Did you know that April 12th is Slow Art Day? With the average museumgoer looking at a piece of art for less than 30 seconds, Slow Art Day encourages people to take more time to deeply appreciate a few works. The recommendation is to take in a single painting or sculpture for 10 minutes to really appreciate its intricacies.

Read our latest newsletter to see how you can try out Slow Art Day at any of our 30 member museums and cultural sites, and to get the latest news and events from the Connecticut Art Trail, including:

• A new social prescribing program in Connecticut that enables health care providers to recommend arts activities as part of a patient’s treatment
• The Center for Contemporary Printmaking reaches its 30th anniversary milestone
• A famous portrait of Henry VIII is now on view at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
• Family programs at the Slater Memorial Museum, Lyman Allyn Art Museum, and The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art
• A look at J.M.W. Turner’s Staffa, Fingal’s Cave, part of the extensive collection of Turner works at the Yale Center for British Art that will be on display at the newly reopened museum
• The grand prize winners of our 2024 Passport-Journal giveaway!

Connecticut is a small state with a big arts scene, and you can find world-class museums and cultural sites just a short drive away. Spring is right around the corner, and hitting the road to visit the destinations on the Connecticut Art Trail is a great cabin fever cure. Don’t forget that the Passport-Journal gives you a key to all of these sites, and unlocks several additional benefits as well!

Read our latest newsletter to learn about the latest news and events on the Connecticut Art Trail, including:

• The recognition of Old Lyme as a top small town arts destination, in part due to the Florence Griswold Museum and Lyme Art Association
• A new director and CEO at the Bruce Museum
• The 10th anniversary of a program connecting medical students with artwork at the Yale University Art Gallery and Yale Center for British Art
• Family art programs at the Yale University Art Gallery, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, and the Fairfield University Art Museum
• A look at Andromeda and Perseus, a Renaissance painting that was one of the key pieces of art in the initial collection at the Fairfield University Art Museum

As we get closer to Valentine’s Day, we’re reminded just how much inspiration love has provided for arts and culture — from romantic love to the affection for natural beauty. This month, we invite you to explore some of the beautiful works on display at our 30 museums and cultural sites, and to rekindle your own love for art. The year is still young, so there’s plenty of time to pick up a Passport-Journal​ and get free admission to each of these locations!

Read our latest newsletter to learn about the latest news and events on the Connecticut Art Trail, including:

• CT Humanities grant awards for The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Florence Griswold Museum, and New Britain Museum of American Art
• A $1 million gift to support the chief curator position at The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art
• A new director for the Yale Center for British Art
• Family programming at Connecticut Art Trail sites including the Open Arts Studio at Grace Farms, a polar bear art activity at the William Benton Museum of Art, and a new monthly book and art club at the Lyme Art Association
• A profile of a new Connecticut Art Trail member site, Grace Farms in New Canaan.

The Connecticut Art Trail experienced another banner year for its Passport-Journal program in 2024, with sales more than doubling compared to the previous year.

The Connecticut Art Trail includes 30 art museums and cultural sites. The Passport-Journal offers free admission to each of these sites, as well as additional perks such as discounts on museum memberships or gift shop purchases.

A total of 1,832 Passport-Journals were sold during the 2024 calendar year, up 108 percent compared to the 880 sold in 2023. The sales show continued strong growth for the Passport-Journal program, following a 79 percent boost in sales in 2023.

The Connecticut Art Trail also saw a 94 percent increase in sales during its buy one, get one offer period. At the end of each year, the Trail extends this offer so people can purchase two Passport-Journals for the price of one as part of their holiday shopping. In 2024, 1,258 Passport-Journals were sold during this period.

“This stellar growth of the Passport-Journal program reflects a growing appreciation for the rich cultural scene we have here in Connecticut,” said Carey Mack Weber, President of the Connecticut Art Trail and the Frank and Clara Meditz Executive Director at Fairfield University Art Museum. “We’re excited that more and more people are recognizing the fantastic value the Passport-Journal provides, and getting out to experience our state’s unique arts destinations.”

The Connecticut Art Trail has welcomed two sites in 2025, both located in New Canaan. The Glass House, the Modernist home of noted architect Philip Johnson, joined as a full member. Grace Farms, a cultural and humanitarian center featuring the serpentine River building, joined as an affiliate member.

Holders of the Passport-Journal who visit 24 select full member sites in the calendar year are eligible for a grand prize drawing for an overnight stay for two at the Delamar Hotel of their choice. More than a dozen people visited each site on the Trail in 2024.

Passport-Journals can be purchased at any Connecticut Art Trail site or online at ctarttrail.org/passport.

As the Connecticut Art Trail celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025, we’re thrilled to be doing so with 30 member sites! The Trail is bigger than ever, welcoming the Glass House as a full member and Grace Farms as an affiliate member. With a whole new year ahead of us, it’s a great time to pick up our new Passport-Journal — still just $35 — and explore these amazing destinations in the months ahead.

