Cultural Events & Art Exhibitions

This is a curated listing of recommended in-person and online art exhibitions, musical performances, film screenings, lectures, programs and special events in Fairfield and Westchester Counties, New York City and surrounding counties in New York and Connecticut.

• Fairfield County

• Westchester County

• New York City

• Surrounding Counties

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NOW OPEN FOR IN-PERSON VISITS

These cultural venues have put in place necessary COVID-19 safety measures and guidelines in order to re-open for public visitation. Please check each website for dates, hours, required advance ticket purchase and safety guidelines as you plan your visit.

Fairfield County, Connecticut

· The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT 
· Avon Theatre Film Centre, Stamford, CT 
· Carriage Barn Arts Center, New Canaan, CT 
· Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Norwalk, CT
· The Glass House, New Canaan, CT – reopens April 16
· Greenwich Historical Society, Greenwich, CT 
· MoCA Westport, Westport, CT 
· The Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT 
· Silvermine Arts Center and Gallery, New Canaan, CT
· Stamford Museum & Nature Center, Stamford, CT 

Westchester County, New York

· Clay Art Center, Port Chester, NY
· Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, NY 
· Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY 
· Lyndhurst Mansion, Tarrytown, NY – reopens May 3
· Untermyer Gardens, Yonkers, NY – reopens April 16

New York City

· The Jewish Museum 
· The Met Cloisters Museum and Gardens 
· The Met Fifth Avenue
· The Morgan Library & Museum 
· Museum of Arts and Design 
· Museum of Modern Art
· Museum of the City of New York 
· New York Botanical Garden 
· New York Historical Society
· Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum 
· Wave Hill Public Garden & Cultural Center
· Whitney Museum of American Art 

Surrounding Counties

· Boscobel House & Gardens, Garrison, NY 
· Dia: Beacon, Beacon, NY
· Magazzino Italian Art Foundation, Cold Spring, NY
· Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, NY
· New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT
· Storm King Art Center, New Windsor, NY
· Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT

Photo credits – Fairfield: Photo courtesy Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Bruce Museum, Avon Theatre; Stamford Museum & Nature Center photo by Laura Schroeder. Westchester: Katonah Museum of Art photo by Margaret Fox courtesy Katonah Museum of Art, Hudson River Museum and Historic Hudson Valley’s Sunnyside photos by Laura Schroeder; photo courtesy Lyndhurst. New York City: Met Fifth Avenue and MoMA photos by Laura Schroeder, Morgan Library & Museum photos courtesy Morgan Library, Solomon R. Guggenheim photo by David Heald courtesy Guggenheim Museum. Surrounding Counties: Storm King Art Center photo courtesy Storm King Art Center, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art photo by Laura Schroeder, photo courtesy New Britain Museum of Art and Boscobel  

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ART EXHIBITIONS & CULTURAL EVENTS

ArtsWestchester presents Lawrence Salley Award Photography Exhibition

Now Online – ArtsWestchester is pleased to present online, recent works by the finalists and this year’s winner of the 2021 Lawrence Salley Award for Photography. The award was established in 2018 by ArtsWestchester, the African American Men of Westchester and the Salley family to celebrate the life and artistic achievements of Lawrence “Larry” C. Salley, an active member of the Westchester community. Larry lived and worked in Westchester County (White Plains) where he assumed the leadership roles of Deputy Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Planning and Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Transportation. In his spare time, he was a gifted photographer. For more information and to view the online exhibition, visit artswestchester.org.

Pictured: Marianne Campolongo, “Tranquil Tree”, 2020, Archival Silver Gelatin Print, 30″x20″. Image courtesy ArtsWestchester

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Carriage Barn Arts Center presents Spectrum Annual Contemporary Art Exhibit: Ode to Color

April 18 – May 15, 2021 at Carriage Barn Arts Center, Waveny Park, 681 South Avenue, New Canaan, CT. Juried by Lori Weitzner, internationally renowned textile designer and celebrated author. Ode to Color will take viewers on an immersive and engaging journey into the world of color as it applies to art, culture, design, mood, and memory. In-person and virtual viewings, talks, and tours will further engage patrons and visitors. There will be a preview and book signing event on April 17, opening day is Sunday, April 18 from 1 to 5 PM, with live music and refreshments between 2 to 4 PM outside in the courtyard.

For more information, visit carriagebarn.org.

