Create an engaging interactive event with silhouettes

Can you imagine your guests’ excited faces as they see their own unique and memorable portraits cut live in just moments? Live silhouette portraiture is a perfect memorable experiences for any event.

Your guests stand (or sit) for their own silhouettes with your experienced artist, Lauren Muney. In just 90-120 seconds, their silhouette appears -as if by magic !- from the paper. But it is not magic - this is the very skilled scissors of a silhouette artist who can create works of art with just paper, without drawing first!

  • Corporate or Non-Profit

  • Museum Programming or Special Event

  • Wedding or Private Party

  • School or University

  • Community or Residency Event

  • Or whatever you dream! (scroll down!)

Happy silhouette face att the Lost Trades Fair, Victoria, Australia (2025).

Creating magic, from only scissors. One portrait at a time.

Corporate or Non-Profit Events, Galas, Parties

Silhouette portraits offer a memorable activity and beautiful memento to your event guests and staff. The graceful and respectful portraits will make your guests remember the event (and your brand) long after the clock strikes the event's end. Perfect for:

  • Holiday, Summer, and Employee Parties

  • Conferences / Dinners

  • Galas

  • Trade shows (and traffic stoppers in booths)

  • Launch parties

  • Event activation

  • Retreats

  • VIP Festivities / Cocktail parties

  • Fundraisers

  • Celebrations

Museum / Programming / Fundraising

Your events deserve sincere engagement, focused, hospitable, highly attentive. Silhouette portraiture fulfills the hunger for humanities, art, and/or history, able to fill any creative or educational direction. Whether your events center around art, or history, or both, silhouette portraiture can engage their sense of creativity as well as envelop them in time-travel.

Read more on the dedicate page about Silhouettes for Museums >

Patriotic historical celebrations ideas, especially for America’s 250th anniversary >

Private Parties / Weddings

In just moments, your guest sits for a remarkable portrait experience culminating in a delightful, elegant likeness. Your guest is charmed, thrilled, excited to have such a custom reminder of your event.

Your guests can mix, mingle, chat, while becoming a work of art. Other guests can watch a silhouette being cut as well, thus bringing silhouettes to be a 'performance art' as well as a memory to take home. Each silhouette event is co-created with your artist Lauren Muney to maximize your value and to ensure guest enjoyment.

Options include:

  • Matching your event theme (if possible)

  • An extra silhouette set for your guestbook (extra fee)

  • Recommendations for guestbook style for use with silhouettes, as well as setup

Schools / Universities / Fundraising

Students of all ages love their portraits!

  • Elementary and Middle Schools: Silhouettes are perfect to fulfill parents' desires for polished portraits of their children --and schools' need for humanities (history and society learning) programming.

  • Elementary and Middle Schools: Not only can you use elegant silhouettes in safe ways, you can use them for fundraising! This is not your average bake sale -create income and keepsakes.

  • Universities are looking for student engagement, for homecoming, spring festivals, and other activities board events. Engage their minds as well as their faces - connect this fun to their studies of history and humanities.

Festivals/ Artist Residencies / Community Events

Silhouette Portraiture are a great promotion, interactive residency, arts and culture programming to celebrate people of all ages:

  • Community centers

  • Libraries

  • Arts Centers

  • Public Art projects, programs, events

  • Cultural arts organizations

  • Employee Benefits Programs

  • Hospital Programs - patients and/or families

  • Genealogy groups

  • Local history societies

  • Senior activity centers

Virtual Events

Presentations can be given virtually to a regional, national, or even international audience. Her specialty is cutting silhouettes but also talking about the history of this affordable portrait form, and making your guests a part of history too.

Creating a virtual gathering of friends, colleagues, happy hours, or meeting? Change the dynamic from complaining the state of the world, to discussing history, new opportunities, and of course, having silhouettes cut virtually! Meetings suddenly transform from a gripe session to an art session. Your proposal will including appearance and postage fees to receive the final silhouettes.

FAQs
(Frequently asked questions!)

“How do I get a quote for my event?”

Send an email through the contact form! Give as much information as possible so your artist can give you a custom proposal based on your event description, location, date and time of your event. Your price-proposal may contain travel fees if you are outside your artist’s local area. Your proposal will include all details what your event will provide for the artist, and what your artist will provide for your event.

“Can I make a custom plan to use silhouettes?”

Of course! your artist Lauren Muney loves creating a interesting engagement for your visitors or guests. The more creative, the better! Your quote will include how your guests will be engaged.

“What historic era featured silhouettes?”

Silhouettes generally became popular in the late 1700s, and continued through the 1800s, 1900s, and are still popular in the 2000s. If you are interested in presenting silhouettes in a certain time-period, for a museum or a themed party, please do ask how your artist Lauren Muney can help you “time-travel” using silhouettes.

“How does payment and contracting happen?”

Paying your artist Lauren Muney happens through her secure online payment systems, using one or more possible payment methods including: credit card, ACH (checking account), direct payment systems like Paypal, Bill.com, and in some cases, wire transfer. Depending on how far in advance you are booking, you may be paying a deposit or the entire amount to hold your date. The arrangements are very clear and fair. The invoice becomes the contract, or we may negotiate a custom contract.

“How many silhouettes can you cut per hour?”

