5pm gallery viewing | 6pm lecture
Contemporary Seneca artist Marie Watt discusses her creative process and artwork that explores the intersection of history, community, and storytelling.
Marie Watt (she/her, b. 1967, Seattle, WA) is a member of the Turtle Clan of the Seneca Nation of Indians whose work draws on images and ideas from Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) protofeminism and Indigenous teachings. Her practice is interdisciplinary, incorporating printmaking, painting, textiles, and sculpture. Watt conducts both solo and collaborative projects, but in all of them she explores how history, community, and storytelling intersect. Watt holds an MFA in painting and printmaking from Yale University; she also has degrees from Willamette University and the Institute of American Indian Arts; and in 2016 she was awarded a Doctor Honoris Causa from Willamette University. Selected collections include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Seattle Art Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Yale University Art Gallery, the Crystal Bridges Museum, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian and National Museum of American Art, the Tacoma Art Museum, the Denver Art Museum, the Portland Art Museum, and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. Watt is represented by PDX Contemporary Art in Portland, OR; Catharine Clark Gallery in San Francisco, CA; and Marc Straus in New York, NY.
Free. Registration encouraged.
Presented with support from the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation and with additional support provided by the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation Fund at the Wadsworth Atheneum.
Oliver Tostmann, Susan Morse Hilles Curator of European Art, and Erin Monroe, Krieble Curator of American Paintings and Sculpture, share highlights from the museum’s new installation Inventing the Modern: Art 1890-1970, exploring the development of modern art as a complex phenomenon evolving across decades, styles, and continents. Meet outside the Museum Shop.
Free with admission. Registration required.
Art, stories, and games for all ages—plus a special interactive program with Gerald Moore to inspire kids’ creativity.
Saturday, October 11 · 10:30am – 5pm EDT. Doors at 10am
About this event
Spend the day creating together at AMP’s Family Day—designed for all ages, from toddlers to teens. With a mix of hands-on art activities, story time, a kid-friendly tour, and a special drop-in studio just for teens, there’s something for everyone in the family.
Tell a Story in 3D!
Three reasons why AMP’s mural is awesome: 1) the artwork was created collaboratively, 2) it tells a story, and 3) it’s told in three dimensions! Now you and your gang can make awesome art together that tells a story in 3D – no special glasses necessary! Participants will build colorful 3D creations together and then bring their artwork to life through stories. Let your imagination run wild by mashing up your original art with others to make whole worlds, characters, and fantastic plot twists!
This original, hands-on program blends building, imaginative play, and storytelling. Developed by multimedia artist and educator Gerald Moore, The Game is presented through Arts for Learning Connecticut—an organization that brings high-quality arts experiences to communities across the state.
Schedule of Activities
Mural Exhibit Opens: 10am
Teen Art Studio: 10:30am to 1:30pm (ages 13 to 18)
Story Time & Craft: 11am
Art & Explore: 12pm
Interactive Program: Tell a Story in 3D! 1:30pm
Mural Exhibit Closes: 5pm
Free Admission for Kids and their Parents or accompanying caregivers on Family Days
Family Day activities are free with admission. Kids 18 and under are free all day. Teen Art Studio has a $5 materials fee. Regular adult and senior ticket options apply.
AMP’s Family Days are supported by the generosity of The Comis Foundation and Torrington Bank.
Bring the whole family and spend the day creating together.
Join Curator of Education Michelle DiMarzo for an informal discussion of this work from the exhibition Monuments: Commemoration and Controversy: Stafford Mantle Northcote, Tong Yin Yee Shung Gun, Chinese Laundry, 1899, oil on canvas. The New York Historical, Gift of George A. Zabriskie, 1946.255
Want to join the virtual conversation at 1pm? Click here to register.
About the Exhibition: Monuments: Commemoration and Controversy (organized by The New York Historical) explores monuments and their representations in public spaces as flashpoints of fierce debate over national identity, politics, and race that have raged for centuries. Offering a historical foundation for understanding today’s controversies, the exhibition features fragments of a statue of King George III torn down by American Revolutionaries, a souvenir replica of a bulldozed monument by Harlem Renaissance sculptor Augusta Savage, and a maquette of New York City’s first public monument to a Black woman, Harriet Tubman, among other objects from The New York Historical’s collection. The exhibition reveals how monument-making and monument-breaking have long shaped American life as public statues have been celebrated, attacked, protested, altered, and removed.
