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 and beyond.
Explore the Arts In Person and Online
During this temporary time of closure due to the COVID-19 health crisis, most cultural organizations have created new content to explore online – for their websites, YouTube channels and social media platforms. This list includes both online/virtual events as well as in-person events, as our public health safety situation evolves.
Visit our Cultural Pursuit Venues page for a list of links to the websites of over 60 major cultural organizations in our area.
Now Open or Re-opening Soon for Public Visits
Based on the COVID-19 re-opening phase guidelines in effect in Fairfield and Westchester Counties, certain organizations and institutions are able to open the doors and grounds to public visitation. Below are several updates in list form. As we hear more, we will keep this list updated.
Please check each website for hours, visitation guidelines and tickets which may require advance purchase.
· Boscobel House & Gardens, Garrison NY – grounds now open, limited tickets. Pictured: Boscobel’s Belvedere Outlook, Garrison, NY. Photo by Laura Schroeder
· Untermyer Park & Gardens, Yonkers NY – now open, limited hours/tickets. Pictured: View of the Untermyer Gardens Amphitheater, March 2020. Photo by Laura Schroeder
· Stamford Museum & Nature Center – grounds and museum now open with Art and the Animal, on view through September 7. Pictured: Mark A. Sussino, Ambush Point, 2017. Common Snook, Ladyfish. Oil on linen on panel. Image courtesy Stamford Museum & Nature Center
· Greenwich Historical Society, Greenwich CT – now open, advance ticket purchase. Pictured: Greenwich Historical Society, photo by Durston Saylor
· Lyndhurst Mansion – advance ticketed visitation for grounds only, Friday – Sunday. Pictured: Photo by Emma Gencarelli, courtesy Lyndhurst
· Weir Farm National Historic Park – now open, grounds only. Pictured: Weir Farm National Historic Site, photo by Laura Schroeder
· Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT – in-person screenings beginning June 24 . Pictured:The Ridgefield Playhouse, photo by Laura Schroeder
· The Philip Johnson Glass House, New Canaan, CT – outdoor passes beginning June 22. Pictured: Philip Johnson Glass House, photo by Lane Coder. Image courtesy The Glass House
· Avon Theatre, Stamford, CT – in-person film screenings beginning June 26. Pictured: Avon Theatre Film Center
· Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield CT – 6/20-26 Members only, beginning 6/27 Public admissions. On view: Weather Report through August 23, Eva LeWitt: Untitled (Mesh A-J) through August 23 and Zoë Sheehan Saldaña: There Must Be Some Way Out of Here through October 4. Pictured: Image courtesy The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
· Bruce Museum, Greenwich CT – in-person visitation resuming, beginning June 27. On view: On the Edge of the World: Masterworks by Laurits Andersen Ring from SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark extended through August 9 and Under the Skin on view through November 29, 2020. Pictured, left: Laurits Andersen Ring (Danish, 1854-1933), <em>At the French Windows: The Artist’s Wife</em>, 1897. Oil on canvas, 75.2 x 56.7 in. KMS 3716. Right: Dr. Daniel Ksepka, Curator of Science, with a CT scan rendering of a miniature frog, revealing an ant inside its digestive tract. Images courtesy Bruce Museum
“Wish You Were Here” Postcard Exhibition: Virtual and open for viewing in the Gallery at Still River Editions
Online beginning June 13, Open in Danbury June 22 – September 25, 2020
– “Wish You Were Here” is an exhibition of postcards featuring images submitted by just over 100 people from across Connecticut and around the United States. Gallery Director Lys Guillorn put out a call for submissions looking for “digital images you’ve taken during the COVID-19 pandemic—slices of daily life, art photographs, or photographs of artwork you’ve worked on or completed between March 1st and May 31st of 2020.” There are digital and alternative process photographs, paintings, prints, illustrations, drawings, and collages. The subject matter, tone, and style of the images reflect the varied experiences and creative impulses of the people who made them. The images will be featured in an online gallery on Still River Editions’ website, and will also be printed on 4”x6” fine art paper and hung in The Gallery at Still River Editions from June 13 through September 25th, 2020. For more including artist list, online exhibition, Danbury hours and visitation guidelines, visit stillrivereditions.com.
