Wadsworth Atheneum Museum Of Art

FINE ART MUSEUM

CURATING AND CURATORIAL RESEARCH FY2021THE CURATORIAL DIVISION CARES FOR, RESEARCHES, AND EXHIBITS THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS. THESE INCLUDE PAINTINGS, SCULPTURES, DECORATIVE ARTS (FURNITURE, GLASS, CERAMICS, AND METALWORK), WORKS ON PAPER, COSTUMES AND TEXTILES, AND MOVING IMAGE ART, RANGING IN DATE FROM ANTIQUITY TO CONTEMPORARY AND INCLUDING WORKS FROM MOST CONTINENTS. THE CURATORIAL DIVISION IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR CURATING THE EXHIBITION PROGRAM FOR THE MUSEUM, WHICH IN FY2021 COMPRISED THE FOLLOWING:MADE IN CONNECTICUT: CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF THE CT ART TRAIL, OCTOBER 15, 2020-FEBRUARY 7, 2021REFLECTIONS: 48TH ANNUAL HARTFORD YOUTH ART RENAISSANCE, MAY 14-JUNE 30, 2021PAUL MANSHIP: ANCIENT MADE MODERN, FEBRUARY 11-JULY 3, 2021MILTON AVERY: THE CONNECTICUT YEARS, MAY 14, 2021-OCTOBER 17, 2021ALI BANISADR/MATRIX 185, OCTOBER 22, 2020-FEBRAURY 14. 2021TODD GRAY/MATRIX 186, MARCH 4-JULY 18, 2021PERMANENT COLLECTION INSTALLATIONS INCLUDED: A LOVE OF WOOD: CHAIM GROSS'S I LOVE MY BABY, NOVEMBER 11-APRIL 18, 2021THE DANCE OF THE VOLCANO" GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM AT THE WADSWORTH, MARCH 19MAY 30, 2021 GOYA, POSADA, CHAGOYA: THREE GENERATIONS OF SATIRISTS, APRIL 23-NOVEMBER 7, 2021A REMARKABLE FRIENDSHIP: HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC AND JANE AVRIL, APRIL 30-AUGUST 29, 2021STORIES IN IVORY AND WOOD, JUNE 11, 2021-JANUARY 11, 2022LEONARDO DREW: TWO PROJECTS, JUNE 4, 2021-JANUARY 2, 2022INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SCULPTURE INSTALLATIONS INCLUDED:JACKSON POLLOCK AMERICAN, 1912-1956, GAUZE, SAND, AND WIRE, THE TONY SMITH FOUNDATION, JUNE 2021-ONGOING TONY SMITH AMERICAN, 1912-1980, UNTITLED, 1956, CONCRETE AND PAPER, THE TONY SMITH FOUNDATION, JUNE 2021-ONGOINGCONRAD SHAWCROSS BRITISH, BORN 1977, MONOLITH (OPTIC), 2016 GALVANIZED STEEL AND STAINLESS STEEL, PRIVATE COLLECTION JUNE 2018-ONGOINGAI WEIWEI CHINESE, BORN 1957, GRAPES, 2015 26 WOODEN STOOLS FROM THE QUIN DYNASTY (16441911) PRIVATE COLLECTION JUNE 2018-ONGOINGANTONY GORMLEY BRITISH BORN 1950, BIG CRIB, 2014 CAST IRON PRIVATE COLLECTION JUNE 2018-ONGOINGYAYOI KUSAMA JAPANESE, BORN 1929, PUMPKIN, 2018 PAINTED BRONZE PRIVATE COLLECTION APRIL 2019-ONGOINGCURATORIAL RESEARCH RESULTED IN THE FOLLOWING PUBLICATIONS: MATTHEW HARGRAVES, "AMERICA'S BLAKE," IN EDINA ADAM AND JULIAN BROOKS, EDS., WILLIAM BLAKE: VISIONARY. LOS ANGELES: THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM, 2020, PP.29-35.OLIVER TOSTMANN, REVIEW OF SONJA BRINK AND FRANCESCO GISOLIA: DIE ZEICHNUNGEN DES GIOVAN BATTISTA BEINASCHI AUS DER SAMMLUNG DER KUNSTAKADEMIE DSSELDORF AM KUNSTPALAST, PETERSBERG, 2020, IN THE BURLINGTON MAGAZINE, 163, 2021, PP. 556-557. CASEY MALLINCKRODT, RICHARD WOODWARD, ASHLEY DUHRKROOP, SHELIA PAYAQUI, AINSLIE HARRISON AND KATHRYN BRUGLIONI GABRIELLI. ARTS OF AFRICA: STUDYING AND CONSERVING THE COLLECTION AT THE VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS. NEW HAVEN AND LONDON: YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2020.THE MUSEUM'S CURATORIAL STAFF, WORKING WITH THE REGISTRARS, ALSO ENGAGE IN A SIGNIFICANT LOAN PROGRAM, LENDING OBJECTS IN THE COLLECTION TO IMPORTANT AND INNOVATIVE EXHIBITIONS. IN FY2021, TWENTY-FIVE (25) WORKS OF ART WERE APPROVED FOR LOANS TO TWENTY-ONE (21) INSTITUTIONS IN THE NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE. FINALLY, CURATORS, THROUGH PURCHASES, GIFTS, AND BEQUESTS ACQUIRED FORTY-EIGHT (48) WORKS OF ART FOR THE COLLECTION, INCLUDING: FIVE (5) WORKS OF AMERICAN ART, FIVE (5) PIECES OF AMERICAN DECORATIVE ARTS, TWENTY-FIVE (25) CONTEMPORARY WORKS OF ART, NINE (9) COSTUMES AND TEXTILES, ONE (1) EUROPEAN PAINTING, AND THREE (2) WORKS OF EUROPEAN DECORATIVE ART.

