On Thursday, September 2, the Housatonic Museum of Art (HMA) will reopen the Burt Chernow Galleries and the Museum with a grand collective exhibition: Big Art Bash 2021.
The wide-ranging group show will feature FOUR exhibits of work by Jon Schueler, Jongil Ma, Eric Chiang and an exhibition that explores male dominance of women. The public is invited to attend this exciting, FREE opening event from 5:30pm – 7pm, which will include live music by the Joe Mennonna Trio and light refreshments. HMA is located on the Housatonic Community College (HCC) campus, located at 900 Lafayette Blvd. in Bridgeport, CT.
The landmark exhibition ‘Lost Man Blues: Jon Schueler – Art and War’, curated by Marissa Roth, will feature twenty-six paintings and selected writings by the esteemed, prolific American abstract expressionist that reflect his war experiences. This exhibition, which takes its title from a piece commemorating the disappearance of a plane belonging to his squadron, will be on view through October 8, 2021.
South Korean sculptor and Brooklyn resident, Jongil Ma will celebrate the completion of his commissioned work, ‘Be There When You Return’, which was funded by Elizabeth Fray, the Werth Family Foundation and HCC. Created during the pandemic, the piece will greet students and visitors alike when they come back to campus. The work is an intricate arrangement of raw and painted cut wood strips fastened with metal rods, nuts and bolts, colored screws, cable zip ties, and stained ropes. A tumult of red, purple, yellow and green colors spiral, bend and intertwine to create a lively and welcoming sculpture that speaks of joy and the spirit of resilience. This piece is part of the museum’s permanent collection and will be on continuous view in the Lafayette Hall atrium.
Taiwanese artist and Westport resident, Erik Chiang, will exhibit a series of works that are visual depictions of quantum mechanics, mathematics and music. Chiang’s large-scale triptych, ‘Are We Born Connected?’, which is also the title of the show, features cellos floating amongst the moon and stars. Chiang’s work launches HCC’s upcoming 2021/22 STEAM: Space Initiative, which will include a guest speaker program to explore the relationship between music and modern physics. The exhibit will be on view in the lobby gallery of the Performing Arts Center in Lafayette Hall through May 18, 2022.
Suzanne Benton of Ridgefield, Sherri Wolfgang of Westport, Faith Baum and Lori Petchers of Fairfield and Aidan Boyle of New Rochelle, NY are featured artists in the exhibit ‘Of Woman Born’ that explores the patriarchal structures that, over the centuries, have been used to oppress, exploit, and dominate women. Also included in the show are Paul Georges, Nicholas Africano, Lynne Augeri, Francisco Zuniga, Antonio Canova, Albrecht Durer, Michael Stone and Donna Ferrato. This exhibit, located on the second floor of the atrium in Lafayette Hall, will remain on view until June 30, 2022.
“The Big Art Bash 2021 will celebrate the first time the museum has opened its doors to the public since the start of the pandemic. We’re thrilled to mark this special occasion with four spectacular exhibits that are sure to engage our collective sense of wonder, compassion, and intellect,” said Robbin Zella, Director of the Housatonic Museum of Art.
Please check https://www.housatonic.edu/ for COVID-19 updates regarding campus accessibility. An appointment to visit the museum may be necessary, and visitors must be prepared to comply with social distancing rules and wear protective face masks. For additional information please call 203-332-5052.
Housatonic Museum of Art is home to one of the premier college art collections in the country, spanning the history of art from the ancient to the contemporary, and is on continuous display throughout the 300,000 square foot facility. The museum also hosts changing exhibitions in the Burt Chernow Galleries, and engaging lectures, workshops, films, special events and programs throughout the year, both in person and online. Visit www.HousatonicMuseum.org to learn more.
Housatonic Museum of Art, located on the Housatonic Community College campus in Bridgeport, CT, is pleased to announce Making Your Mark: Prints and Drawings from the Hechinger Collection, on view from February 3 – March 25, 2022.
Making Your Mark: Prints and Drawings from the Hechinger Collection brings together a rich array of works on paper, breaking down the various methods and materials used in modern artistic practice. Showcasing 50 superb prints and drawings, this exhibition samples the breadth and beauty of International Arts & Artists’ own Hechinger Collection, which has the unique theme of hand tools and hardware. Focusing on the creative process, the featured works represent a variety of media and disciplines at an artist’s disposal. Audiences will learn about the intricacies of these assorted techniques, and directly see how an artist makes a statement through the graphic arts. Making Your Mark’s celebration of the visual and conceptual aspects of drawing and printmaking educates and inspires in the best way, leaving viewers engaged, and rapt with curiosity.
Some of the most influential artists of the twentieth century are featured in the exhibition, including Berenice Abbott, Jim Dine, Richard Estes, Walker Evans, Howard Finster, Ke Francis, Jacob Lawrence, Hans Namuth, Claes Oldenburg, James Rosenquist, Lucas Samaras, Aaron Siskind, and Wayne Thiebaud.
Making Your Mark begins by establishing drawing as its foundation, then moves through five distinct printing styles, then shifts to the contemporary method of screen printing. The final technique, photography — whose name unites the Greek words for light (photos) and drawing (graphé)—brings the exhibition full circle, returning the viewer to the inception of mark-making. Each section highlights the complexities of the unique artistic process, and a timeless affinity for the beauty of lines and the bewitching utility of tools as instruments of craft.