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At Storm King Art Center, Rashid Johnson’s The Crisis

April 7 to November 8, 2021 at Storm King Art Center, 1 Museum Road, New Windsor, NY. Storm King Art Center will present a site-specific installation of Rashid Johnson’s 2019 sculptural work The Crisis. The installation will mark the first US presentation of the artwork, which the artist has adapted to respond directly to Storm King’s native landscape. Rashid Johnson (b. 1977) draws inspiration from combining architectural and organic elements, intending for The Crisis to capture the tension of the moment in which nature has just begun to reclaim a human-made structure. Originally planned to be shown at Storm King in 2020, a year marked by an unprecedented global pandemic and sociopolitical unrest, The Crisis has taken on a striking new relevance in this time of reflection. The title The Crisis is ambiguous, taking on different meaning based on the context in which the work is viewed, and the perspective of the viewer who witnesses it. The Crisis can speak to something deeply personal as well as a collective event and can invoke both historical and ongoing crises. The work—a sixteen-foot-tall, yellow pyramidal steel structure—is set within a field of native grasses, which Storm King has worked to reintroduce to its landscape and cultivate over the last 25 years. Over the course of the presentation, these grasses will grow up within and around the geometric frame, integrating it into the very fabric of Storm King. The structure’s shelves are populated with a range of smaller objects including blocks of shea butter, sculpted fiberglass busts, and hand- crafted, painted ceramic vessels planted with natural vegetation from the surrounding landscape. For more information and to purchase required advance tickets for visitation: stormking.org.

Pictured: Rashid Johnson, “The Crisis” (2019). Courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Stephanie Powell. Image courtesy Storm King Art Center.

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At Ridgefield Playhouse, Moffly Media Evening of Art, Wine & Jazz Series: John Scofield on April 24 and Christian McBride on May 7

Saturday, April 24 at 4:00 pm (John Scofield) and Friday, May 7 at 7:00 pm (Christian McBride) at The Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT. JOHN SCOFIELD, SOLO GUITAR: LIVE in the theater – socially distanced, limited capacity seating, face masks are required at all times. Guitar icon John Scofield is a one-of-a-kind jazz master and a 3-time Grammy award-winning artist with more than 40 recordings to his credit. NPR describes Scofield as “one of the most prolific and admired jazz musicians of his generation.” As a principal innovator of modern jazz guitar, he played alongside Miles Davis for more than three years, and his work has influenced guitar greats since the late ’70s. Scofield is a creative artist of a rare sort: a stylistic chameleon who has forged a consistent, rock-solid aesthetic identity who demonstrates fluency in bebop, blues, jazz-funk, jam band, orchestral ensembles, and various others with ease and enthusiasm. Now he adds yet another credit to his resume: solo guitarist. CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE FEATURING EMMET COHEN AND DAN WILSON (TIP CITY): Outdoors, seated under the Playhouse tent – Grammy Award-winning composer, arranger, educator, curator and bassist extraordinaire – Christian McBride returns! McBride scored his 7th Grammy win earlier this year in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category for his work on “Trilogy 2″ alongside jazz fusion icon Chick Corea. Aside from various stints with Sting, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Roy Haynes, Freddie Hubbard and George Duke, McBride has been artist-in-residence and artistic director with organizations such as Jazz House Kids, Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Jazz Museum in Harlem, Jazz Asoen among many others. McBride was recently named the artistic director of the historic Newport Jazz Festival, taking over the reins from the festival’s longtime artistic director and founder, George Wein. For more information and tickets for the John Scofield performance click here, for the Christian McBride & Tip City performance click here at ridgefieldplayhouse.org.

Images courtesy The Ridgefield Playhouse

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Explore Storm King at Home

Online – Whether or not you’re able to visit Storm King Art Center in person, there is a page on their website where you can enjoy a bit of what’s amazing about Storm King, from home! The webpage connects you to their most recent digital content. WATCH: Check out our their Vimeo page for recordings of all their virtual programs this year, including readings and performances from Martha Tuttle’s “Return to the Field” series and artist talks from their Art in Nature series. CREATE: Discover creative learning activities to bring art and nature to your home. ONLINE EXHIBITION: Discover Site Ecology: Land, Leadership, Art, which explores the making of Storm King over 60 years, with never-seen-before 200 archival images and documents. BROWSE THE COLLECTION: Storm King’s collection includes traditional and large-scale sculpture, site-specific earthworks, drawings, and photos. VIEW PAST EXHIBITIONS: Discover Storm King’s past exhibitions and catalogs, dating back as early as 1960. DISCOVER ARCHIVES & ORAL HISTORIES: Explore multi-format records from the 1960’s to today in the Storm King’s Archives, including interviews with artists and leadership in the Oral History Program, and an online collaboration with The Estate of David Smith. For more on Storm King at Home, visit stormking.org.

