• Howardena Pindell: Untitled #21, 1978; acrylic, gouache, watercolor, dye, paper, talcum powder, glitter, and sequins on sewn canvas; 83 x 113 in.; Shah Garg Collection.


Admission is free for kids 18 and under and for one adult per child 13 and under.

Children must be accompanied by at least one adult at these family programs.


Gallery+Studio / Dots and Circles

For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)

  • Workshop led by
    Erin McCluskey Wheeler

    Erin McCluskey Wheeler is an artist, educator and writer based in Richmond, California. She holds an MFA from California College of the Arts. Wheeler teaches art to people of all ages throughout the Bay Area. 

This two-part workshop integrates an interactive gallery tour with a related art project; each session lasts about an hour and a half. Sign up in the Art Lab 10 minutes ahead of the session, which begins with a short gallery tour that starts at 11:30 AM.

In her early paintings, Howardena Pindell built texture and depth using everything from glitter and talcum powder to sequins and punched paper. Often she made these paintings late at night in a dimly lit studio, so she let process and touch guide her creation of these dense and multilayered artworks. After viewing one of Pindell’s paintings in the gallery, use one of her favorite tools—a hole punch—to make circle stencils and dots to layer into your own mixed media piece.

Event Accessibility

If you have any questions about accessibility or require accommodations to participate in this event, please contact us at bampfa@berkeley.edu or call us at (510) 642-1412 (during open hours) with as much advance notice as possible. More information on accessibility services.