Hoyt Arts Center

10/17/2026

Made at the Hoyt. Shared with the community!

Something new is taking shape at the Hoyt, and our students are the stars of the show!

We're launching our very first Student Showcase, turning our walls, shelves, and public spaces into a rotating display of artwork created right here in our classrooms.

🖌️ Taking a class? Pick a piece or two you'd love to share! Whether it's your proudest creation, your biggest challenge, or something you simply had fun making, we want to show it off!

✨ Just love looking at art? Our first Student Showcase debuts at the Holiday Open House on November 22, with new student creations appearing throughout the year.

Because creativity deserves to be shared!

10/15/2026

Dinner is nice. But have you ever made art together?
Grab your favorite person and trade your usual night out for something a little more creative. Learn something new, laugh at the imperfect parts, and leave with something you actually made yourself.
Who would you bring? Tag your creative partner below. 👇

10/14/2026

Meet the artist behind Realistic Reflections. 🎨

For more than 30 years, Jocelyn Beatty has been part of the Hoyt — not only exhibiting her own work, but sharing her knowledge with generations of watercolor students. Known for her richly colored paintings of wildlife, landscapes and flowers, Jocelyn combines careful observation and precise detail with a vibrant palette that brings the natural world to life. See her work up close in Realistic Reflections, on view in the Main Galleries through November 5.

10/14/2026

What’s right about our community? Help us put it on the map.

Hoyt Arts Center is leading an effort to establish a Creative District in downtown New Castle through a new PA Creative Industries initiative—and your perspective can help shape it.

The proposed district would stretch from the Hoyt to the New Castle Playhouse, connecting creative businesses, cultural organizations, artists, and local traditions along the way.

We’re starting with the strengths already here. What places bring us together? Whose talents deserve more attention? What stories, events, businesses, or traditions make this community special?

Artists and creative businesses: tell us about yourselves! Painters, potters, tattoo artists, comic book shops, videographers, graphic designers, and other creatives all belong in this conversation.

Take our five-minute survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScKGivBtTh97ozFpgq8LLqd_SD_7ffmCUXVD5o5lGDs0KC9DQ/viewform?usp=header
There are no wrong answers. Share what you love, what you notice, and what you hope more people will discover. Then pass the survey along!

Hoyt Arts Center is working with the creative community to identify the people, places, and things that make our community special and help shape a creative district in downtown New Castle. We invite people from all walks of life to share what they notice, value, experience, and love about New Castl...

10/13/2026

Five original stories.

Five immersive scenes.

One house after dark.

And a flashlight to lead the way.

Come early or stay after your tour on Friday and Saturday for Franks & Steins, other refreshments and time to explore the galleries.

10/13/2026

✍️ CALLING ALL STORYTELLERS! Do you have a scary tale to tell? 👻

The Hoyt is looking for original, spine-tingling stories to bring to life during our 2027 Scary Tales Tours!

Imagine your story unfolding inside the historic Alex Crawford Hoyt Period House, where rooms are transformed into eerie scenes complete with sights, sounds, and surprises that bring your words off the page!

Whether you're an emerging writer or a seasoned storyteller, we want to hear from you!

🖋️ Here's the scoop:

Open to teens and adults

Stories must be inspired by a room in the Period House

Maximum 1,500 words

FREE to enter!

Five winning writers will each receive $200, and their stories will be featured during the 2027 tours!

📅 Submission Deadline: December 1, 2026

Ready to give us goosebumps? Learn more about the competition, explore the rooms, and submit your story on our website.

10/12/2026

🎨 See Art. Get Inspired. Make Your Own!

Introducing the 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐄𝐱𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 at the Hoyt!

Art isn't just something to look at - it's something to experience! Our new hands-on creative space invites visitors of all ages to take inspiration from the artwork in our galleries and create something of their own.

🖌️ Currently featuring: Fun, creative projects inspired by the works of artist Jocelyn Beatty!

And there's always something new to discover! Activities will change with each new exhibition, giving you a fresh reason to visit, explore, and create.

Next time you're exploring the galleries, stop by the 𝐄𝐱𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫, located on the second floor, and let your creativity take over!

10/11/2026

What happens when five writers bring their darkest stories to life?
An experience where original literature, performance, and local history come together inside the Hoyt Period House.

10/10/2026

We're trading carving tools for alcohol inks and turning plain white pumpkins into colorful, one-of-a-kind fall decorations!

In this one-day workshop, you'll learn how to blend and layer vibrant inks to create your very own masterpiece.

No two pumpkins alike. No carving required. Just a whole lot of color!
Artists as young as 9 are welcome - so make it family night out!

10/09/2026

For the kids who are always drawing. ✏️ The storytellers. The builders. The kids filling notebooks with characters and turning cardboard boxes into entire worlds. Give all that imagination somewhere to go. Explore upcoming classes and creative experiences for young artists at the Hoyt. Explore upcoming classes and creative experiences for young artists at the Hoyt.