EDUCATION/VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND SERVICESTHE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AT THE WADSWORTH ATHENEUM MUSEUM OF ART PROVIDES LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL AUDIENCES. PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES, PREK-12 AND COLLEGE STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, AND FOR THE BROADER PUBLIC ACTIVATE OUR COLLECTIONS AND SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS AND ENCOURAGE VISITOR CONNECTIONS WITH ART'S HISTORY AND CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL RELEVANCE. THE DEPARTMENT WORKS CLOSELY WITH CURATORIAL, MARKETING, AND DEVELOPMENT ON INTERPRETIVE PROJECTS, EVALUATION EFFORTS FOR PROGRAMS AND EXHIBITIONS, AND FUNDRAISING. ADULT-CENTERED PROGRAMS TAKE MANY SHAPES, INCLUDING GALLERY TALKS, COURSES, DEMONSTRATIONS, DANCE AND MUSIC PERFORMANCES, PANEL DISCUSSIONS AND EVENTS THAT INCLUDE SOCIAL INTERACTION AROUND ART. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AFFECTED THE MUSEUM'S ABILITY TO HOLD IN-PERSON PROGRAMS, AND ENCOURAGED DEVELOPMENT OF VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING DURING FY21. THE PAST YEAR HAS BEEN ONE OF EXPERIMENTATION AND ADAPTATION AS WE MOVED PROGRAMS AND TOURS TO DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND CONTINUED TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC AROUND SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS AND THE COLLECTIONS. MOST PROGRAMS WERE OFFERED ONLINE, WHILE SOME TOOK PLACE IN THE GALLERIES FOR SMALL GROUPS. MAJOR PROGRAMMING REVOLVED AROUND THE EXHIBITIONS PROTEST AND PROMISE: SELECTIONS FROM THE CONTEMPORARY ART COLLECTIONS, 1963-2019, MADE IN CONNECTICUT: CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF THE CONNECTICUT ART TRAIL, AND PAUL MANSHIP: ANCIENT MADE MODERN. PROGRAMS LIKE COMMUNITY DAYS AND SECOND SATURDAYS FOR FAMILIES CONTINUED TO CONNECT WITH OUR MANY COMMUNITIES AND DEEPEN THE MUSEUM'S RELATIONSHIP WITH FAMILIES AND THE GREATER HARTFORD AREA. PROGRAMS TOOK A HYBRID APPROACH IN FY21, WITH DIGITAL ART PACKS TO ACCOMPANY ON-SITE TOURS. EXPERIENCES FOR K-12 STUDENTS TOOK PLACE ONLINE IN BOTH SYNCHRONOUS AND ASYNCHRONOUS OFFERINGS. MUCH OF OUR DEPARTMENT'S WORK DEPENDS ON AN ACTIVE DOCENT COUNCIL WITH 82 DOCENTS, WHO OFFERED BOTH IN-PERSON AND ONLINE TOURS. THE DEPARTMENT DEVELOPS INTERPRETIVE CONTENT, CREATING AUDIO TOURS AS WELL AS IN-GALLERY INTERACTIVES FOR EXHIBITIONS AND INSTALLATIONS TO BRING THE PUBLIC CLOSER TO ART. IN FY21, THE DEPARTMENT CREATED AUDIO TOURS FOR ITS MAJOR EXHIBITIONS, BRINGING FORWARD THE VOICES OF ARTISTS, CULTURAL HISTORIANS, CURATORS, AND EDUCATORS. OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT IN THE GALLERIES OFFERED LISTENING, DRAWING, WRITING, AND OTHER CREATIVE ACTIVITIES. ACADEMIC PROGRAMS INVOLVE STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS IN THE LIFE OF THE MUSEUM. DUE TO COVID CONSTRAINTS, OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM WAS SUSPENDED IN FY21, BUT THREE INTERNS COMPLETED REMOTE INTERNSHIPS WITH THE AUERBACH ART LIBRARY. THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT'S MFA IN ARTS ADMINISTRATION AND CULTURAL MANAGEMENT WAS ALSO DELAYED, BUT THE STUDENTS AND FACULTY WILL TAKE UP RESIDENCE IN THE SPACE IN FY22. THE ENCOUNTERS SERIES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HARTFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY AND THE UCONN HUMANITIES INSTITUTE DREW FACULTY, STUDENTS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC FOR CONVERSATIONS AT THE MUSEUM AROUND CIVIC ISSUES. THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND SERVICES DEPARTMENT WELCOMES AND ORIENTS ALL VISITORS TO THE MUSEUM. IN PREPARATION FOR THE MUSEUM'S REOPENING IN FALL OF 2021, THE WADSWORTH HIRED A COHORT OF GALLERY ATTENDANTS TO PROVIDE A WARM AND ENGAGING PRESENCE THROUGHOUT THE MUSEUM. THIS NEW TEAM SUPPORTS THE MUSEUM VISITORS' EXPERIENCES IN A PROACTIVE WAY, HELPING WITH WAYFINDING AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS AND SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS.

OTHER PROGRAM EXPENSES: OTHER PROGRAM EXPENSES INCLUDE MARKETING, PUBLIC RELATIONS, MEMBERSHIP, MUSEUM SHOP, THEATER AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS.