Connecticut
Connecticut Open House Day
Don’t forget to sign up for Connecticut Open House Day, Saturday, June 9, 2018, is an annual event scheduled the second Saturday of June, where cultural organizations and tourism attractions throughout the state open their doors to Connecticut residents, inviting them to discover – and rediscover – Connecticut’s fascinating world of art, history, film and tourism with a variety of special visitor incentives. For more information, including this year's Open House Handbook and Agreement sign up form click here. For more information, contact: Rosemary Bove at 860-500-2355 or rosemary.bove@ct.gov or Jean Hebert at 860-500-2375 or jean.hebert@ct.gov.
Congratulations to the Florence Griswold Museum and the Hill-Stead Museum on their reaccreditation from the American Alliance of Museums. Through a rigorous process of self-assessment and review by their peers, these museums have demonstrated they meet standards and best practices and shown themselves to be core educational entities that are good stewards of the collections and resources they hold in the public trust. As the ultimate mark of distinction in the museum field, accreditation signifies excellence and credibility to the entire museum community, to governments and outside agencies, and to the museum-going public.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded the Greenwich Historical Society a prestigious and competitive $175,652 Museums for America Collections Stewardship Grant, which will allow improved preservation, management, and access to its collections as they move to new facilities later this year. In addition, the HVAC-controlled facility on the historical society's reimagined campus opening this fall will allow for the expanded use and growth of the collections associated with the National Historic Landmark Bush-Holley House, the Cos Cob art colony and the Greenwich community. Grant funds will support the purchase and installation of specialized stationary and mobile storage equipment, the purchase of archival enclosures, the hiring of a fine arts mover to safely pack and move collections to their new locations and the hiring of a professional project collections manager to work with curator and archivist Christopher Shields to update shelf lists, rehouse collections and move, track and install collections into the new facility.
First floor reading room, Greenwich Historical Society
The Fairfield University Art Museum has been selected as the 2018 recipient of a generous grant from the Private Art Dealers Association (PADA), awarded in support of the museum's landmark exhibition, The Holy Name-Art of the Gesu: Bernini and his Age, that opened in February, 2018. The Holy Name-Art of the Gesu: Bernini and his Age, organized to commemorate Fairfield University's 75th anniversary, features artistic treasures from the Roman church of the Gesu never before seen in America: Bernini's bust of Roberto Bellarmino (patron saint of Fairfield University), Gaulli's monumental painted wood model of the apse, a gilt bronze altar sculpture by the versatile painter, draftsman and sculptor Ciro Ferri, the sumptuous jeweled cartegloria from the altar of St. Ignatius, and the magnificent embroidered chasuble of the church's great benefactor, Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. These masterpieces are joined by more than fifty paintings, sculptures, rare books, precious objects, drawings, prints, and historical documents by Bernini, Domenichino, Gaulli, Ciro Ferri, Carlo Maratti, and Andrea Pozzo, among other Italian Baroque masters, on loan from American museums and private collections. Together these masterpieces tell the fascinating and intertwined stories of the church's early history and splendid interior embellishment, and the foundational chapters of the Society of Jesus.
The Holy Name-Art of the Gesu: Bernini and his Age
The Wadsworth Atheneum recently received a NEA Art Works-Museums grant of $20,000 To support an exhibition featuring the art collection of American artist and illustrator Edward Gorey (1925-2000).
The New London Maritime Society recently received a generous two-year grant from the Frank Loomis Palmer Fund to help fix the interior gutters in the museum attic. It's part of their soon-to-launch campaign to 'seal the perimeter of the Custom House' -- keep all water out of the building and also restore the roof as it was originally built in 1833. NLMS also has applied for 2018 CDBG funding to both help restore the plaster ceilings and install a new window on the museum's lower level.
Maine
Presque Isle Historical Society successfully completed a new event, Victorian Valentine, which was held at its 1875 Vera Estey House Museum on Valentine's Day. The event included the true tale of a Victorian love lost, the Victorian language of flowers, and Victorian courting customs. In addition, tour goers received a red carnation, a reproduction Victorian Valentine and a glass of Champagne. This is to become an annual event. PIHS is currently working on a new exhibit that will focus on the characteristics of a Victorian house using photos from various features of the Estey House AND the characteristics of a Victorian Painted Lady using photos from the three remaining painted ladies in Presque Isle. The first tour of the house museum for 2018 will take place on Saturday, April 28 at 1:00 pm. They recently purchased a 1996 Cadillac hearse which will be converted to a limousine for use in a new tour - the Haunted Hearse Hysteria - that will focus on various buildings in the downtown that are reputed to be haunted. The hearse will also be offered for charter.
Presque Isle Historical Society (PIHS) has recently collaborated with Maine Historical Society on their new exhibit, "Maine Eats" which opened on March 2. The story of food in Maine would not be complete with speaking of potatoes in northern Maine. PIHS provided photos of a very large wooden chest used as a mobile office by successful potato farmer Edwin Parkhurst in the corner of his potato house. In addition, a wide selection of artifacts contained in the chest will be on display in Portland from a burlap potato bag and potato tags identifying the brand and farm to tools.
Members of the Board of Appeals recently voted unanimously to approve the request of the Woodlawn Museum to demolish three buildings on the property, including the carriage barn. The vote will allow a planned $8-million renovation to move forward. Woodlawn had appealed a Jan. 25 decision by the Historic Preservation Commission that barred the museum from removing the buildings. The commission had found that the organization had not met the criteria for demolition - in this case, that it had not demonstrated sufficient "financial hardship" that would prevent it from restoring the barn. Commissioners Carolyn Ackerman and Carla Haskell voted to approve the project. Terri Cormier voted against it at the January meeting. To go forward, a unanimous vote was required. The appeal filed by Woodlawn had centered on three main points. The first and foremost was that Woodlawn should not have been required to come before the commission at all. The museum maintains that no records exist to indicate that it was ever accepted by the city as a historic property. The second reason cited by the organization in its appeal was that the 2-1 vote on Jan. 25 was, in fact, an approval because enough members of the four-member commission were present to constitute a quorum.
The Colby College Museum of Art has received a rare collection of German prints. Norma Boom Marin had donated 28 prints to the institution. The collection includes pieces by Otto Dix, Ernst Ludwig and Max Beckmann. Marin is the daughter-in-law of painter John Marin. She has been a museum benefactor for years and currently serves on its Board of Governors.
The Portland Museum of Art received a major gift of works by the 19th century painter Winslow Homer donated by the Berger Collection Educational Trust. The Berger gift strengthens the Portland Museum of Art's position as one of the leading institutions in the world to experience the art and legacy of Winslow Homer (1836-1910). In addition to owning a significant collection of Homer's works - including the 1894 masterpiece "Weatherbeaten" depicting waves crashing against the rocky shore of Prouts Neck - the museum owns and operates the Winslow Homer Studio at Prouts Neck where the artist lived from 1884 until his death in 1910.
Massachusetts
The Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation has announced that they will be undertaking two construction projects during the first half of 2018 to greatly improve the museum's handicap accessibility. The first project addresses the inaccessibility of the Visitors Entrance, at the end of Landry Way, adjacent to the Charles River. To complete this project, it has been necessary to temporarily close the museum for a short period of time. The second project will substantially address the relative inaccessibility of the mezzanine gallery and function spaces. That work is expected to be completed in the coming spring.
Norman Rockwell Museum and the First Congregational Church, UCC have announced that they have entered into an agreement that allows the museum to conduct due diligence and explore the feasibility of acquiring the old Stockbridge Town Hall building for future museum expansion. The building has sat vacant for 10 years, following the relocation in 2008 of the Town Offices to the old Williams High School. The museum's growing need for more space derives from its expanded mission that includes the collection, study, and exhibition of illustration art not only by Rockwell, but also the full range of American illustrators. This has led to major growth in educational programming, collections, exhibitions, scholarship, and outreach to global audiences. Most of these activities now occur-under cramped conditions-in the Museum building. It is envisioned that the renovated Town Hall building could bring many of these activities together into a national center for illustration education and research, while also providing room for curatorial and collection-based initiatives. Exhibitions and public programs will continue to be held on the museum's main campus, in the Glendale section of Stockbridge.
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art will expand its adult art classes for people 55 and over thanks to a second-year grant from Aroha Philanthropies. Create with The Carle! is a program for adults interested in expressing themselves through visual art. Four classes will be offered throughout the year and, in addition to The Carle, will take place at local partner organizations, including Applewood at Amherst, South Hadley Senior Center, and Granby Senior Center. Each offsite class will include a visit to The Carle and a behind-the-scenes tour with Museum staff.
Historic Deerfield, Inc., recently received the gifts of important materials from the years of the Revolutionary War from Samuel and David Cooley, relating to their family, the Porters of Hadley, Massachusetts. The manuscripts will be housed in the Memorial Libraries at Historic Deerfield. The papers come from two brothers, Eleazar Porter (1728-1797) and Elisha Porter (1742-1796).