Pictured: View of the South Fields, all works by Mark di Suvero. From left to right: “Pyramidian”, 1987/1998. She, 1977-1978. Private Collection. “Mon Père, Mon Père”, 1973-75. “Mother Peace”, 1969-70. Except where noted, all works Gift of the Ralph E. Ogden Foundation. ©Mark di Suvero, courtesy the artist and Spacetime C.C., NY. Photo: Courtesy Storm King Art Center ©2020

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At MOCA Westport, Marilyn Minter: Smash

April 2 – June 13, 2021 at MOCA Westport, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT. Marilyn Minter is a contemporary American painter, photographer and video artist recognized for examining the relationships between the body and cultural beliefs about sexuality, desire, and pleasure. Her paintings and richly colored photographs and videos have been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions and have been included in group exhibitions all over the world. Presented in both grandiose and intimate scales and settings throughout MOCA Westport’s galleries, Minter’s videos will be exhibited together for the first time in a public institution. Seeped in lush imagery oscillating between figuration and abstraction, Minter’s works encapsulate feminism, pleasure, voyeurism and notions of beauty, desire and chance. Marilyn Minter’s custom-designed AMC Pacer automobile featuring an interior, surround viewing of her work Green Pink Caviar, will also be exhibited for the first time. For more and to make a reservation for a timed visit, visit mocawestport.org.

Pictured: “Smash” (video still), 2014, HD Digital Video, Running time: 7:55 minutes, Ratio 16:9. Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, NY. © Marilyn Minter. Image courtesy MOCA Westport

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Jacob Burns Virtual Film Marquee

Now Available Online – Jacob Burns Film Center has invested in a new virtual hub that will provide easier and streamlined at-home access to JBFC content. Curated by their talented programming team, the new JBFC Virtual Marquee (powered by Eventive) is live! You can access an ongoing selection of new releases, repertory films, and their one-of-a-kind series—all in one place. They will offer two virtual series shortly after the platform’s launch, Making Waves: New Romanian Cinema (Feb. 18-24) and Contemporary Arab Cinema (March 3-10).

For more information, visit burnsfilmcenter.org.

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Westport Country Playhouse All-Virtual 2021 Season

April – December 2021, Online – Westport Country Playhouse announces an all-virtual 2021 Season, featuring two productions—a new comedy and a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning drama; two archival productions recorded in HD video; and four Script in Hand playreadings. All content will be offered on-demand for patrons’ convenience, and include open captions in Spanish. The all-virtual Season will open in June with a new comedy, “Tiny House”, written by Michael Gotch and directed by Mark Lamos, Jun 29 – Jul 18. Next: “Doubt: A Parable,” the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner by John Patrick Shanley, Nov 2 – 21. Beginning in April, a series of four Script in Hand playreadings will feature “Rent Control,” April 26 at 7 PM (On-demand April 27 – May 2) written and performed by Evan Zes, and directed by Mark Shanahan, Script in Hand curator. Next: The Savannah Disputation by Evan Smith, June 14 at 7PM (On-demand June 15 – 20). The Script in Hand series will continue in October and December, titles to be announced. For those who participate in the Playhouse’s pre- and post-performance events, including Sunday Symposium, Post-Play Dialogues, Backstage Pass, and LGBT Night Out, plans are in the works to take them online. Free-of-charge events available to the public during the Playhouse’s 2021 Season will include “Cocktails with Mark,” hosted by Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director, with guest artists and Playhouse friends; “From Concept to Curtain,” featuring behind-the-scenes interviews about past Playhouse productions, including “Mlima’s Tale” by Lynn Nottage, from 2019, and “Flyin’ West” by Pearl Cleage, from 2018; and “Radio Suspense Theater” in partnership with WSHU Public Radio. Dates will be announced. The free-of-charge events will be available on the Playhouse’s website (westportplayhouse.org), Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), and YouTube (WestportPlayhouse). For more information, visit westportplayhouse.org.

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Schoolhouse Theater Zoom Matinees with The Pandemic Players

Live streaming via Zoom on Saturdays, March 20, 27, April 3, 10, 17, 24, May 1 at 3:00 pm. This play reading series via Zoom by The Schoolhouse Theater featuring the Pandemic Players is offered free of charge. Donations are encouraged and appreciated. March 20: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, March 27: Vietnam…through my lens written & performed by Stu Richel, April 3: Morning’s At Seven by Paul Osborn, April 10: Grant & Twain by Elizabeth Diggs, April 17: Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune by Terrence McNally, April 24: Equus by Peter Shaffer, May 1: Buyer & Cellar by Jonathan Tolins.

For more information, visit theschoolhousetheater.org.

