Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nevada Museum of Art hosted a public art program called Hands ON! every second Saturday of the month. Now, the Reno-based museum is moving the program indoors with Hands ON! at Home, a stay-in-place version of the family-friendly art day that the museum has hosted for years.

Knowing that there would be no public Hands ON! event for April and May, two questions were on the museum staff’s minds: “How can we bring the feeling into peoples’ homes and help people create meaningful art experiences from the comfort of their own home?” says senior vice president of communications Amanda Horn.

“People of all ages can participate,” she continues. “You can do this with your toddler or teenager, or you don’t need to have kids. It’s really adaptable.”

There are currently two lessons online that people can read before tackling their own art project. One teaches about primary and secondary colors and encourages families to make their own color wheel using found objects. The other lesson refers to landscapes and prompts the reader to create a landscape of their own.

Now, more than ever, Horn says, “art offers a respite and it’s certainly important to have our creative energy sparked.”

More lessons will be released in May and artists are encouraged to upload their art work on social media with the hashtags #ShareNevadaArt and #HandsOnAtHome.

A coloring sheet of artist Ugo Rondinone’s Seven Magic Mountains desert installation is also available on the museum’s Facebook page at facebook.com/NevadaMuseumofArt. The public is encouraged to share their creations online.

In addition to participating in the Nevada Museum of Art’s social media programs, art lovers can also view thousands of works from the museum’s permanent collection online at nevadaart.org/art/collections.

Focus areas include altered landscapes, contemporary art, art of the greater West and the work ethic in American art.

For more information, visit nevadaart.org/hands-on-at-home and @nevadaart on Instagram.