Boston Children's Museum will officially launched its new Tech Kitchen program in January. Tech Kitchen brings together museum visitors with local innovators to test and explore new technologies, tools, inventions, and applications. Tech Kitchen innovators include local entrepreneurs, established tech companies, start-ups, inventors and tinkerers, and college students in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Design, Math) fields of study. Tech Kitchen is an outgrowth of the Boston Mini Maker Faire, led by Boston Children's Museum, which brings together dozens of innovators - tech companies, start-ups, engineers, artists, students, tinkerers, craftspeople and more - to share their work with the public. "
The Smith College Museum of Art has acquired two new time-based media works by international contemporary artists: Playground (2010), by Yto Barrada; and The Voice is an Archive (2016), by Huong Ngo. These acquisitions underscore SCMA's commitment to collecting significant contemporary artworks that use film and video to engage the complex worlds in which we live. The museum acquired first editions (one out of five) of each work. Both pieces were purchased with support from the Contemporary Associates, a group of donors that was founded in 2008 to foster the presence of contemporary art in the museum's collection and, more broadly, at Smith College. As a result of their commitment, Smith has a significant and growing collection of time-based media works -- the largest in the Five Colleges. The Voice of an Archive will go on view in May 2018, as part of the reinstallation of SCMA's Contemporary galleries. Playground will go on view in the museum's Video & New Media Gallery in November 2018. Based on the current level of academic engagement with the museum's Contemporary collection, SCMA anticipates that the artworks will be seen and studied by Smith students and faculty from a diverse range of backgrounds and research interests.
The North Andover Historical Society received a grant for $2000 from the Elise A. Brown Fund in support of their summer enrichment program, Adventures in Time. In addition, additional support has been received by the Koorapaty Family Donor Advised Fund. This summer will mark the 30th anniversary of the launch of that program, which began as a collaboration with the then named Museum of American Textile History, when it was located in North Andover.
Rosarian Stephen Scanniello has renewed a long association with the Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum this summer to lead our rose garden rehabilitation. Currently the Curator of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at the New York Botanical Garden, Rosarian of the Elizabeth Park Rose Garden in Hartford, CT, and President of the Heritage Rose Foundation, Stephen's expertise and knowledge of "all things roses" make him the ideal rosarian to guide our garden renewal undertaking. In July a small group convened to explore options and Stephen introduced his concepts for organizing the rose beds at the RJD. He stressed the need for nutrient rich soil and a choice of rose hybrids that are in sync with today's "green" approach to rose gardening. Using the latest hybrids with high disease resistance and strong floral displays that will continue to bloom from June through November will move the garden well into the 21st century.
The deCordova received a $5,000 grant from the Foundation for MetroWest to expand hands-on visitor experiences. This funding will support deCordova's interactive spaces and opportunities, including The Lab, a new gallery where visitors can explore art, nature, and science through a variety of multisensory activities. The deCordova also received the following grants : a $25,000 grant from Ogden Codman Trust to support and expand hands-on visitor experiences; $25,000 grant from Nathaniel Saltonstall Arts Fund to support deCordova's upcoming spring exhibition Sculpting with Air: Ian McMahon and Jong Oh and accompanying educational programming; and $2,500 grant from Bessie Pappas Charitable Foundation to support deCordova's Learning & Engagement programs. The deCordova opened a new deCordova Cafe, now located in a central location next to the deCordova Store. The Cafe features an updated menu, expanded hours, and a beautiful Courtyard. The Courtyard was renovated with the generous help of local businesses and community members under the leadership of landscape architect Natalie DeNormandie. In the Cafe's original location, deCordova opened The Lab, a new interactive gallery designed to explore the relationship between art, science, and nature.
The Martha’s Vineyard Museum was recently awarded a $219,138 MVYouth grant dedicated to youth education in its new location at the Marine Hospital campus in Vineyard Haven. A new classroom will be the focus of youth education at the museum and will host groups from Island schools, preschools, and children’s summer programs. The museum plans to use the funds to equip the classroom with new furniture, audio and visual technology, and any other materials needed to make the classroom a valuable space for teaching and learning.
New Hampshire
The Currier Museum of Art was awarded a grant of $20,000 from the Lincoln Financial Foundation. The grant will go toward the museum's school tours program, which brings children from area schools to the Currier for guided tours and creative art-making opportunities. The grant is part of Lincoln Financial's annual $10 million investment in its local communities' youth education, economic and workforce development, human well-being and arts programs.