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At Madelyn Jordon Fine Art: “and something happens to the light”

March 20 – May 1, 2021 at Madelyn Jordon Fine Art, 37 Popham Road, Scarsdale NY. Madelyn Jordon Fine Art is delighted to present and something happens to the light, a solo exhibition of photographs by New York camera artist Susan Wides. The opening reception is on Saturday, March 20th, 2021 from 12:00-5:00pm. The title of Susan Wides’ new photographs and something happens to the light is a line from a poem Robert Kelly wrote in response to her work. Wides made these photographs close to home in the Kaaterskill Clove of the Catskills—the luminous mountain landscape favored by 19th c Hudson River School painter, Thomas Cole. Both artists’ works reflect on the spirit and experience of this place and its imperiled nature—today more severely than ever. Wides’ mentor, the photographer Henry Holmes Smith who taught for Moholy Nagy at the New Bauhaus in Chicago, was among the inspirations for her deeper dive into the abstract. The works picture a fusion between abstraction and an ecologically-driven representation. Wides captures an ephemeral light often made present only in the photographs. For more, visit madelynjordonfineart.com.

Pictured: Susan Wides, “9.11.15_3:20:17”, 2017. Chromogenic print, 30 x 20 in, Ed. of 7. Image courtesy Madelyn Jordon Fine Art

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Norwalk Symphony Orchestra presents three virtual events in their new Chamber Music Series

March 26, April 16, May 21, 7:00 pm – Online  – The first of these three virtual performances is a Mixed Trio – horn, violin and piano music by Brahms – premiering on March 26, 2021. Then, on April 16th they premiere their Spring Strings, featuring 20 string musicians from the Symphony, with music by Grieg, Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Vivaldi. Rounding out the series is a a combined Woodwinds and Brass concert with music by Dukas, Gabrieli, Handel and Mozart on May 21st. Enjoy this music during the evening in your own home – plan a nice dinner and have us as your entertainment! Your ticket purchase will make this Chamber Music Series possible and will help with production costs. One price gets you access to all three concerts, and you will be able to view them any time after their premieres.

For more and tickets, visit norwalksymphony.org.

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At The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum – Tim Prentice: After the Mobile

March 29 – October 4, 2021 (Indoor installation) at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, 258 Main Street, Ridgefield CT – After the Mobile is a two-part solo exhibition by artist Tim Prentice (b. 1930), known for his innovative work in the field of motion in sculpture. Prentice has been a resident of Connecticut since 1975, and After the Mobile marks his first solo museum exhibition since 1999. The exhibition will feature twenty indoor works, five outdoor works, and a video portrait of the artist, presented both in the Museum’s galleries and Sculpture Garden, with the indoor exhibition on view from March 29 to October 4, 2021, and the outdoor installation on view from September 19, 2021 to April 24, 2022. For more and to purchase advance tickets, visit thealdrich.org.

Pictured: Tim Prentice, “Nine Dragons”, 2011. Aluminum and stainless steel, 80 x 25 x 25 feet. The Home Group, 502 Section 2, Tiding Blvd, Zhongshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. Courtesy of the artist and The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

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Still/Live and The Rothko Room at Katonah Museum of Art

March 16 – June 27, 2021 at Katonah Museum of Art, 134 Jay Street – Route 22, Katonah, NY. Still/Live explores how contemporary artists working in photography, video, and new media are reimagining the genre of still life. Since ancient times, deceptively simple depictions of fruit, flowers, and every-day objects have disguised rich layers of symbolic association. The artists represented in Still/Live work from within the still life tradition, examining three themes—time, portraiture, and trompe l’oeil—with new technologies and from new perspectives. Support for Still/Live is provided by the Katonah Museum of Art Exhibition Patrons Leslie Cecil and Creighton Michael, Judy and Tony Evnin, Victoria Morris and Ellen and Bob Grimes. The Rothko Room: Experience two more masterpieces in a room designed for individual reflection. Untitled, 1969 and Untitled (Still-life with Clock and Vase), 1938/1939 are the second and third in an ongoing series of works by Mark Rothko presented by the KMA. Rothko envisioned the creation of spiritual single work “chapels” along the sides of highways throughout the country where weary travelers could stop and contemplate one of his paintings. This vision inspired the KMA’s The Rothko Room, which offers guests the opportunity to spiritually re-charge in the presence of a single masterpiece, as Rothko intended. The Rothko Room is made possible through the support of Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko and through the contribution of Audrey and Richard Zinman. Advance timed ticketing reservation required. For more information, visit katonahmuseum.org.

