The WCHOF’s artist talks and workshop programs explore chess, art, history, and culture in conjunction with on-view exhibitions and collections. Learn more about our upcoming programs and watch them from the list below or by visiting our YouTube channel.
Create and customize a journal to take home, and learn about journaling prompts with friends! Inspired by our exhibition, Reading Between the Lines: Chess and Literature, this fun workshop is complimented with provided supplies and complimentary refreshments by Brennan’s.
*20% discount for WCHOF members, students, seniors, and military personnel
Tell the tale of a chosen animal by combining pressure-printed textures with wood type in an accordion-folded booklet and a time-tested writing game–the Mad Lib. Using provided bookmaking supplies, families will enjoy creating their book from start to finish. Whether it’s a housecat up to the usual antics or a winged beast resting on a cloud, your story will surely be legendary!
Central Print is a non-profit arts organization with a mission to promote the art of letterpress printmaking and related arts by providing workshops, classes, and programs focusing on design and production using historic printing equipment. Founded in 2014 by Eric Woods, Owner of The Firecracker Press, and Director Marie Oberkirsch, Central Print is located in the historic Old North neighborhood of Saint Louis.
*20% discount for WCHOF members, students, seniors, and military personnel
Get in the holiday spirit and customize your own nutcracker in this family-friendly workshop inspired by our latest exhibition Charles Houska: Master of Play. Make one for yourself or to gift someone! Supplies will be provided.
*20% discount for WCHOF members, students, seniors, and military personnel
Enjoy self-led paper pinwheel crafts in our Play & Create gallery! After you’ve created your masterpiece, you and your friends can read, socialize, play chess and other board games, or continue to get creative with our arts and crafts supplies—free and fun for all ages!
A parent or guardian must accompany minors at all times.
Draw yourself as your favorite chess piece in a self-led coloring activity in our new Play & Create gallery! After you’ve created your masterpiece, you and your friends can read, socialize, play chess and other board games, or continue to get creative with our arts and crafts supplies—free and fun for all ages! A parent or guardian must accompany minors at all times.
Join us this Valentine’s Day for some fun arts and crafts in our Play and Create space! Bring family, friends, or loved ones to make arts and crafts you get to take home! Free and for all ages.
We’re WILD about you! Join us for a hands-on workshop with Perennial, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Inspired by our Paws and Pawns: Exploring Animal Chess Sets exhibit, the creative instructors at Perennial will take you through DIYing a loving creature to gift to someone special. From love bugs to love birds, all creatures will be crafted using provided reclaimed materials.
Perennial is a non-profit organization in St. Louis where you can take classes to learn creative ways to reuse materials. By reducing waste and crafting with salvaged materials, our community diverts more than 10,000 pounds from landfills yearly! Join us in our reuse studio, where you can try woodworking, stained glass, mosaics, sewing, dyes, bookbinding, and more classes. If you’re looking for secondhand materials to get creative with, our shop is open to the public on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Thursday, February 13- 6:00 pm
Join us for a workshop inspired by Graffiti Spaghetti Chess Set, an artwork by Mr Doodle featured in the current exhibition Painted Pieces: Art Chess From Purling London. His work contains a mixture of graffiti characters, objects, and patterns with influences ranging from cereal boxes to video games and old cartoons. Enjoy a signature cocktail, grab a marker, and channel your inner doodler as you create a canvas tote bag with Taylor Bardsley!
Taylor Bardsley has been instrumental in developing and providing programs for children and adults at the World Chess Hall of Fame. She’s an avid crafter with a great sense of design. She recently received her MSW from the Brown School at Washington University in Saint Louis.
This event is SOLD OUT
For more information or to reserve a spot please email: [email protected].
Metered on-street parking is available, as well as paid lots adjacent to Kingside Diner and at the Schlafly branch of the St. Louis Public Library.
Wednesday, Sep 5 – 6:30 pm
Meet Painted Pieces artist Nette Robinson! Learn more about Robinson’s artwork in the current exhibition Painted Pieces: Art Chess from Purling London. The discussion will cover works including Spoils of the Ocean, a jewel-toned chess set addressing plastic pollution and climate change; Stars and Stripes Kings, which reference iconic American imagery; and a special St. Basil’s Cathedral-inspired chess set available exclusively for play in Chess Ultra—a fully-immersive virtual reality game.
Nette Robinson is a chess player, professional jazz singer and artist. Her work has been influenced by modernist movements such as Constructivism, Futurism and De Stijl. She studied Fine Art with Music at Chichester, graduating in 2002, and from this time has been exhibiting in solo and group exhibitions.
Free admission. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments provided.
For more information please email: [email protected].
Metered on-street parking is available, as well as paid lots adjacent to Kingside Meet the Artist: Diner and at the Schlafly branch of the St. Louis Public Library.
Thursday, Aug 23 – 5:30 pm
Join us for an evening of crafts and cocktails inspired by the work of Sophie Matisse, featured in our exhibition Painted Pieces: Art Chess from Purling London. Learn to create unique compositions through collage layering and masking techniques that will hide and reveal different parts of the image. This program is designed to accommodate the artistic novice and also those wishing to learn a little bit more of a challenging skill.
Sarah Walters received a BFA in photography from Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville, as well as a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Interdisciplinary by nature, her work includes photographs, wearable and functional objects, works on paper, and sculpture. Sarah has worked as a teaching artist for Bread and Roses Missouri and has exhibited her work throughout the country.
This event is SOLD OUT
Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments provided.
For more information, please email [email protected] or call 314-367-9243
Metered on-street parking is available, as well as paid lots adjacent to Kingside Diner and at the Schlafly branch of the St. Louis Public Library.Wednesday, Aug 1 – 6:30 pm
