PRESS RELEASE: May 11, 2026
American Mural Project Announces June 2026 Events Featuring Singer-Songwriter Riley Cotton, a Fishy Family Day and a Broadway Singalong
Free WORKS FOR ME! Admission to AMP for Social Services and Non-Profit Workers in June
American Mural Project (AMP), home to the world's largest indoor collaborative work of art, has announced its lineup of June 2026 events including a Live @AMP concert with Connecticut Americana and folk singer-songwriter Riley Cotton, fishy Family Day fun, a Broadway Singalong Happy Hour, and more. June 2026 continues AMP's WORKS FOR ME! program spotlighting various fields of work with social service and non-profit workers receiving free entry for the month.
Live @AMP: Women Take the Lead
Americana and Folk Singer-songwriter RILEY COTTON
Saturday, June 6 | Doors open at 7pm; Show at 8pm
Riley Cotton is a Texas-born, Connecticut-based singer-songwriter known for her Americana and folk-infused music that often blends classic country storytelling with themes of identity, love, loss, and longing. She is praised for her "old-school" songwriting and has released music including the full-length album A House with Blue Siding (2022) and the EP Falling of the Fervor (2024).
AMP offers a one-of-a-kind experience for concertgoers, providing tickets with access to all levels to mingle, dance, and take in the entire sweep of the grand art of work mural—plus balcony seating. The venue’s innovative approach bridges music and visual art, making it a standout destination in Northwestern Connecticut.
Tickets: Adult General Admission is $35 advance/$45 at door; Student General Admission is $10 advance/$20 at door.
Saturday, June 13
FAMILY DAY: Something's Fishy!
11am: Live Music Story Time
with AMP's music, movement and literacy maven Michelle Begley
12pm: Explore AMP
Art-making, scavenger hunts, puzzles, games and kid-friendly tours
12:30pm: SOMETHING'S FISHY! Interactive Program
We're kicking off the summer months by turning AMP into the local fishing hole! Art projects that parents and kids will love, include making felt fish, fishing poles, and hanging fish sculptures. We'll be hosting our first-ever AMP Fishing Derby where kids can compete to reel in the most felt fish from our second floor! This is one fun day that will catch you hook, line and sinker!
FREE admission for families! Teen Art Studio (see below) happens concurrently with Family Day so families with children of various ages can enjoy AMP together. AMP’s Family Days are supported by the generosity of the Comis Foundation and Torrington Savings Bank.
Saturday, June 13 from 10:30am to 1:30pm
TEEN ART STUDIO
A welcoming, drop-in teen art studio—where you can explore new materials, make friends, and grow as an artist. Creative exploration and community go hand in hand at Teen Art Studio for ages 13 to 18 on the second Saturday of every month. Guided by a teaching artist, you can try new materials, develop your own ideas, and connect with others in a relaxed, supportive environment.
$5 Materials Fee. Advance registration is recommended and can be made at americanmuralproject.org/teen-art-studio. Teen Art Studio is made possible in part by Torrington Savings Bank Foundation.
Friday, June 26 from 5 to 7pm
HAPPY HOUR PIANO SERIES: Broadway Singalong with TJ Thompson
Who doesn't need to unwind after the grind? AMP's popular Happy Hour Piano Series on the fourth Friday of the month eases you into the weekend with live piano music and libations in Connecticut's most unique art space.
Bring your musical theater-loving friends—this happy hour is an audience participation special! T.J. Thompson has been an educator, jazz pianist, composer, and conductor for the last 20 years throughout the Midwest, New York, and New England. He directs several musicals a year at regional Equity and community theaters and schools throughout Connecticut. He has a Master of Arts in music education from Teachers College at Columbia University, a Master of Music in composition from the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana, and a Bachelor of Music in jazz studies from Eastern Illinois University. He studied baton technique and orchestral conducting with Maestro Vincent LaSelva at the Juilliard School. In 2000, he performed with Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, and as a result was a featured artist on Branford Marsalis Jazz Set show on NPR.
Tickets are $8 and can be reserved in advance at americanmuralproject.org/piano-series. The Happy Hour Piano Series is supported in part by the Greenberg family.
June 2026 WORKS FOR ME! Free AMP Admission for Retail and Service Workers
Through its giant five-story, 120-foot long mural and its accompanying audio tour (available in English and Spanish), AMP tells the story of the everyday American worker. Each month in 2026, this one-of-a-kind exhibit will be offering free admission to honor a different sector of workers who make our communities thrive. AMP's WORKS FOR ME! free admission will be extended to workers in the social services and non-profit fields through the entire month of June 2026.
AMP is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 5pm and Sundays from noon to 5pm. Guests attending with workers who are receiving their respective month's WORKS FOR ME Free Admission are $15; $12 for seniors and veterans; $5 for students; free for children under 5 or over the age of 100. The English and Spanish language audio tours are included with admission. The Spanish audio tour is made possible with support from Northwest CT Community Foundation, Connecticut Office of the Arts, NBT Bank, and Globe Cleaners.
American Mural Project is located at 90 Whiting Street in Winsted, CT.
About CT Humanities
Connecticut Humanities (CTH) is an independent, non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources. Learn more by visiting cthumanities.org.
About America 250 | CT Affiliate
America 250 | CT Affiliate organizations are committed to aligning their 250th activities with the state’s America 250 | CT Commission. Affiliates have demonstrated that their values align with the state’s guiding values and will use Connecticut’s four 250th themes—Doing History, For the Common Good, Power of Place, and Tell Inclusive Stories—as inspiration for their initiatives. Learn more by visiting CT250.org.
