to ward off evil spirits or let yourself be enchanted and become a ghost yourself. In a joint procession, we will haunt the museum! Open to all. Participation free of charge, no registration
WORKSHOP
HAUPTBAU
10:00–16:00
Open studio: Gift wrapping station
Design your own wrapping paper or bring your gifts with you and wrap them in the studio with paper, cardboard, and much more. Open to everyone. Participation free of charge, no registration recquired
WORKSHOP
HAUPTBAU
10:00–16:00
Open studio: Last-minute gifts
We draw letters, print cards, and build small cheerful objects. Come and make the gift that's still missing: for others or for yourself! Open to all. Participation free of charge, no registration recquired