Depending on the event, situation, and the guests, Lauren can cut 12-18 detailed, elegant silhouettes per hour, each with amazing likeness to the guest. This is faster than other live portrait artists, and more engaging with participating guests than other party options!

“Will you do a presentation about silhouettes?”

Yes, your artist Lauren Muney has been researching silhouettes history for almost 20 years - she was even a fellow at the prestigious Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and wrote a paper about part of the material culture of silhouettes. Just ask Lauren to help plan your custom presentation to your guests.

“What is the setup for silhouettes?”

Your setup is custom to your event. Most often, you may be providing a safe dry area, away from sun and wind. You may provide table with chairs, or your artist Lauren Muney may rove through the crowd. Whatever your event, Lauren will help you customize the setup to use silhouettes well with your particular event and guests.

“How far will you travel to cut silhouettes?”

Your artist Lauren Muney has traveled around the world or around the corner to cut silhouettes! She loves to travel. “Have scissors will travel”.

“Do you work kids’ birthday parties?”

While mothers love portraits of their children, sitting for silhouettes are not a birthday party activity that children enjoy. Your artist Lauren Muney has other ideas how to create a birthday with silhouettes. Just ask!

What People Are Saying

“We recently engaged Lauren to cut silhouette portraits of our employees and guests at a formal event held at a downtown museum. From the moment the guests saw her at work, she was in high demand. Her artistry was evident in the detail and agility with which she cut each portrait. The guests enjoyed interacting with Lauren while posing for the silhouette and were very pleased to take home a framed memento of a wonderful evening.”

~ Linda Hight, Jenner & Block, Washington DC

"I wanted to tell you how tickled I was to have a silhouette done [at the Monumental Celebration in Baltimore, MD]. What a great memento to have for a celebration I shall soon not forget. I sent kudos to the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts telling them the great selection of 19th Century re-enactors and arts/crafts they had, especially your silhouette artistry."


~ Matthew Borkovic, event visitor, silhouette recipient

  • Smithsonian Institution: American Museum of American Art (Washington, DC)

  • Smithsonian Institution: National Portrait Gallery (Washington, DC)

  • Smithsonian Institution: Renwick Gallery (Washington, DC)

  • The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington DC)

  • Lost Trades Fair (Australia)

  • United States Council of Mayors national conference

  • National Public Radio

  • American Alliance of Museums (AAM) national conference

  • Young President’s Organization (“YPO”)

  • American Philosophical Society Museum (PA)

  • Charles Koch Institute

  • Google “City Experts”

  • American Folk Art Museum (NYC)

  • Preservation Maryland

  • Baltimore Museum of Art (MD)

  • Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (MD)

  • “Star Spangled Spectacular” (nationally televised event) (MD)

  • The Church of Latter Day Saints (international division)

  • American Institute of Architects (MD)

  • The Henry Ford [museum] – Greenfield Village (MI)

  • George Washington’s Historic Mount Vernon Estate (VA)

  • Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation: Jamestown Settlement (VA)

  • Maryland Arts Summit

  • Regency Society of Virginia

  • Historic Deerfield (MA)

  • Historic Blenheim / City of Fairfax, VA

  • New London Historical Society (CT)

  • The Walters Art Museum (MD)

  • The Fair At New Boston (OH)

  • Upper Canada Village (Ont., Canada)

  • Fort Nisqually Living History Museum (WA)

  • Historic St. Mary's City (MD)

  • Eschwege, Germany

  • Lorsch, Germany

  • City of Fairfax (VA)

  • County of Fairfax (VA)

  • The Farmer’s Museum / New York State Historical Society (NY)

  • Genesee Valley Country Village and Museum (NY)

  • City of Manassas (VA) / Manassas Museum

  • Maryland Historical Society

  • Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission

  • Montgomery Parks (MD)

  • Brightest Young Things (DC)

  • Boordy Winery (MD)

  • Darnall’s Chance Museum (MD)

  • Gramercy Mansion Bridal Open House (MD)

  • Pottsville Mansion (PA)

  • Chestertown Tea Party Festival (MD)

  • Old State House Museum (AR)

  • Historic Arkansas Museum (AR)

  • Fort Frederick State Park 18th Century Market Fair (MD)

  • Claude Moore Colonial Farm (VA)

  • Dover Days Festival (DE)

  • Jerusalem Mill Museum (MD)

  • Charles Carroll House Museum (MD)

  • Old Bedford Village (PA)

  • Penns Colony Festival (PA)

  • Montpelier Museum Tea and Herb Festival (MD)

  • Maryland Irish Festival

  • Baltimore Privateer Festival (MD)

  • Blackbeard Pirate Festival (VA)

  • Historic London Town (MD)

  • City of Havre De Grace (MD)

  • Riversdale Mansion (MD)

  • Mythic Faire

  • Mount Clare Museum (MD)

  • Johns Hopkins University Homewood Museum (MD)

  • Hampton Mansion NHS, (National Park Service)

  • Skaneateles Dickens Festival (NY)

  • “Dickens of a Christmas” (MD)

  • Maryland Renaissance Festival

  • Association for Living History, Farm, and Agricultural Museums (“ALHFAM”)

  • Preschool For the Arts (MD)

  • Countless private weddings, parties, conference dinners, and other social and corporate events

Past clients, an imperfect list

…Because the list is always growing!