Erie Art Museum

09/06/2026

Second Sundays is back — and this month, you're invited to leave your mark on something bigger than a craft table.

Sunday, September 13, from 2–4 PM, we're kicking off the Bells Across PA Project right here at the Museum. Working alongside artist Aaron Homerski, visitors of all ages will help paint a large-scale bell celebrating the life of Lake Erie — a collaboration with the Erie Port Authority that'll be on display for the community to see.

No registration, no cost to join (though donations are always appreciated), and no art experience required. Just show up, grab a brush, and be part of something that's going to hang around Erie long after the paint dries.

Second Sundays happens every second Sunday of the month, 2–4 PM

(Link in the comments below 👇)

09/05/2026

Access for All is back Saturday, September 19, 10am–2pm — free admission to the Museum, made possible by the Art Bridges Foundation.

Wander the galleries, join us for a free art-making activity, and catch Between Here and Elsewhere, our current exhibition exploring the new American experience through six contemporary artists' work.

Bring a friend, bring the kids, bring yourself.
(Link to exhibitions page in first comment)

09/04/2026

Last night, Patricia Bellan-Gillen's world came alive at the Museum and more than 100 of you showed up to be part of it. ✨

During her remarks, Pat shared a passage from Pittsburgh artist and writer Alexi Morrisey:

"If there was just one thing I could teach my children to really know... I want them to welcome the discomfort of holding these two thoughts in their heads, at the same time. That the world is full of monsters, and the world is full of beloveds... Pat's work is the best example of this I've ever seen. It's so dire, and so sweet, all at the same time on these simple surfaces... But there are tricksters amongst the ruins. And the trickster never admits defeat. Never."

That's exactly what filled the gallery last night — dire and sweet, all at once, in the best company.

Monsters, Beloveds and Invisible Whales is on view through March 2027. If you missed the opening, there's still plenty of time to come see it for yourself. 👇

09/02/2026

"A weird elegance" — that's the phrase Patricia Bellan-Gillen keeps coming back to when she talks about her own work. In this short interview, she breaks down what she means by it: drawings and mixed media rendered with real precision and care, but never afraid to tip into the strange, the funny, the a-little-bit-off. Opposites, on purpose.

It's the perfect way into her new exhibition, Monsters, Beloveds and Invisible Whales, opening this Thursday, September 3 with a public reception from 5–8 PM in our Main Gallery. The show stays up through March 7, 2027, so there's plenty of time to visit — but the opening is the moment to meet the work (and maybe the artist) for the first time.

📍 Erie Art Museum
🗓️ On view Sept 3, 2026 – March 7, 2027

09/01/2026

Fall is shaping up to be one of our busiest seasons yet for classes at the Museum — and there's something for pretty much every kind of curious.

Want to try your hand at improv? Sara Fisher's leading a beginner-friendly series that runs weekly through November. Never picked up a camera? Erica Whiting's Fundamentals of Photography starts you from the basics. Curious about jewelry making, sewing, special effects makeup, watercolor painting, or the folklore behind some of Erie's most haunted spots? We've got a class for that too, taught by Dan & Jan Niebauer, Deborah Sementelli, Kristina Dabrowski, Esther Hong, and Toni Mazanowski.

Classes fill up, so if something catches your eye, don't wait too long to register. Full details, dates, and pricing are on our website — link below 👇

08/26/2026

Meet the zebra holding a TV.

This is roughly 1/80th of a single painting by Patricia Bellan-Gillen — the full piece is larger than a person, and packed with this much detail throughout.

Monsters, Beloveds and Invisible Whales opens September 3 in the Main Gallery.

📷 Patricia Bellan-Gillen | Weaponed Memory/Sunny Days and False Nostalgia (detail) | Colored pencil, acrylic, on birch | 93" x 80" | 2021

08/25/2026

This month marks 40 years that Eternal Vigilance has stood watch on the Erie Art Museum steps.

Stewarding a museum takes the long view. It's built by countless hours of quiet, steady work—budget meetings, hard conversations, big decisions—the kind of dedication that rarely gets its own spotlight. But every so often, there's a moment to pause and celebrate it.

Eternal Vigilance is so woven into Erie's identity now that it's easy to forget it took vision to put it there, and commitment to keep it there. That vision belongs to the people who have served on our Board over the years.

We marked this anniversary by inviting past and present board members back to the Museum steps for a photo with the sculpture that's become one of Erie's most iconic landmarks.

Pictured: Kirk and Rosanne Steehler, Patty Holstein, Abigail Adams Greenway, Nancy Potter, Mary Gamble, Neala Eastman, Michelee Curtze, Connie Manus, Angie McClimans (current Board President), and Laura Domencic (Executive Director).

Thank you for 40 years of hard work, and for growing this Museum into the beautiful, dynamic space it is today.

08/23/2026

This piece just arrived at the Museum — still wrapped in the plastic it traveled in. Take a closer look at the label in the circle.
(Yes, that's what you think it is.)
Patricia Bellan-Gillen's Monsters, Beloveds and Invisible Whales opens September 3.

08/21/2026

There's a reason the Main Gallery wall is turning red.

Something new opens September 3. We'll let the color do the talking for now.

08/19/2026

OMG! We know these people! They've been causing a ruckus in our building for a while now--and we LOVE it! Thank you Erie Reader for covering the wonderful work Sara Fisher and the Improv crew are doing. Fall Improv classes are open, if you want to join: https://www.erieartmuseum.org/improv

Yes and… this month, Edwina gets way outside of her comfort zone as she tries out a session of improv, offered regularly at the Erie Art Museum. The warmth of the instructor and the welcoming nature of the other students put Edwina’s anxiety at bay for a fun evening. Follow the link below ⬇️