Pictured: Daniel Gordon, “Jade Plant with Pears and Green Apples”, 2019, Pigment Print with UV Lamination, 55 × 68 3/4 inches, ©Daniel Gordon, Courtesy Yossi Milo Gallery, New York / James Fuentes Gallery, New York. Image courtesy Katonah Museum of Art

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Sagerman and Clement: High Performance Color at Heather Gaudio Fine Art

March 13 – May 1, 2021 at Heather Gaudio Fine Art, 66 Elm Street, New Canaan, CT – Whether using a palette knife or welding and cutting steel, Robert Sagerman and John Clement share a physicality in their processes, creating remarkable artworks that activate their environments with vivid colors. About the artists: Robert Sagerman is known for making arresting and intensely colored textural paintings. Mixing his own pigments, he carefully selects the palettes and works on several canvases at a time, painstakingly applying thick strokes of oil or silicone onto the surface in pointillist fashion, a single color at a time. The canvases are typically 3-inches thick, becoming quasi sculptural in their own right and require a wood panel backing to support the weight of the material. The titles of the paintings correspond to the total number of pigment applications, which reach the thousands. John Clement stands out among peers for continuing to embrace the dying art form of cutting and welding steel himself. As a young college graduate, Clement was fortunate to have apprenticed under the celebrated artists Mark di Suvero and John Henry. These experiences not only taught him the physical properties of the material, but also the dynamics of working with monumental-scale sculpture. Made of steel pipes, the coils and arcs became his signature style, almost like drawings or doodles in space. Depending on the thickness of the pipes, the forms can suggest lithe scribbles or have a more audacious and gargantuan presence. For hours and more information, visit heathergaudiofineart.com.

Pictured, left: John Clement, “Pacific”, 2017. 1-1/4 inch steel pipe, 1 inch steel plate, hi-performance auto paint, 42 × 28 × 32 in. Right: Robert Sagerman, “23,424”, 2021, oil on canvas, 48 x 46 inches. Images courtesy Heather Gaudio Fine Art

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Caramoor’s Spring 2021 Livestream Season

March 21 – May 23, 2021 – Livestream performances online – Continuing their commitment to present music in a wide range of genres, Caramoor is proud to announce a full schedule of virtual programs this spring. The season, which runs from March 21 – May 23, includes streaming performances by Dashon Burton, bass-baritone and David Fung, piano, Schwab Vocal Rising Stars, Son Little, Thalea String Quartet, Ruckus with Emi Ferguson, baroque flute, Callisto Quartet, Catherine Russell and Junction Trio. A new addition is their online series, Caramoor Conversations: “The Red Book with Paola Prestini and Sonu Shamdasani”on Sunday, March 28, 3:00pm and “The Bartók String Quartets (Part Two) with Ara Guzelimian and the Callisto Quartet” on Sunday, April 18, 3:00pm. For more information and to purchase tickets/register, visit caramoor.org.

Pictured: Musical artists from Caramoor’s Spring 2021 Livestream Season, image courtesy Caramoor

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At Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art: Todd Gray/MATRIX 186 – Exhibition and Programs

March 4 – July 18, 2021 at Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 600 Main Street, Hartford, CT. Todd Gray’s photographic assemblages explore the history and enduring impact of European colonialism, slavery, and the African diaspora. A personal subject for the artist, his family has been unable to trace its lineage beyond three generations due to the legacy of slavery. To create new work, Gray mines his extensive archive of photographs created over decades of travel, then selects and juxtaposes images of African subjects and sublime landscapes, formally-designed European gardens, and dazzling Hubble Space Telescope constellations. Framed individually in different styles of thrift-store frames, new frames, and old museum frames, the artist layers and stacks the images in dynamic overlapping compositions of two to or more photographs. Breaking all the rules of formal presentation, Gray conceals and pairs imagery to take us on a complex journey about identity through Africa, Europe, and the cosmos, and through time and space.  To learn more about the exhibition, visit the website at thewadsworth.org.

Pictured: Todd Gray, “Though The Ship Is Sinking, Trade Winds Still Blow,” 2021. Five archival pigment prints with UV laminate in artist’s frames. Courtesy the Artists and David Lewis, New York. Image courtesy Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

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Stamford Symphony Spring Series with Three Virtual Premieres

