The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum Inc

TO PROVIDE A FULL RANGE OF CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBITIONS AND ART EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

EXHIBITIONS:2021 BEGAN WITH THE CONTINUATION OF THREE EXHIBITIONS THAT OPENED IN 2020. FRANK STELLA'S STARS, A SURVEY, THE FIRST EXHIBITION TO EXPLORE THE MOTIF OF THE STAR IN THIS MAJOR AMERICAN ARTIST'S WORK OPENED IN BOTH THE MUSEUM'S GROUND FLOOR GALLERIES AND THE SCULPTURE GARDEN RAN THROUGH MAY 9TH, 2021, AND THE OUTDOOR COMPONENT RUNNING THROUGH SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2021. GENESIS BELANGER: THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE, WAS THE FIRST SOLO MUSEUM PRESENTATION OF THIS EMERGING ARTIST WHO WORKS PRIMARILY IN CERAMICS. THIS EXHIBITION RAN THROUGH MAY 9TH, 2021. TWENTY TWENTY, WAS AN EXHIBITION OF WORKS ON PAPER OF SEVEN ARTISTS PRESENTED IN THREE CHAPTERS OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE MONTHS. THE ARTISTS WERE COMMISSIONED TO RESPOND TO CHANGING POLITICAL AND SOCIAL LANDSCAPE THROUGH THE LEAD UP TO THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TO THE INAUGURATION IN JANUARY OF 2021. THE EXHIBITION RAN THROUGH MARCH 14TH, 2021. ALL THREE EXHIBITIONS WERE ACCOMPANIED BY PUBLICATIONS, WITH THE STELLA SHOW ACCOMPANIED BY A MAJOR BOOK CO-PUBLISHED BY THE ALDRICH AND GREGORY R. MILLER & CO.OPENING ON MARCH 27TH, 2021 WAS TIM PRENTICE: AFTER THE MOBILE, THE FIRST SOLO MUSEUM EXHIBITION IN OVER TWENTY YEARS OF THIS CONNECTICUT-BASED ARTIST WHO TURNED 90 IN 2020 AND IS ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF KINETIC SCULPTURE. THE EXHIBITION INCLUDED INDOOR AND OUTDOOR COMPONENTS AND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A 28-PAGE CATALOGUE PUBLISHED BY THE MUSEUM.ON JUNE 5TH, 2021 THE EXHIBITION LUCIA HIERRO: MARGINAL COSTS OPENED, THE FIRST SOLO MUSEUM PRESENTATION OF THIS NEW YORK-BASED ARTIST. THE EXHIBITION INCLUDED SCULPTURAL WORKS FROM THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS AND FEATURED A SITE-SPECIFIC INSTALLATION BY THE ARTIST. THE SHOW RAN THROUGH JANUARY 2ND, 2022 AND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A 28-PAGE CATALOGUE PUBLISHED BY THE MUSEUM. ALSO OPENING ON JUNE 5TH 2021 AND RUNNING THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2022 WAS THE EXHIBITION HUGO MCCLOUD: FROM WHERE I STAND, THE FIRST SOLO MUSEUM EXHIBITION OF THIS CALIFORNIA-BORN ARTIST WHO NOW RESIDES IN TULUM, MEXICO. THE EXHIBITION INCLUDED OVER 30 WORKS, WITH THE MAJORITY BORROWED FROM PRIVATE COLLECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE U.S. THE EXHIBITION WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A MAJOR BOOK, CO-PUBLISHED BY HATJE CANTZ AND SEAN KELLY GALLERY, WITH AN ESSAY BY RICHARD KLEIN, THE ALDRICH'S EXHIBITION DIRECTOR AND CURATOR OF THE SHOW.KARLA KNIGHT: NAVIGATOR OPENED ON OCTOBER 16TH, 2021 AND RAN THROUGH MAY 1ST, 2022. THIS EXHIBITION IS THE FIRST SOLO MUSEUM PRESENTATION OF THIS REDDING, CONNECTICUT-BASED ARTIST WHOSE WORK TOUCHES ON SCIENCE, THE OCCULT AND EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY ABSTRACTION. THE EXHIBITION WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A BOOK PUBLISHED BY THE ALDRICH IN 2022.2021 SAW THE INAUGURATION OF ALDRICH PROJECTS, A SERIES OF SMALL EXHIBITIONS IN THE MUSEUM'S ATRIUM THAT FOCUSES ON NEW WORKS BY EMERGING ARTISTS. MORE QUICKLY CHANGING THAN THE MUSEUM'S MAIN EXHIBITION PROGRAM, THE PROJECT UTILIZES THE LARGE WALL THAT GREETS VISITORS AS THEY ENTER THE MUSEUM. THE FIRST ALDRICH PROJECT WAS CLARITY HAYNES: COLLECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS, WHICH RAN FROM APRIL 28 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2021. THE SECOND IN THE SERIES OF ALDRICH PROJECTS WAS ADRIENNE ELISE TARVER: THE SUN, THE MOON, AND THE TRUTH, WHICH OPENED ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2021 AND RAN THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2022. EACH ALDRICH PROJECT IS ACCOMPANIED BY AN ILLUSTRATED, FOLDED PAPER PUBLICATION WITH A BRIEF ESSAY ON THE ARTIST AND THEIR WORK.