Read our latest newsletter to learn about the latest news and events on the Connecticut Art Trail, including:

• A distinctive award for the chief curator at the Mattatuck Museum
• The Hartford Dance Collective becoming artists in residence at the New Britain Museum of American Art
• A call for “Recycled Runway” designers from the American Mural Project
• Family programming at Connecticut Art Trail museums, including Joy in the Making at the Florence Griswold Museum, Storytime for Kids at The Aldrich Museum Contemporary Art Museum, and Recess Art Camps at MoCA CT.
• A profile of the latest Connecticut Art Trail member site, The Glass House in New Canaan.

The holiday season is one of the happiest times of year on the Connecticut Art Trail, as art museums and cultural sites across the state host special events and celebrations. It’s a great time to explore some of the fantastic destinations Connecticut has to offer, and to wrap up your 2024 Passport-Journal if you want to enter our grand prize giveaway! Don’t forget to take advantage of our seasonal buy one, get one deal for next year’s Passport-Journal; it makes a great gift!

Read our latest newsletter to learn about the latest news and upcoming events on the Connecticut Art Trail, including:

• A reopening date at the Yale Center for British Art after a two-year building renovation
• The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art being named as one of the top 20 art museums in the United States by the Washington Post
• A special display of Hockey Hall of Fame trophies on display this weekend at the Bruce Museum
• Family activities for the holidays including an Access for All Community Day and Holiday Makers Market at the New Britain Museum of American Art, Winter Wonder Day at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum, and a Holiday Linocut Sampler course at the Center for Contemporary Printmaking
• A featured item from a Connecticut Art Trail museum’s permanent collection: The Minutes No. 14 by prominent Surrealist artist Kay Sage at the Mattatuck Museum

As we move closer to the holiday season, there’s still plenty of great exhibitions and events to discover on the Connecticut Art Trail — and just a couple of months left to complete your Passport-Journal! If you’re looking to get a head start on your holiday shopping, our popular buy one, get one deal on Passport-Journals will return on November 15th. Member museums will continue to sell 2024 Passports until they run out, or until the start of the new year.

Read our latest newsletter to learn about the latest news and upcoming events on the Connecticut Art Trail, including:

• The reopening of a sculpture garden at The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art
• Museum honors for the Housatonic Museum of Art and Mattatuck Museum
• A combined Giving Tuesday effort among the Hill-Stead Museum, New Britain Museum of American Art, and Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
• Featured family activities including Colonial Toys and Crafts at the Greenwich Historical Society, Fun with Printmaking at the Fairfield University Art Museum, and A Sandra Boynton Christmas at the American Mural Project
• A featured permanent collection item at a Connecticut Art Trail site: Childe Hassam’s The Mill Pond, Cos Cob at the Bruce Museum

As the changing leaves paint Connecticut’s landscapes in vibrant hues of red, orange, and gold, we’re reminded of the transformative power of nature — and its everlasting ability to inspire us. This autumn, come visit the museums and cultural sites on the Connecticut Art Trail to witness the changes taking place everywhere from artists’ homesteads to award-winning galleries. Whether you view the awe-inspiring landscapes of famous artists or the thought-provoking pieces of contemporary talents, you’re sure to find your own inspiration. 

Read our latest newsletter to learn about the latest news and upcoming events on the Connecticut Art Trail, including:

• A profile of the Eastern Art Gallery
• Information on the Governor’s Art Awards taking place at the Five Points Arts Center
• The Art Museum at the University of Saint Joseph seeking public input on a new acquisition
• How the Yale University Art Gallery and Yale Center for British Art helped the Yale University School of Art earn a high ranking in a prestigious publication
• Featured family activities at the New Britain Museum of American Art, Lyme Art Association, and Fairfield University Art Museum

If you currently have a Connecticut Art Trail Passport-Journal, you only have a few months left to visit all 24 sites on the Trail and be eligible for our grand prize giveaway! We’ll have more information shortly on Passport-Journal availability for 2025.

From kindergarteners learning basic techniques to seniors taking advanced courses, students across Connecticut are returning to art classes this fall. The 24 member museums and cultural sites on the Connecticut Art Trail are proud to partner with local schools to strengthen arts education through field trips and family programs. Art fosters creativity, critical thinking, and cultural understanding, and Connecticut is fortunate to have a rich tapestry of artistic venues for students to explore.

Read our latest newsletter to learn about the latest news and upcoming events on the Connecticut Art Trail, including:

• A profile of the Housatonic Museum of Art
• An honor for a Weir Farm National Historic Park Artist-in-Residence
• A new cafe at the Mattatuck Museum
• A new blacksmithing course at the Silvermine Arts Center
• Featured family activities at the Bruce Museum, Fairfield University Art Museum, and Florence Griswold Museum

Don’t forget to pick up a Passport-Journal to see all that the Connecticut Art Trail has to offer!

Late summer is a popular time for planning events, from weddings to family reunions to corporate gatherings. Check out the 24 member sites of the Connecticut Art Trail and discover amazing options for your next event. These venues provide a wide range of choices for event hosting, from cozy private spaces to gorgeous sculpture gardens. It’s also the perfect time for an enriching family outing before school starts; pick up a Passport-Journal and start your adventure!

In our latest newsletter, we explore some of the upcoming events and exhibitions on the Connecticut Art Trail. You can also learn more about a recent art restoration project at the Hill-Stead Museum, and read in-depth profiles about the Carousel Museum and Lyme Art Association.