March 6, April 17, May 8, 2021, Online – Stamford Symphony has announced a new spring series including three virtual premieres taking place each month from March through May 2021. Similar to the successful virtual premiere series they hosted this past winter, viewers will be given a chance to experience the Stamford Symphony in a new way. Music Director Michael Stern will host and conduct each online premiere and provide deeper context to the music, live online discussion, along with insights from the musicians. Each free event will include special guests, Q&A’s and a Zoom “VIP Green Room” for patrons holding a 2021 subscription.  DATES: Saturday, March 6, 7:30 PM EST – “Youthful Gifts”: Mendelssohn String Symphony No.9 in C Major, La Suisse (1823) and Coleridge-Taylor Two Novelletten for String Orchestra, Op.52, No.3, No.4. Saturday, April 17, 7:30pm EST – “Sublime Serenades”: Dvořák Serenade for Winds in D minor, Op. 44 and R. Strauss Serenade for Winds in E-flat major, Op. 7. Saturday, May 8, 7:30pm EST – “Times Change” with Elena Urioste, violin – Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, The Turkish with Elena Urioste, violin and Haydn Symphony No. 64 in A major, Tempora Mutantur. For more information and to register, visit stamfordsymphony.org.

Pictured: Music Director and Conductor Michael Stern with Stamford Symphony. Photo by Toni Dulce, courtesy Stamford Symphony

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At Hudson River Museum – Collection Spotlight: The Art of Skywatching

February 19 – June 20, 2021 at Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, NY – What do skywatchers, professional and amateur, notice when they look at the sky as depicted in works of art? Marc Taylor, Manager of Planetarium and Science Programs at the Hudson River Museum, draws our attention to works of art from the permanent collection, ranging from the 1860s to the 2010s, and sheds light on both the phenomena depicted and the science behind them. Artists on view include Derrick Adams, Albert Bierstadt, Howard Russell Butler, Frank Russell Green, Richard Haas, James Hendricks, Amy (Frisbie Blair) Jones, Louis Aston Knight, and Elihu Vedder. The installation also features a special loan from artist Robert Zakanitch, Doily Moon, 2015, which combines a close observation of the night sky with elements of his signature ornamental style. Whether it be the sky’s changing colors or the illuminating properties of moonlight, contemplate the physical mechanisms behind these natural occurrences, and perhaps you will recognize the visual clues the next time they appear before you: in art—or in real life! For more information about the exhibition and advance tickets, visit hrm.org.

Pictured: Howard Russell Butler (American, 1856–1934). “The Moon and Venus at Sunset,” ca. 1923. Oil on artist’s board. Museum Purchase, 2018 (2018.14). Image courtesy Hudson River Museum

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Birds of the Northeast: Gulls to Great Auks at Fairfield University Art Museum’s Bellarmine Hall Galleries 

January 22 – May 14, 2021. In accordance with the University’s Covid-19 protocols, which prohibit the public from entering campus, the museum will be closed to outside visitors this spring, but works in the exhibition can be viewed online. Birds of the Northeast: Gulls to Great Auks features paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, photographs, and natural history specimens from the early 19th century through the present day. Beyond merely connecting us to the natural world, the artworks in this exhibition remind us of the toll taken on bird habitats since the beginning of European colonialism in North America; the delicate ecosystems that allow birds of all species to thrive came under attack, as birds were hunted for food and ornamentation and their habitats were destroyed. The “lost birds” section of Birds of the Northeast: Gulls to Great Auks features studies for McGrain’s sculptures, a Great Auk skeleton lent by the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University, and paintings of lost birds by contemporary artists including Walton Ford, Ann Craven, James Prosek, Morgan Bulkeley, and Alberto Rey. The “living birds” section of the exhibition includes specimens of a variety of common, local birds, also coming from the Peabody. Highlights include Marsden Hartley’s Give Us This Day and Matthew Day Jackson’s portfolio There Will Come Soft Rains, which draws from numerous sources – including old Audubon copper plates – to explore both preservation and apocalyptic destruction. Additional artworks include works by Alexander Wilson, John Gould, Emily Eveleth, James Prosek, Rick Shaefer, Carolyn Blackwood, Christy Rupp, Christina Empedocles, and Paul Villinski. To view the exhibition online and learn about related programs, visit fairfield.edu.

Pictured: Marsden Hartley (American, 1877 – 1943), “Give Us This Day”, 1938, oil on canvas. Lent by Art Bridges. Image courtesy Fairfield University Art Museum

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Tarrytown Music Hall presents Night In with the Music Hall: Livestream performances

Ongoing – Night-In With The Music Hall is a curated, livestream concert series on Wednesdays at 6pm. The program features an eclectic mix of extraordinary musicians in the acoustic, blues, folk, jazz, rock, and singer-songwriter musical genres. The series relies on donations as a way to help both The Music Hall and the Artists who bring us together and enrich our lives with song. To recorded versions of these and other livestream performances, visit Tarrytown Music Hall’s YouTube channel.  To see the Music Hall’s full schedule of events, visit tarrytownmusichall.org.

