art events Archives - Connecticut Art Trail

FAMILY DAY
Looking for creative, engaging activities for the whole family? AMP’s Family Days offer an exciting lineup of hands-on activities for children of all ages. Games, storytimes, art projects, and interactive learning programs spark kids’ curiosity and creativity—and celebrate the art of work. AMP’s Family Days are the perfect way to spend quality time together.

𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘆!

July 4 Family Day Celebration!
Join us at 11am for a special Live Music Story Time featuring patriotic songs with AMP’s music, movement, and literacy favorite, Michelle Begley.

Afterward, explore our five-story mural celebrating the workers who make America great. Sew felt stars with members of the Winsted Senior Center—take one home and leave one behind as part of a sparkling collaborative artwork that will be displayed at AMP throughout July. Other activities include scavenger hunts, games of cornhole, ring toss, and an opportunity to prove that you are a super-duper hula hooper!

Walk-ins are welcome, but registering helps us plan ahead.

AMP’s Family Days are supported by the generosity of the Comis Foundation and Torrington Savings Bank. The Teen Art Studio is made possible in part by Torrington Savings Bank Foundation.

HAPPY HOUR PIANO SERIES
Who doesn’t need to decompress and unwind after the grind? AMP’s popular Happy Hour Piano Series eases you into the weekend with live piano music and libations in Connecticut’s most unique art space.

Held the fourth Friday of the month from 5pm to 7pm, AMP’s Happy Hour Piano Series features a captivating pianist performing in a variety of styles including jazz, blues, pop, classical, and more. It can be a relaxed hang with friends or an intimate evening out.

Reserve your $8 tickets in advance or purchase at the door.
AMP’s regular Friday exhibit hours (10am to 5pm) are extended for the Happy Hour Piano Series, 5–7pm. The cash/credit bar opens at 5pm. Live music begins at 5:30pm.

Calla & Friends
Friday, July 24
5–7pm | Music Starts: 5:30pm
Born and raised in Collinsville, Calla Begley is a singer and multi-instrumentalist. Through years of playing in jam bands at DownRight Music and Arts, studying musical theater at the Greater Hartford Arts Academy, Jazz and Classical voice at Bard College, and more recent endeavors into songwriting, Calla strives to hone and explore her love of music. She is excited to return to AMP and ready to tickle those ivories, pluck some strings, and bring to you a night of music by Lake Street Dive, Yebba, and Cat Power.

AMP’s Piano Series continues to support emerging artists in Connecticut.

The Happy Hour Piano Series is supported in part by the Greenberg family.

12:30pm ceremony | 1pm art and conservation talk | 2pm walking tour
Free at Colt Park in Hartford

Kick off the Long Weekend Hartford festival with a day of activities at Colt Park. Start with the opening ceremony and a rededication of the Colt Monument following its recent restoration; learn about John Massey Rhind’s (1858–1936) sculpture (below) and its treatment from Erin Monroe, Krieble Curator of American Paintings and Sculpture at The Wadsworth and Sculpture Conservator Francis Miller. Join a Coltsville walking tour with Alan Amelinckx, Interpretation & Education Program Manager at Coltsville and Springfield Armory, and join in family activities led by the Colt Park Foundation, plus live entertainment, local food trucks, and hot-air balloon rides organized by the City of Hartford.

Presented as a partnership between Colt Park Foundation, the City of Hartford, Coltsville National Historical Park, and The Wadsworth in conjunction with Long Weekend Hartford.

A public lecture and exhibition, featuring original work by local teen artists in the 2026 paid summer photography residency, hosted by The Amistad Center for Art & Culture. Students share their projects, offering powerful reflections on identity, community, and contemporary life.

You are invited to the opening reception of “Making his Mark in Connecticut: The Creative Process of F. Luis Mora.” To commemorate the U.S. Semiquincentennial, the HMA presents this exhibition, which explores the themes of the America 250 | CT Commission through the lens of an Uruguayan-born artist who settled in Gaylordsville, CT. Featuring never-before-seen preparatory drawings alongside finished paintings, this exhibition tells the origin story of the first Hispanic member of the National Academy of Design and his legacy in his adopted state.

This exhibition is curated by Dr. Cynthia Roznoy with key loans from the collection of Benjamin Ortiz and Victor P. Torchia, Jr. and George Wall. The exhibition also includes loans from major museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Yale University Art Gallery, the Mattatuck Museum, the Florence Griswold Museum, the Georgia Museum of Art, and the Rockwell Museum.

Free and open to the public; light refreshments served.

This project is supported by funding through CT Humanities, the Wyeth Foundation for American Art, and America 250 | CT. Special thanks to lead donor, Elizabeth Fray.

