The Discovery Center’s 2026 Artist-in-Residence program is underway, bringing live art demonstrations and hands-on workshops for families to the museum this spring.
Mixed-media artist Haniyfa Muhammad Branka will be at Discovery Center weekly through April 12.
The first residency began Sunday, March 8, with multidisciplinary mixed-media artist Haniyfa Muhammad Branka and continues weekly through April 12. Guests can observe the artist’s creative process during Open Studio sessions and participate in In the Studio, guided art activities designed for young children and caregivers.
Branka’s six-week workshop series encourages participants to explore nature, storytelling, and creative expression through projects such as printmaking, pattern-making, and collage.
“Art is storytelling through materials,” Branka said. “In many cultures, creativity, craft, and storytelling have long served as ways to preserve history and share lived experiences. Art and science share the same foundation: curiosity and experimentation. By layering color and texture, I explore how experiences build over time. Children approach creativity much like scientists approach discovery by observing, testing ideas, and trying new things. I’m excited to explore these connections further at the Discovery Center, where art, science, and imagination can thrive together.”
The spring residency series will continue April 15 with Murfreesboro-based painter and mixed-media artist Ansleigh Britain, whose weekly sessions will run through May 20. Britain’s workshops introduce children to foundational art concepts through projects inspired by influential artists including Vincent van Gogh, Wassily Kandinsky, Claude Monet, and Andy Warhol.
“Recently within my own work I’ve been exploring themes of nostalgia, loss of innocence, grief and guilt. I spend a lot of time focusing heavily on the concept before actually putting paint to canvas. For me, my work is a practice in communication, and it’s an ongoing skill I’m in a constant state of experimenting with,” Britain said. “I think giving kids the opportunity to explore artistic expression is a privilege every child deserves to experience. I’m so excited to share my artistic knowledge with the young guests that visit the discovery center during my workshops, and I’m just as excited to see what I can learn from them as well.”
Artist-in-Residence sessions are included with Discovery Center admission. Visitors can find the full schedule of Open Studio and In the Studio programs at explorethedc.org/artist-in-
The Discovery Center is located at 502 SE Broad Street in Murfreesboro. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. For tickets or more information, visit explorethedc.org.
