A new year is dawning and in many Americans thoughts are new year resolutions. Common ones are to have a healthier lifestyle, learn something new and to engage in new experiences.

In January 2021, the Albany Museum of Art has a number of opportunities to help with those resolutions. We have engaging, enjoyable programs that will enable you to exercise your body, mind, spirit and creativity. 

“The AMA is all about providing an array of creative experiences for all, from meditative exhibition spaces to actual guided meditation and yoga in our galleries,” AMA Executive Director Andrew J. Wulf, Ph.D., said. “This museum is a site of welcome to all and we hope friends old and new will engage with us in 2021.” 

First, you can exercise your spirit without having to leave the comfort of your home. The AMA’s Art of Meditation, conducted online monthly in partnership with Albany Yoga Project, makes its first appearance of 2021 at 8 pm on Sunday, Jan 3. 

The Art of Meditation addresses mental well-being, an important part of a healthier lifestyle goal. The session, conducted free as a Facebook Live event on the AMA’s Facebook page, aims at relieving stress and re-energizing participants. 

Get more information about Art of Meditation at www.albanymuseum.com/art-of-meditation

At 6 pm on Thursday, Jan 7, you can exercise your body at Yoga in the Gallery. Albany Yoga Project again is partnering with the AMA for this monthly physical wellness event in which a certified yoga instructor takes you through an hour-long program in the Haley Gallery. While participating, you can enjoy the On the Wall bigger-than-life mural exhibition as well as paintings from Sarah Emerson’s O, Smithereens! series. There’s no charge to attend, though donations are accepted. 

Don’t forget: The AMA is open until 7 pm every Thursday for Art After 5. You can view the four exhibitions and relax in the activity center, where you can enjoy a variety of books from the AMA library.

Get more information about Yoga in the Gallery at www.albanymuseum.com/yoga-in-the-gallery

Nothing exercises the mind like a good book. Come out to the AMA at 6 pm on Tuesday, Jan 19 and discuss the life of a groundbreaking American sculptor, Augusta Savage, with the AMA Art Lovers Book Club. Discussion will be on GRAVEN IMAGES: The Tumultuous Life and Times of Augusta Savage, Harlem Renaissance Sculptor, a biography by Alan Schroeder. There's no cost to attend. 

Get more information about the Art Lovers Book Club at www.albanymuseum.com/book-club

Finally, exercise your creativity and your mind with a pair of Saturday afternoon Visual Verbal Journal Workshops. Deerfield-Windsor School art teacher Noelle Petersen will show you how to create your own journal of drawings, images and words in the workshops set for 2-4 pm on Jan 23 and 30. 

Visual verbal journals combine two powerful sensory tools—images and words—to create ideal resources for brainstorming, generating ideas, research, exploration, reflection, and as an idea bank for the future. You also can use the journals as a way to remember events and thoughts long into the future.

You can attend one or both workshops. The cost for each workshop is $15 for AMA members and $20 for future members. 

Get more information about the Visual Verbal Journal Workshops at www.albanymuseum.com/visual-verbal-journal-workshops 

Because of heath guidelines, space will be limited at the in-person events in January at the Albany Museum of Art. Space can be reserved at the in-person events by emailing Annie Vanoteghem, director of education and public programming, at [email protected], or by calling her at 229.439.8400.