Reserve your $8 tickets in advance or $12 at the door.

AMP’s regular Friday exhibit hours are extended for the Happy Hour Piano Series, 5–7pm. The doors and bar open at 5pm. Live music begins at 5:30pm.

Paula Bradley
Friday, August 28 | 5-7pm
Doors/Bar: 5pm | Music: 5:30pm

A West Virginia-born multi-instrumentalist residing in the Berkshires, Paula has been involved in roots music for decades. Known for her strong, spirited vocals, she has toured (on banjo) with old-time darlings “Uncle Earl”; with old-time powerhouse Bruce Molsky (on guitar and banjo uke); and recorded and toured with Tony Trischka (piano, guitar) and Bruce as part of the acoustic roots trio “Jawbone”. She was also a founding member of the popular New England honkytonk combo (on piano) “Girl Howdy,” and with her late husband, Bill Dillof, “Moonshine Holler.” Currently, she also leads her own popular juke joint swing combo “Miss Paula & The Twangbusters” which features her ivory ticklin’, mixing blues, boogie and swing into the band’s potent honky tonk musical cocktail.

The Happy Hour Piano Series is supported in part by the Greenberg family.

One of the first plays written immediately after September 11, playwright Anne Nelson’s one-act play is a sensitive examination of loss, connection, and the power of language.

In the wake of the September 11 attacks, New York City fire captain Nick has the monumental task of writing eulogies for eight of his men who were killed. Unable to adequately put his memories and sentiments into words, he enlists the help of Joan, a news editor and former journalist. Nick and Joan come from completely different worlds and, were it not for the attacks, never would have met. United through tragedy, Nick and Joan discover a shared humanity as they craft poignant remembrances of “the guys”.

Herstory Theater, founded by Virginia Wolf in Farmington, CT, focuses most often in telling the stories of little known women in history, but also takes on other projects with important (or fun) stories to tell. Learn more at www.herstorytheater.com.

Seats are limited.

Reserve your $8 tickets in advance or $12 at the door.

AMP’s regular Friday exhibit hours are extended for the Happy Hour Piano Series, 5–7pm. The doors and bar open at 5pm. Live music begins at 5:30pm.

Jen Allen
Friday, September 25 | 5-7pm
Doors/Bar: 5pm | Music: 5:30pm
Jen Allen is a dynamic pianist and composer captivating audiences worldwide with her artistry and creative vision. She frequently performs in venues across New York, the Northeast U.S., and internationally, including appearances at the Litchfield Jazz Festival, Winnipeg Jazz Festival, Greater Hartford Monday Night Jazz Series, and Wexford Performing Arts Centre in Ireland. Jen has shared the stage with renowned artists such as Don Braden, Jimmy Greene, Freddie Hendrix, Camille Thurman, Nat Reeves, and Sarah Caswell. An active recording artist, her discography includes her debut album Pieces of Myself, Sifting Grace, her upcoming release Possibilities, and collaborative projects like Raise Up by Trio 149.

The Happy Hour Piano Series is supported in part by the Greenberg family.

Join world-renowned experimental photographer Ellen Carey for a tour of her exhibition, Colors in the Dark.

Ellen Carey is a world-renowned experimental photographer. She is best known for her photograms (created without a camera) and her striking lens-based work using the rare 20 x 24 Polaroid cameras. She challenges our expectations of what a photograph is by exploring photographic process: this is photography that does not point a camera at a subject, but rather, explores the intrinsic process of photography itself.

The exhibition encompasses 39 years of Carey’s work, from early abstract Polaroid self-portraits from 1987 to her minimalist color “pulls” (1996-2024) and camera-less photograms (1988- present) which are represented by the magnificent wall grid of her “Dings and Shadows.”

RSVP Here: https://events.uconn.edu/benton/event/2401645-exhibition-tour-with-artist-ellen-carey

ACTIVITIES 10AM-2PM | FREE ADMISSION ALL DAY!

Celebrate the 53rd Annual Hartford Youth Art Renaissance, featuring artwork by K–12 students created in collaboration with Hartford Public Schools art classrooms. Join us to honor Hartford’s talented young artists, dedicated educators, and families. Create your own take-home art frame using a variety of materials and enjoy outdoor fun with face painting, lawn games, and more!

Second Saturdays for Families is supported by the Art Bridges Foundation, Connecticut Health and Education Facilities Authority (CHEFA), the Andrew J. and Joyce D. Mandell Family Foundation, the Ensworth Charitable Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee, the George A. & Grace L. Long Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee, the J. Walton Bissell Foundation, Inc., the David T. Langrock Foundation, and the Charles Nelson Robinson Fund, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee. Program supplies are generously donated by S&S Worldwide.