The the museum hosts seasonal cultural events including but not limited to Family Days, visiting and exhibiting artist gallery talks, lectures and receptions, concerts, artist workshops, tours and a biennial photography event.
The Museum has an active docent program of 35 committed and trained docents that give tours and assist in the Museum's education programs.
Located on the second floor of the Museum, the Danforth Museum School offers more than 490 art classes to approximately 3,000 children and adults each year. K-12 students enjoy both after school and weekend programming, as well as school vacation and summer workshops. The Museum and Museum School have been closely connected since their inception, understanding that Museum exhibits provide a teaching tool for classes, while classes in the Museum School expand upon the experience of viewing museum exhibitions.
The Museum fulfills its mission through expanding cultural and educational programs. More than 400 students visit the Museum each year as part of our Language of Art program, an educational and outreach program for MetroWest’s ESL (English As a Second Language) community.
In the Native American Program, every third grade student in Framingham, visits the Museum for a tour, followed by a hands-on art activity in the Museum School. An increasing number of classes are coming from other MetroWest schools.
Art Tells A Story is a multi-visit museum program for preschool children enrolled in SMOC’s (South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Inc.) Head Start Program.
On the first Sunday of each month, the Drop into Art program provides free admission, teen docent-led tours and exhibition related hands-on art activities in the Museum School to 250 children and parents.
The new Children’s Gallery, dedicated to the art of children’s book illustration, demonstrates the Museum’s firm conviction that picture books are a young child’s first art gallery experience, teaching them about shape and color, as well as visual narrative. This gallery provides a learning environment for all of the Museum’s education programs for children.
Educational and introductory professional experiences are provided to more than 35 students each year, through our College & High School Internship Program.
The Pre-College High School Portfolio Program, which began in summer 2006, was developed for high school students who are considering applying to art school and are working to develop a portfolio.
Finally, the Teen Docent Program trains local area youth, many of whom are at-risk, to master interpretive tour techniques, public-speaking skills, and artistic skills.