Join Curator of Education Michelle DiMarzo for an informal discussion of this work from the exhibition Monuments: Commemoration and Controversy: Stafford Mantle Northcote, Tong Yin Yee Shung Gun, Chinese Laundry, 1899, oil on canvas. The New York Historical, Gift of George A. Zabriskie, 1946.255
This event will be livestreamed. Want to join the conversation in person at 12 noon? Click here to register.
About the Exhibition: Monuments: Commemoration and Controversy (organized by The New York Historical) explores monuments and their representations in public spaces as flashpoints of fierce debate over national identity, politics, and race that have raged for centuries. Offering a historical foundation for understanding today’s controversies, the exhibition features fragments of a statue of King George III torn down by American Revolutionaries, a souvenir replica of a bulldozed monument by Harlem Renaissance sculptor Augusta Savage, and a maquette of New York City’s first public monument to a Black woman, Harriet Tubman, among other objects from The New York Historical’s collection. The exhibition reveals how monument-making and monument-breaking have long shaped American life as public statues have been celebrated, attacked, protested, altered, and removed.
Maureen Kelleher, co-founder of the Social Justice Collaboration Quilts Project at Angola Prison, will speak about her work with the incarcerated quilt creators and the process of creating the pieces on view in the exhibition Stitching Time. The talk will be livestreamed here.
About the Exhibition: Stitching Time features 12 quilts created by men who are incarcerated in the Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola Prison. These works of art, and accompanying recorded interviews, tell the story of a unique inside-outside quilt collaboration. The exhibition focuses our attention on the quilt creators, people often forgotten by society when discussing the history of the U.S. criminal justice system. Also on view in the gallery will be Give Me Life, a selection of works from women artists presently or formerly incarcerated at York Correctional Institution, a maximum security state prison in Niantic, CT, courtesy of Community Partners in Action (CPA). The CPA’s Prison Arts program was initiated in 1978 and is one of the longest-running projects of its kind in the United States. Founded in 1875, CPA is celebrating 150 years of working within the criminal justice system.
* This event is a part of Fairfield University Explores 250 Years of the American Experiment: The Promise and Paradox *
Image: Kenya Baleech Alkebu (quilt design); Maureen Kelleher (quilting), Red, White and Baldwin, 2016, mixed cotton blends and acrylic paint. Lent by Maureen Kelleher, © Maureen Kelleher
Join us on Saturday, December 6, 2025 in the Bellarmine Hall, Museum Classroom for a Family Day inspired by Snow and Songbirds! The first session will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m. and the second at 2:30 p.m. Learn more about our current exhibitions at fairfield.edu/museum.
During this Family Day event, kids ages 4-10 will creat crafts inspired by our feathered friends and the songs they sing!
Please note: participants can only sign up for one session. If you cannot attend Family Day, we request that you cancel your reservation either through Eventbrite or by emailing museum@fairfield.edu. Frequent no-shows will result in the inability to register for additional Family Day programs. Thank you!
For more than 350 years, Connecticut has been the birthplace of invention. The helicopter, nuclear submarine, the first space suit on the moon, and even the Wiffle Ball were all born and manufactured in Connecticut.
To honor this legacy, the American Manufacturing Hall of Fame (AMHoF) is partnering with AMP to host the Innovation Wall, a 1,500 sq ft interactive display featuring 50 Connecticut Innovation Firsts. This “greatest hits” of Nutmeg State ingenuity includes everything from the first nuclear submarine to the first moon walk, from Sikorsky to Silly Putty, from the WASP engine to Wiffle Balls, from PEZ to parachutes. Visitors can even hold racing bicycle wheels that won 14 medals at the Paris Olympics.
The exhibition is included at no extra charge with regular admission to AMP during open hours.