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At Hudson River Museum – Border Cantos| Sonic Border: Richard Misrach|Guillermo Gallindo

February 12 – May 9, 2021 at Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, CT. Border Cantos|Sonic Border is a unique and moving collaboration between photographer Richard Misrach (born in Los Angeles, 1949) and sculptor and composer Guillermo Galindo (born in Mexico City, 1960) that addresses the humanitarian situation at the wall between the US and Mexico. Misrach and Galindo began collaborating in 2011, after both artists had created bodies of work inspired by the Mexican-American border region and its human impact. Presented in English and Spanish, Border Cantos offers perspective on the challenges of migration, inviting us to bridge boundaries. Misrach’s large-scale photographs beautifully capture the various types of landscapes, textures, and experiences found across the almost 2,000-mile dividing line, including the existing wall. But, by showing moments of disruption on the land, they also introduce a complicated look at policing the boundary. Galindo’s installation, Sonic Border, is an original score for eight instruments, created out of discarded objects found and collected near the wall or in remote open areas. For more information on the exhibition and related programs, visit hrm.org.

Pictured: Richard Misrach, born 1949. “Wall, Tierra del Sol Road, Boulevard, California,” 2014, printed 2018 from an edition of 5. Pigment print 60 × 80 in. (152.4 × 203.2 cm) Framed: 61 × 81 × 2 in. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2017.11. Image courtesy Hudson River Museum

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At Stamford Museum & Nature Center – Global Garden: Resonant Beauty, A Solo Exhibition of Orchid Paintings by Patricia Laspino

January 29 – April 25, 2021 at Stamford Museum & Nature Center, 39 Scofieldtown Road, Stamford, CT – As a professional artist, Patricia Laspino’s 40-year career has been inspired by the beauty and diversity of the natural world and its power to influence. She has chosen the floral, specifically the orchid, as a primary focus of interest. By using orchids as a metaphor in her paintings, she explores cultural and biological evolution, biodiversity and environmental stewardship. The Orchid Alliance Project-Bridging Art & Science is her ambitious endeavor which has global significance. Weaving together two disciplines through scientific inquiry and collaboration, her art provides fresh perspectives on the interconnectedness of humanity and the natural world. Throughout February, artist Patricia Laspino will be in the galleries from 12 to 3 pm to speak with visitors and answer questions about the work in GLOBAL GARDEN: RESONANT BEAUTY. NOTE: Parking and entry will be at the Knobloch Family Farmhouse ONLY at 151 Scofieldtown Road. For visitor guidelines and more information on the exhibition, visit stamfordmuseum.org.

Pictured: Artist, Patricia Laspino in front of her painting “Alice B” 2011. Image courtesy Stamford Museum & Nature Center

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Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum’s Aldrich Care Box

January 31 – December 31, 2021: Available to loan out to the public from the Museum’s front Desk at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, 258 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT. The Aldrich Care Box is a year-long traveling exhibition unbound to a physical space. A unique collaboration between The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum’s Curatorial and Education Departments, Director of Education Namulen Bayarsaihan and Senior Curator Amy Smith-Stewart, have commissioned five artists—Ilana Harris-Babou, Clarity Haynes, Athena LaTocha, Curtis Talwst Santiago, and James Allister Sprang—to create a series of objects that examine themes of care, grief, intimacy, and healing through a diverse range of materials, methods, and approaches. The Aldrich Care Boxes will be available for loan out to the public January 31 to December 31, 2021 from The Museum’s Front Desk. For more information, visit thealdrich.org.

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Heroines of Abstract Expressionism and FEM at Nassau County Museum of Art

Through April 25, 2021 at Nassau County Museum of Art, One Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor, NY – Advance timed ticket entry is required. Great art by women fill the Museum with two simultaneous exhibitions. Beginning with an intimate gallery of masterworks by Mary Cassatt, Georgia O’Keeffe and Camille Claudel, it moves on to a major private collection featuring the “9th Street Women” and then to some of the leading artists of our own day, including Lynda Benglis and Kara Walker, with works that are fresh out of the studio. The roster of major artists includes Louise Bourgeois, Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Joan Mitchell, Louise Nevelson and other trailblazers of Abstract Expressionism, the most exciting movement in American art history. These highlights are all from an extraordinary private collection brought together by Richard P. Friedman and Cindy Lou Wakefield, among the world’s top collectors of Contemporary art. whether or not you’re able to get to the exhibition in person, hear director Charles Riley’s insights into a few of the pieces along with members of the Education team – VIDEO TOUR here. Also: Virtual Brown Bag Lecture LIVE with Riva Ettus: Heroines of Abstract Expressionism & FEM – Thursday, January 14th, 1 pm, Online. Grab your lunch and join Museum Docent Riva Ettus in her popular “Brown Bag Lecture” for a LIVE via ZOOM experience of Nassau County Museum of Art’s exhibitions, Heriones of Abstract Expressionism & FEM. Members Free, $10 Adults & Seniors, $5 Students. Member discount applied at check out. For advance tickets and more information, visit nassaumuseum.org.