The exhibition will be on view in the museum’s Burt Chernow Galleries, located in Lafayette Hall at 900 Lafayette Blvd. in Bridgeport. There will be no opening reception. Tickets must be reserved in advance of visiting, and masks must be worn at all times. Visit www.HousatonicMuseum.org to sign up.
Scheduled U.S tour dates for Making Your Mark: Prints and Drawings from the Hechinger Collection are as follows: Carnegie Arts Center, Turlock, CA (September 18, 2021 – January 3, 2022); Susquehanna Museum of Art, Harrisburg, PA (June 10, 2022 – September 18, 2022); Hillstrom Museum of Art at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN (November 21, 2022 –January 27, 2023).
Making Your Mark: Prints and Drawings from the Hechinger Collection is organized and toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC.
About International Arts & Artists
International Arts & Artists (IA&A) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting cross-cultural understanding and exposure to the arts internationally. Since 1995, IA&A has fulfilled its mission by providing programs and services to artists, arts institutions, cultural organizations, and the public—reaching over 2.1 million people. Visit www.artsandartists.org for more information.
About the Housatonic Museum of Art
Housatonic Museum of Art is located on the Housatonic Community College campus, located at 900 Lafayette Blvd. in Bridgeport. It is home to one of the premier college art collections in the country, spanning the history of art from the ancient to the contemporary, and is on continuous display throughout the 300,000 square foot facility. The museum also hosts changing exhibitions in the Burt Chernow Galleries, and engaging lectures, workshops, films, special events and programs throughout the year, both in person and online. Visit www.HousatonicMuseum.org to learn more.
The Wadsworth is pleased to host the season finale performance of the Arazzo Music Festival, a new initiative building community through musical performances here in Connecticut. Join Connecticut cellist and festival director Samuel DeCaprio as he performs an evening of string music in Morgan Great Hall with musicians from across the region. The program centers around Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s 70 (1890). Free with required registration.
Included with Museum admission – no reservations needed.
Visitors of all ages are encouraged to participate. Discovery Sundays begin in the Education Center where visitors can choose from a variety of hands-on activities. Supplied with canvas, palette, paint, brushes, a smock and a quick lesson in color mixing and painting techniques visitors discover for themselves why Miss Florence’s was THE place to paint!
Sunday, June 26 from 1:30 – 4 PM
Drop-In Session, 20-30 minute activity
RSVP encouraged but not required
Learn the basics of monotype and Gelli Plate printmaking in this FREE drop in workshop
A monotype is a method of printmaking where an artist directly applies ink to a matrix (plate) which is then transferred onto paper, resulting in a one of a kind print. Gelli Plate Printing utilizes gelatin plates which allows the artist to physically print an image by rubbing paper onto the elastic surface of the plate. Using rollers, q-tips, stencils, and other textural materials, beginners can explore the versatility of printmaking without the use of a printmaking press.
This event is open to the public on a drop in basis at any time between 1:30 and 4 PM. This activity is estimated to take 20 – 30 minutes to complete, but participants are welcome to stay as long as they like or come and go as they please. RSVP is encouraged but not required.
Registration will close the Tuesday before each session.
Improve your energy and stamina as you move to the music with certified Tai Chi instructor Joe Atkins. Joe will teach gentle movements that improve balance, flexibility, and mobility and reduce stiffness and soreness. Wear comfortable clothes. All levels welcome!
Museum Members call 203-753-0381 ext 117 to register for Tai Chi
Support provided by the Connecticut Community Foundation.
The Brave New World of Food and Drink
with Paco Underhill, Market Researcher and Bestselling Author
Join award-winning researcher and author Paco Underhill for an introduction to his newest book, How We Eat, which demonstrates that our food system—how we produce, process, distribute, and consume food—is broken. Underhill offers an upbeat, hopeful, and characteristically witty approach to how we can change the way we consume.
Registration will close the Wednesday before each session.
Join Michele Morcey as she teaches strength-building poses, balances, and flows that link breath with movement. Students will explore pranayama (breath work), meditation, and final relaxation. While this practice is more vigorous than a gentle yoga class, it is accessible to most levels, as it is led with the idea that all practices serve us differently. Bring your own mat.
Museum Members call 203-753-0381 ext 117 to register for Yoga-Intermediate Vinyasa
Support provided by the Connecticut Community Foundation.
Registration will close the Thursday before each session.
Leave behind today’s concerns and distractions with Mindfulness teacher, Ranji Latchmansingh, as he leads you through a guided mindfulness session utilizing art. Interact with art in a different way as you learn to slow down and focus.
Support provided by the Connecticut Community Foundation.
Join us every Friday evening to unwind, renew and reconnect to nature in the serenity of Weir Farm National Historical Park’s stunning gardens. This weekly outdoor yoga series is part of the Park’s Healthy Parks Healthy People program and is the perfect way to end your week! No registration required! Just bring your yoga mat and water bottle!
Experience how the Park can improve your physical and mental wellbeing with yoga instructor Suzan Converse. Suzan has been practicing yoga for almost 40 years and is skilled in leading Amrit Yoga – a meditative practice intended to still the mind as well as give you maximum physical benefits. Suzan’s intention is to reach as many people as she can to reveal the inherent peace that is naturally within each of us.