PUBLIC AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS:THE ALDRICH HOSTED A RANGE OF IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING FOR THE PUBLIC, SCHOOLS, AND INDIVIDUALS SERVED BY PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS. THIRD WEEKENDS WAS HELD ON THE THIRD SATURDAY AND SUNDAY OF THE MONTH, WELCOMING PEOPLE TO VISIT THE MUSEUM FOR FREE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE VIRTUAL ARTMAKING, READING PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES, PARTNERING REGULARLY WITH THE RIDGEFIELD LIBRARY AND OFFERING FREE ART ACTIVITY PROMPTS TO FOLLOW AT HOME CIRCULATED THROUGH THE MUSEUM'S NEWSLETTER. CAMP ALDRICH, A DAY-LONG PROGRAM FOCUSED ON ARTMAKING, RETURNED FOR THREE WEEKS DURING THE SUMMER.THE ALDRICH CONTINUED TO PRESENT ADULT PROGRAMS VIRTUALLY, INCLUDING CONVERSATIONS WITH ARTISTS, CURATORS, AND SCHOLARS, WHILE FINDING OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING GROUPS TOGETHER IN PERSON DURING THE WARMER MONTHS OUTDOORS OR SOCIALLY DISTANCED IN THE MUSEUM. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED TALKS WITH ARTISTS EMILY LARNED AND BRIDGET ELMER, HUGO MCCLOUD, TIM PRENTICE AND DAVID COLBERT, GENESIS BELANGER, CLARITY HAYNES, LUCIA HIERRO, KARLA KNIGHT AND ROZ CHAST. THE CONCLUSION OF SCORES FOR THE STARS CREATED BY ARTIST ANDER MIKALSON AND INSPIRED BY FRANK STELLA'S STARS IN THE SCULPTURE GARDEN WAS PRESENTED. DURING THE YEAR, THE ALDRICH CARE BOX BROUGHT INTERACTIONS WITH TACTILE ART PIECES TO PEOPLE'S HOMES, CLASSROOMS, AND MUSEUM VISITS WITH WORKS CREATED BY FIVE ARTISTS EXPLORING PREVALENT THEMES OF ISOLATION AND SELF-CARE, INCLUDING ILANA HARRIS-BABOU, CLARITY HAYNES, ATHENA LATOCHA, CURTIS TALWST SANTIAGO, AND JAMES ALLISTER SPRANG. DURING 2021, THE ALDRICH PRESENTED OVER TWO DOZEN MUSIC, POETRY, AND THEATER PERFORMANCES, MANY OF WHICH WERE DEVELOPED IN TANDEM WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, INCLUDING RIDGEFIELD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, RIDGEFIELD LIBRARY, THROWN STONE THEATER CO, AND KEELER TAVERN MUSEUM.THE ALDRICH TEEN FELLOWS, COMPRISED OF AREA TEENS, CREATED COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS INSPIRED BY THEMES PRESENT IN THE MUSEUM'S EXHIBITIONS INCLUDING A FEMINIST INSTAGRAM CAMPAIGN AND A MOCKUMENTARY, INSPIRED BY MARKING 2020 AS A HISTORIC YEAR IMPACTED BY POLITICAL AND SOCIAL UNREST AND A PANDEMIC. ALONG WITH TEACHING ARTIST TARA FOLEY, THE TEEN FELLOWS CREATED A SERIES OF BLOG POSTS THAT INCLUDED PERSONAL IMMIGRATION STORIES RELEASED ON THE MUSEUM'S WEBSITE.THE ALDRICH WORKED WITH AREA SCHOOLS ON VIRTUAL VISITS TO THE EXHIBITIONS IN THE SPRING AND HOSTED IN-PERSON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS FOR AREA TEACHERS IN THE FALL. THE YEAR ENDED WITH INCREASED IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL SCHOOL VISITS FROM PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PRESCHOOLS AND K-12 CLASSES. THE INNOVATIVE COMMON GROUND PROGRAM, A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY ARTIST-MUSEUM-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, TOOK PLACE VIRTUALLY AND LATER VIA MAIL WITH A LONGSTANDING PARTNER SCHOOL AND ARTIST MARTI CORMAND.FINALLY, IN 2021 TWO NEW LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS BROUGHT ABOUT MONTHLY PROGRAMMING FOR SENIORS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH EARLY-STAGE DEMENTIA.

MUSEUM OPERATIONS: EXHIBITION AND PUBLIC AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS REQUIRE A WELL-MAINTAINED, HIGH-FUNCTIONING FACILITY TO HOUSE THE EXHIBITIONS AND PROVIDE A PLACE FOR PROGRAMS. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, FUNDS ARE USED FOR MAINTENANCE, SECURITY, CAPITAL PROJECTS, UTILITIES, DEPRECIATION, AND OPERATIONS STAFFING.