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Clay Arts Center Winter Term Classes: Registration Now Open

January 11 – April 25, Online and Clay Arts Center, 40 Beech Street, Port Chester, NY. Whether you are new to clay or an experienced potter, they have handbuilding, wheel throwing and special topic classes designed just for you. Class sizes are reduced to allow for social distancing along with strict studio protocols to ensure everyone’s safety. Their 5 week introductory classes are designed for new students to explore all clay has to offer. Classes include Intro to Handbuilding, Intro to Wheel Throwing and Pottery for Beginners. These classes are offered nights and weekends. No experience necessary. Their intermediate and advanced classes will allow students to explore new techniques and forms. For a fun Friday night out with friends or a date sign up for Maker Date. Get messy as they walk you through the basics of throwing on the potter’s wheel. Create a unique piece of pottery, then choose a glaze from their studio selection. Pieces will be fired and available for pick up at a later date. First Maker Date is Friday, January 15th. Special Valentine’s Day Maker Dates will take place on February 12th & 13. For more and to register, visit clayartcenter.org.

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Frank Stella’s Stars, A Survey at The Aldrich 

September 21, 2020 – May 9, 2021 at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, 258 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT. Among the myriad of forms that have appeared in Frank Stella’s (b. 1936) work, the star is the most singular, standing out as a stable and immediately identifiable shape amidst the tangle of abstract, invented forms that the artist has utilized over his long career. The historical arc of Stella’s use of the star travels from the minimal to the maximal, with the recent star sculptures frequently exhibiting a corruption of the form as well as a wild diversity of materials and fabrication techniques. Frank Stella’s Stars, A Survey will be presented both in the galleries and the Museum’s Sculpture Garden. Programs include two Member’s Tours: with Senior Curator Amy Smith-Stewart on October 1 and with Exhibitions Director Richard Klein on October 22. For more, visit aldrichart.org.

Pictured: “Frank Stella’s Stars, A Survey”, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, September 21, 2020 to May 9, 2021 (installation view, left, “Jasper’s Split Star”, 2017; right, “Wooden Star I”, 2014), Courtesy of the artist and Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York and Aspen © 2020 Frank Stella / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Christopher E. Manning

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Online Articles: Recommended Virtual Tours, Art Podcasts and More

Join the Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman for virtual walking tours throughout New York City – December 2020 and ongoing by Michael Kimmelman, New York Times

After 150 Years, Looking Back at the Metropolitan Museum’s 10 Most Visited Exhibitions
by Hakim Bishara, April 13, 2020 – Hyperallergic

What the Art World’s Past Tells Us about Its Future beyond COVID-19
by Todd Levin, April 9, 2020 – Artsy.net

12 Distinctive Destinations and Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios to Virtually Explore
by Emma Peters, April 7, 2020 – The National Trust for Historic Preservation: SavingPlaces.org

Take a Virtual Tour of New York’s Museum District
by Michael Kimmelman, April 1, 2020 – The New York Times

12 historic sites you can virtually tour from the couch during the coronavirus outbreak
by Drew Jones, March 18, 2020 – The Washington Post

Quarantine Culture: Talks, Museums and Performances to Enjoy From Home
by Ethan Wolff, March 26, 2020 – ThoughtGallery.org

A Virtual Tour of TV cars, a most unusual ‘Madama Butterfly’: Today’s best arts online
by Matt Cooper, March 25, 2020 – Los Angeles Times

What It’s Like to Visit Virtual Galleries as an Art Critic
by Seph Rodney, March 25, 2020 – Hyperallergic.com

World-Class Museums at Your Finger Tips
by Sotheby’s, March 23, 2020 – Sothebys.com

Top Five New York City Virtual Cultural Experiences
by Roger Sands, March 20, 2020 – Forbes

Ten Museums You Can Virtually Visit
by Nadine Daher, March 20, 2020 – Smithsonian Magazine

In the Time of Social Distance, Galleries Go Digital
by Jasmine Weber and Dessane Lopez Cassell, March 20, 2020 – Hyperallergic

Ten Bingeworthy Art Podcasts in the Age of Coronavirus
by Jori Finkel, March 20, 2020 – The New York Times

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