October 11, 2025

Saturday Open Studios

Free with Museum Admission

Saturday
October 11, 2025

1 - 4 pm
Bertucci Education Studio

Throughout Isabella Stewart Gardner’s diverse Historic Collection, there are many references to marble, be it as an architectural material, paper decoration, or pattern. In the Courtyard, Italian or Pentelic marble form Venetian columns and Roman grave altars, while within the Palace’s galleries, books bound in marbled paper translate the pattern into a wildly different medium.

On this Saturday Open Studio, we invite you to partake in a centuries-old artform and explore the Japanese technique of paper marbling, Suminagashi. A tradition that began in 12th-century Japan, this meditative practice pairs water and floating ink to create circular, repeating patterns and is the oldest known form of paper marbling. 
 

 

Photo Credit: Matt Teuten

About the Artist

TICKETS I MUSEUM ADMISSION

Open Studios are free with Museum admission, and participation is drop-in on a first-come, first-served basis. Advance registration for general admission is encouraged.

Purchase your ticket by clicking on the GET TICKETS button above.

Questions about accessibility? Please call the Box Office at 617 278 5156 to request accessible or companion seating, or to inquire about other accommodations in advance of the program.

Studio activities are made possible by the Polly Thayer Starr Charitable Trust. The Museum is also supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which receives support from the State of Massachusetts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Polly Thayer Starr (1904-2006) was an accomplished artist who captured the culture and whimsy of her native Boston with a unique combination of detail, emotion, and curiosity. For more, visit the Polly Thayer Starr Charitable Trust online at www.pollythayerstarr.org