The Met Announces October Talks, Workshops and Día de Muertos Celebration

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced October 2026 programming featuring talks, film, art workshops and family activities. Highlights include a bilingual Día de Muertos celebration at The Met Cloisters, a screening of Culloden, and programs exploring Japanese ceramics and the work of Lee Krasner, Jackson Pollock and Frederic Edwin Church.

Long Films for Long Nights: Culloden

Friday, October 9, 5–7 p.m.
Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium, The Met Fifth Avenue

The Leonard A. Lauder Research Center for Modern Art will present the final screening in its series examining the theme “Faces in the Crowd.”

Culloden (1964) uses modern war-reportage techniques and amateur actors to depict the 18th-century Battle of Culloden. The evening includes an introduction and panel discussion with Sukhdev Sandhu, an expert on British cinema and culture.

The program is free with Museum admission. Advance registration is recommended, with priority given to registered attendees. Register here.

Open Studio: Patterns and Pottery

Saturday, October 10, 1–4 p.m.
Gallery 548, The Carroll and Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court, The Met Fifth Avenue

Artisan in Residence Ibrahim Said will demonstrate pottery-making techniques informed by ancient Egyptian and Islamic traditions. Participants can observe his approach to shaping vessels and carving patterns before creating two-dimensional geometric designs through layered and repeated shapes.

Presented in conjunction with The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Vacheron Constantin Artisan Residency, the program is free with Museum admission. Space is limited and available first come, first served. Learn more here.

A Celebration: Día de Muertos at The Met Cloisters

Sunday, October 11, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Museum-wide, The Met Cloisters

The Met Cloisters will host bilingual activities honoring loved ones who have died. The all-ages program includes art making, Storytime, music, community storytelling and opportunities to explore the gardens.

Presented in celebration of Hispanic/Latine Heritage Month, the event is free with Museum admission. Admission is pay what you wish for New York State residents and free for children ages 12 and under accompanied by an adult, as well as a care partner accompanying a visitor with a disability. Space is limited and available first come, first served. Learn more here.

Family Afternoon: Drip! Drop! Splash!

Sunday, October 11, 1–4 p.m.
Carson Family Hall, Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education, The Met Fifth Avenue

Families can explore dripping and splashing techniques through hands-on activities inspired by Krasner and Pollock: Past Continuous.

The program welcomes children of all ages and abilities and is recommended for ages 3–11. Materials are provided. Admission is free, and Museum admission is not required. Space is available first come, first served. Learn more here.

Teen Studio: Too Abstract

Saturday, October 17
Studio, Uris Center for Education, The Met Fifth Avenue

Teen participants will explore abstract painting and collage through color, shape, layering and composition. The workshop examines Lee Krasner’s artistic development and her creative relationship with Jackson Pollock.

Participants will also reinterpret sketches by their peers, receive guidance from a teaching artist and share their work. Presented in conjunction with Krasner and Pollock: Past Continuous, the program is free, with Museum admission included for participating teens. All experience levels are welcome, and materials are provided.

The session for ages 12–14 runs 10:30 a.m.–1 p.m.; register here. The session for ages 15–18 runs 2:30–5:30 p.m.; register here. Advance registration is recommended.

Points of View: 100 Connections to Art—A Conversation With Met Authors

Sunday, October 18, 2–3 p.m.
Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium, The Met Fifth Avenue

Contributors to Points of View: 100 Connections to Art will read excerpts and discuss how they engage with objects across The Met’s collection. The conversation will include personal reflections and behind-the-scenes stories about looking at art.

The program is free with Museum admission. Advance registration is required, and seating is limited. Register here.

Art History Study Group: Japanese Porcelain

Wednesday, October 21, 3–4:30 p.m.
Online via Zoom

Met curators Monika Bincsik and Iris Moon will explore the emergence of Japanese porcelain in the 17th century and its popularity among collectors in Japan and Europe, including women collectors.

The discussion will also examine kintsugi, the practice of repairing ceramics with lacquer and gold, and how repair can become part of an object’s history or an independent art form.

Presented in conjunction with The Infinite Artistry of Japanese Ceramics, the study group costs $40. Advance registration is required and closes October 20 or when capacity is reached. Register here.

Seeing Through Making

Saturday, October 24, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
Carroll Classroom, Uris Center for Education, The Met Fifth Avenue

This workshop for adults who are blind or partially sighted combines verbal descriptions, gallery visits and art making inspired by The Met’s collection. All levels of art-making experience are welcome.

Available resources include sighted guides, magnifying glasses, assistive listening devices, stools, lap desks and adaptive art-making materials. Pro-Tactile interpretation is available upon request with at least two weeks’ notice. Manual wheelchairs may be borrowed from security at the 81st Street entrance on a first-come, first-served basis.

The program is free, but advance registration is required. To register, call 212-650-2010 or email access@metmuseum.org.

Sunday at The Met: Frederic Edwin Church at 200

Sunday, October 25, 2–3:30 p.m.
Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium, The Met Fifth Avenue

Scholars will mark Frederic Edwin Church’s 200th birthday with presentations and conversation about his landscape paintings, travels and engagement with contemporary scientific and environmental ideas.

The program will examine The Met’s Church collection, his legacy and approaches to interpreting 19th-century American landscape painting today. It coincides with Olana State Historic Site’s Frederic Church 200 celebration.

The program is free with Museum admission. Advance registration is required, and seating is limited. Register here.