The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
Encyclopedia
The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is located in Ridgefield
, Connecticut
, USA. The Aldrich has no permanent collection. It is one of the United States's leading contemporary art
galleries and special exhibition spaces . The museum is an international leader in museum education .
The Aldrich was founded in 1964 by Larry Aldrich
(1906–2001). In 2004, the museum underwent major building expansion. Its new building received a design award from the American Institute of Architects
(AIA). The museum is a member of the North American Reciprocal Museums
program.
, then Curator of Education, led the tours and gave informal talks at various locations. The tours raised money for the Museum, including a $200 donation in the cost, nearly 15% of the price. The first tour went to Paris and included a visit to the then new and controversial Beaubourg
. The second visited the Kroller-Muller Museum
, which houses a large collection of Van Gogh
.
The Aldrich’s comprehensive array of education
programs has been acclaimed for excellence and innovation. Ongoing elements include the Museum’s nationally acclaimed Student Docent Program, which celebrated its tenth year in 2003; the intensive teen program Art Lab, which recently introduced a community service element; and Portfolio Review Day, where high school seniors meet admissions officers from 15 art schools; the ART/WRITE multi-visit program, in which classroom teachers and Museum educators collaborate to use art on view in the Aldrich to enhance the original written work of students; and the biennial Art & Writing Institute for teachers. The Aldrich’s overall education program has garnered support from the Hearst Foundation.
The Larry Aldrich Award to honor an American artist "whose work has had a significant impact on contemporary visual culture during recent years".
(The honoree is selected by an independent jury, applications are not accepted. The event, initiated in 1993, consists of a cash prize and an exhibition with catalogue at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.)
The Emerging Artist Award awarded to an artist "whose work exhibits bold innovation, exciting originality, clear direction, and serious dedication". (The beneficiary is selected by the curatorial staff of the Museum, applications are not accepted. The award consists of a cash prize and a solo exhibition at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.)
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 24,638 at the 2010 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough, is defined by the U.S...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, USA. The Aldrich has no permanent collection. It is one of the United States's leading contemporary art
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
galleries and special exhibition spaces . The museum is an international leader in museum education .
The Aldrich was founded in 1964 by Larry Aldrich
Larry Aldrich
Larry Aldrich was an American fashion design, art collector, and founder of the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut.-Life:...
(1906–2001). In 2004, the museum underwent major building expansion. Its new building received a design award from the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
(AIA). The museum is a member of the North American Reciprocal Museums
North American Reciprocal Museums
The North American Reciprocal Museums program is a consortium of museums in the United States, Canada, Bermuda, El Salvador and Mexico which offers benefits to museum membership holders in more than 530 institutions...
program.
Exhibitions
The high standard the Aldrich maintains for its exhibitions has been attained through years of identifying and presenting the best of the world’s contemporary art. It is recognized internationally for its thematic group exhibitions, always based on clear, straightforward ideas with the potential for bringing together diverse works of art and placing them in a context that facilitates their understanding. Recent exhibitions include Edward Tufte: Seeing Around (2009); Pretty Tough: Contemporary Storytelling (2009); Martí Cormand: 2007 Emerging Artist Award Exhibition; Anselm Kiefer: Velimir Chlebnikov; Neil Jenney: NORTH AMERICA; No Reservations: Native American Culture and History in Contemporary Art; Voice & Void: 2006 Hall Curatorial Fellowship Exhibition; and 50,000 Beds: A Project by Chris Doyle.Education
In 1977, the Museum began organizing art tours to Europe to view art rarely seen outside Europe and to visit private collections and artists' studios. Jacqueline MossJacqueline Moss
Jacqueline Moss was an American art historian, lecturer, writer and art critic. She was the curator of education at the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art and lectured widely on modern and 20th century art. Her articles and seminars often had a focus on women artists...
, then Curator of Education, led the tours and gave informal talks at various locations. The tours raised money for the Museum, including a $200 donation in the cost, nearly 15% of the price. The first tour went to Paris and included a visit to the then new and controversial Beaubourg
Centre Georges Pompidou
Centre Georges Pompidou is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais...
. The second visited the Kroller-Muller Museum
Kröller-Müller Museum
The Kröller-Müller Museum is an art museum and sculpture garden, located in the Hoge Veluwe National Park in Otterlo in the Netherlands.-Museum:...
, which houses a large collection of Van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
.
The Aldrich’s comprehensive array of education
Museum education
Museum education is an important part of the role of museums.- Introduction :A museum's collection can be used to support education in a variety of ways...
programs has been acclaimed for excellence and innovation. Ongoing elements include the Museum’s nationally acclaimed Student Docent Program, which celebrated its tenth year in 2003; the intensive teen program Art Lab, which recently introduced a community service element; and Portfolio Review Day, where high school seniors meet admissions officers from 15 art schools; the ART/WRITE multi-visit program, in which classroom teachers and Museum educators collaborate to use art on view in the Aldrich to enhance the original written work of students; and the biennial Art & Writing Institute for teachers. The Aldrich’s overall education program has garnered support from the Hearst Foundation.
Families
The Aldrich’s Family Learning Initiative promotes lifelong learning, offering innovative programming targeted at families, building a continuum of programming and participants by offering special hands-on events—keyed to current exhibitions—on the first Saturday of every month, and producing and distributing specially designed resources for each exhibition. The third weekend of every month the Museum features Drop-In Hours, when hands-on activities are offered to families in the Education Center.Fellowships and awards
The Aldrich presents two awards annually:The Larry Aldrich Award to honor an American artist "whose work has had a significant impact on contemporary visual culture during recent years".
(The honoree is selected by an independent jury, applications are not accepted. The event, initiated in 1993, consists of a cash prize and an exhibition with catalogue at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.)
The Emerging Artist Award awarded to an artist "whose work exhibits bold innovation, exciting originality, clear direction, and serious dedication". (The beneficiary is selected by the curatorial staff of the Museum, applications are not accepted. The award consists of a cash prize and a solo exhibition at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.)
Recipients of the Aldrich awards
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Huma Bhabha Huma Bhabha is a sculptor based in New York. Her sculptures are composed from basic construction media and found objects.Bhabha studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and Columbia University .... (2008) Roxy Paine Roxy Paine is an American artist. He was educated at both the College of Santa Fe in New Mexico and the Pratt Institute in New York.... (1997) |
Directors
- Dorothy MayhallDorothy MayhallDorothy Mayhall was an American museum director and sculptor. She worked at art museums in New York and Connecticut, primarily exhibiting contemporary art.- Early years :...
- Carlus and Ruth Dyer
- Robert Metzger
- Ellen O'Donnell Rankin
- Barry Rosenberg
- Jill Snyder
Notable board members
- Alfred H. Barr, Jr.
- Joseph HirshhornJoseph Hirshhorn]Joseph Herman Hirshhorn was an entrepreneur, financier and art collector. Born in Mitau, Latvia, the twelfth of thirteen children, Hirshhorn emigrated to the United States with his widowed mother at the age of six....
- Philip JohnsonPhilip JohnsonPhilip Cortelyou Johnson was an influential American architect.In 1930, he founded the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and later , as a trustee, he was awarded an American Institute of Architects Gold Medal and the first Pritzker Architecture...
- Vera List