Open on
Friday and Saturday, 10am – 5pm
Sunday 12pm – 5pm
About the American Manufacturing Hall of Fame
The American Manufacturing Hall of Fame (AMHoF) was formed in 2014 by a passionate group of manufacturing stakeholders. Our mission is to “Celebrate, Innovate, Educate.” Since our inception 11 years ago, AMHoF has inducted and celebrated the innovation of 37 companies, 10 Manufacturing leaders and has provided over $300,000 for scholarships and educational programs. We continue to embrace our mission, “Celebrate, Innovate, Educate!”
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 (TAS) for ages 13 to 18. Guided by a teaching artist, you can try new materials, develop your own ideas, and connect with others in a relaxed environment. It’s a space to grow as an artist and have fun doing it.
Come as you are. No pressure, just possibilities.
Every Second Saturday of the month, the studio becomes a creative zone where you can try something new, meet people who get you, and see your ideas come to life—with guidance from a teaching artist and no pressure to be perfect.
Come once or as often as you like.
Teen Art Studio is a drop-in program, so you can come once or as often as you like. Many teens return month after month to build skills, portfolios, and friendships. Teaching artist Shana Bazelmans brings experience, guidance, and creative prompts to help your ideas take shape. It’s not just about making art—it’s about feeling seen and inspired.
Reserve your spot—it helps us prep materials, and you can still drop in if you decide last-minute.
What to Know
When: Every Second Saturday, 10:30am–1:30pm
Where: American Mural Project, 90 Whiting Street, Winsted, CT
Cost: $5 materials fee per session, or free with an AMP Student Membership ($25/year)
What’s included: All materials, mural exhibit admission, and access to Family Day activities
How to join: Reserve your spot—it helps us prep materials. Walk-ins are also welcome.
The Teen Art Studio 2025–26 Season
Every Second Saturday, 10:30am–1:30pm
September 13
October 11
November 8
December 13
January 10
February 14
March 14
April 11
May 9
June 13
AMP’s Teen Art Studio is one of the few drop-in teen art programs in Northwest Connecticut where young artists can explore painting, sculpture, and mixed media in a welcoming studio environment. Whether you’re looking for teen art classes in CT or creative things to do for teens in Winsted, TAS offers a hands-on, community-based experience every Second Saturday—no prior experience needed.
Reserve your spot: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/teen-art-studio-amp-tickets-1513856307969?aff=oddtdtcreator
Spend an afternoon writing poetry that draws on your own work experiences, surrounded by AMPs monumental artistic tribute to workers.
About the Workshop:
Write about the work that shaped your life—surrounded by an indoor mural that honors it. This half-day workshop invites older adults to explore their own stories of work, purpose, and identity through poetry.
Guided by poets Steve Straight and Elizabeth Thomas, you will reflect on personal experiences, draw inspiration from AMP’s mural, and craft original poems in a relaxed, artistic setting. No prior writing experience is needed.
Who It’s For:
Adults ages 55+ who are interested in exploring creative writing, whether you’re a longtime journaler or trying poetry for the first time, you’ll find resonance with others in a group where every story matters.
What to Expect:
A guided creative poetry writing workshop designed for older adults
Inspiration drawn from AMP’s 120-foot indoor mural of American workers
Supportive instruction from two respected poet-educators
Opportunities to explore, create, share, and connect
Time to explore AMP’s inspiring mural gallery
Meet the Instructors:
Steve Straight is a poet and retired professor of English and director of the poetry program at Manchester Community College. His book Affirmation received the 2023 William Meredith Award for Poetry.
Elizabeth Thomas is a poet, educator, and founder of UpWords Poetry. A Master Teaching Artist for the Connecticut Office of the Arts and The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, she leads poetry workshops nationwide.
About the Mural Gallery at AMP:
AMP’s spacious mural gallery, set in a renovated historic mill building, combines industrial charm with a distinctive artistic atmosphere. Its centerpiece is the incredible indoor mural—120 feet long and five stories high—that celebrates American workers on a grand scale.
With the mural as the backdrop to the workshop—and three levels for viewing and reflecting—you’ll have a rare opportunity to write in a space that honors creativity, work, and the stories that shape us.
You will leave with new poems, fresh inspiration, and a deeper appreciation for your own work stories—and how those stories connect to others and to the mural.
Register today!