The New England Ski Museum recently opened a second location in North Conway, the Eastern Slope branch. In the works over the past six years, "this new museum celebrates both the sport we love and our nearly 100-year heritage of welcoming winter adventurers to our region," said board secretary Tim Scott of Jackson on a recent tour of the facility. The Eastern Slope Branch is located in the refurbished former North Conway Community Center, which was built in 1950 and is owned by the Gibson/Woodbury Charitable Foundation. The NESM has a 20-year lease on the building, which sits in the heart of downtown next door to Schouler Park.
Rhode Island
Beginning March 1, 2018, the RISD Museum will welcome newly naturalized U.S. citizens living in Rhode Island with free admission for one-year through a new membership program called Welcome Citizen. The RISD Museum was founded on the belief that art, artists, and the institutions that support them play pivotal roles in promoting broad civic engagement and creating more open societies. This initiative offers our newest citizens the opportunity to look closely, think deeply, explore the creative process, attend programs, and meet new people in the galleries and at our community events.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame was awarded a Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission grant of up to $150,000 to restore and replace the balustrades between the major pediments, and original medallions showing various architectural designs on the historic Bellevue Avenue elevation. These two elements were part of architects' McKim, Mead & White's original intent of the Newport Casino complex built in 1880. The Newport Casino is a National Historical Landmark. Completion is expected in Spring 2020.
On April 6th, the East Providence Historical Society will receive an award from the RI Sons of Civil War Veterans for its book containing the Lt. Peter Hunt letters. The book is also in the running for two other awards, one national and one regional. The Hunt family is so pleased with the response to the book that they have loaned Peter's Civil War items for the 2018 season. These items have already been viewed by nearly 1000 people and have been shown in five smaller offsite exhibits. "All Quiet" will be for sale and can be autographed by the editor, Sandra Turgeon.
In honor of April's Autism Awareness Month, the Museum of Work & Culture has announced a special expansion of its SensAbilities series for individuals on the autism spectrum and others facing sensory challenges. Each Saturday in April, the MoWC will provide free admission for families who wish to experience the museum in a low sensory, less crowded environment. Sensory elements such as lighting and sound are adjusted, and trained staff and volunteers will be on hand to provide supplementary tools to visitors who have children with special needs. In addition, on alternating weeks, the program will provide families free access to therapist-led art and music activities designed to help children and teens with sensory sensitivities engage creatively with the MoWC's themes.
Located along Great Road, one of the earliest highways in the country, a heritage campus is emerging. The all-volunteer organization, Friends of Hearthside, announces that its 2018 season opens in March with the addition of a newly-restored, one-room schoolhouse and a recently-constructed visitor center next door to the 200-year old mansion at Chase Farm Park. The organization manages the town-owned historic properties that now comprise the Great Road Heritage Campus and includes the Hannaway Blacksmith Shop (c.1880), the Moffett Mill (c. 1812), the Pullen Corner Schoolhouse (c.1850), along with Hearthside House (c.1810), all set against the background of the 85-acre picturesque former dairy farm, Chase Farm Park. Friends of Hearthside will host school and group tours, as well as special events.
Vermont
The Fairbanks Museum has announced that it is one of 80 institutions from across the country selected to participate in the Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) program. Beau Harris, collections manager at the Fairbanks Museum, will oversee the Collections Assessment for Preservation Program. The 2018 CAP assessment will take place over the course of two days and focus on two areas of the museum. First, a historic preservation expert will assess the museum's historic building. Dating from 1891, it is very much of the Victorian era in which it originated. The second component of this process is for a conservator to broadly assess the museum's permanent collections from a standpoint of improving care and helping set conservation priorities. All of the museum's collections will be assessed, including objects that Franklin Fairbanks collected, historically significant habitat dioramas created by William Balch for the museum, and recent additions.
New England Ski Museum recently opened a permanent branch of the museum in the Mount Washington Valley, an area arguably equal in importance to Franconia in the introduction of skiing to America. The long-time location at Franconia Notch State Park has been, and will remain, a welcoming home for the permanent and annually produced exhibitions, as well as the vast and growing collections. The New Eastern Slope Branch of the New England Ski Museum is located in the former North Conway Community Center that was created by Harvey Dow Gibson, a giant in the history of skiing. Located on busy NH Route 16 in North Conway, NH near the 1880 Victorian train station, village shops, eateries, and popular Schouler Park, the Eastern Slope Branch of the New England Ski Museum is highly visible and accessible.
New England Ski Museum