Pictured: Merrill Grossman © “Same Early Morn”, image courtesy Gallery at Still River Editions
VIRTUAL EVENTS
Bruce Presents Zoom Webinar – Taking It to the Streets: A Conversation with Contemporary Street Artists
Thursday, July 9, 2020, 7:00 – 8:30 pm via Zoom Webinar
– Bruce Presents, the Bruce Museum’s monthly series featuring thought leaders in art and science, hosts a Zoom webinar: Taking It to the Streets: A Conversation with Contemporary Street Artists. Five panelists, representing a diverse, radically inclusive cross-section of this evolving visual art form, will discuss their work and assess its impact: Holly Danger (experiential designer and video artist), Ana De Orbegoso (multimedia, including public projections), Yedi Fresh (illustration, painting, digital art, mural work), Jahmane (graffiti, large-scale murals, canvas, photography, fashion design), Epic Uno (graffiti, package design, illustration, corporate identity). Taking It to the Streets will also spotlight Tatiana Mori, Executive Director of the Greenwich Arts Council, which named Epic Uno and Yedi Fresh, respectively, the first two members of its visionary Artists-in-Residence program. Greenwich-based artist-curator Ben Quesnel will co-moderate the Zoom event, along with Leonard Jacobs, producer of the Bruce Presents series. For more and to register visit brucemuseum.org.
Pictured: “Restless Native” by Jahmane. Image courtesy Bruce Museum
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival presents Tent Talks: The River And Art in the Hudson Valley
Wednesday, July 8, 3-3:45pm
– The theme for HVSF’s 2020 Community Bake-Off playwriting series is “Mahicantuck, The River that Flows Both Ways.” The name highlights the fact that the Hudson River is more than a river, it is a tidal estuary, an arm of the sea where the salty seawater meets fresh water running off the land. The river is the defining natural feature of our region, and has long been a powerful inspiration to the people who live here. Join HVSF’s Sean McNall for a talk with Hadrien Coumans, The Lenape Center, and Paul Gallay, Riverkeeper, on their organizations’ passion for the river and how artists have drawn creative and spiritual inspiration from this geological phenomenon. To register, visit hvshakespeare.org.
Shared by Avon Theatre: “Just Mercy” Free Streaming from Warner Bros. Pictures
JUST MERCY had its Connecticut premiere at the Avon Theatre, with their December 4, 2019 sneak preview. Warner Bros. Pictures has made the film available for free rental on digital platforms during the month of June. They released the following statement: “Our film JUST MERCY, based on the life work of civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, is one resource we can humbly offer to those who are interested in learning more about the systemic racism that plagues our society. For the month of June, JUST MERCY will be available to rent for free across digital platforms in the U.S.”
For links to the 17 platforms where JUST MERCY is available free of charge, visit justmercyfilm.com.
“A Wreath for Emmett Till” from “Dialogues on Race” by Westchester Philharmonic bassist Gregg August
Dialogues on Race, by Westchester Phil bassist Gregg August, is an extended suite for 12-piece jazz ensemble, three vocalists, strings and narrator. It utilizes poems by Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Marilyn Nelson and others to create a musical conversation intended to help bring awareness and foster understanding on the issue of race. The work was commissioned by the Jazz Gallery and Jerome Foundation and will be released later this summer on Iacuessa Records. This segment, “A Wreath for Emmett Till,” sets to music a poem by Marilyn Nelson, which pays homage to the murdered young man’s mother, Mamie Till Mobley, who faced her unimaginable grief by asking an entire nation to do the same. Gregg and his musical collaborators have graciously shared this work with Westchester Philharmonic, so that they may share it with us. To see the video recording of this performance from Gregg August, visit YouTube.com.
Pictured: Still image from “A Wreath for Emmett Till” From “Dialogues on Race”, YouTube.com
Caramoor Announces Flexible In-Person and Streaming Programming for Summer 20/2.0
July 2 – August 6 at Caramoor, 149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah, NY
– Caramoor has long been a place of inspiration. With more than 80 acres of woodlands, gardens, sound art and outdoor performance space, the Westchester cultural arts destination is in a unique position to pivot from its traditional summer season and find new ways of inspiring audiences safely, just when they need it most. While unable to present the full summer season as planned, Caramoor is pleased to announce Summer 20/2.0, positioning itself to participate responsibly in New York’s re-opening process. A new, three-part plan with the flexibility to accommodate a wide range of potential circumstances, Summer 20/2.0 comprises livestreamed on-site performances, live performances for low-density audiences on Friends Field, and opening up the gardens and sound art for limited tours. Each part can be implemented independently and phased with different options depending on the circumstances at the time. All activities will be subject to current government health and safety guidelines, as well as re-confirmation in the days before. For more, and event information visit caramoor.org.
Pictured: Caramoor Center Walk: photo by Gabe Palacio, courtesy Caramoor
Westport Country Playhouse presents 2020@Home
Until it is safe for Westport Country Playhouse to open its doors, they invite the Playhouse Community, Fairfield County residents, and fellow artmakers to experiment along with them as they develop new ways to stay together while staying safe with 2020@Home, featuring Coffee Breaks: Conversations with artists, colleagues and artmakers, hosted by Playhouse artistic staff. Thursdays at 4PM on Instagram Live; Getting to Know You: Livestream series hosted by Tony Award®-winning Broadway star Kelli O’Hara and Post-Watch Dialogues: Panels with the artist, scholars and community members discussing films you can stream at home with your friends and family. For more, visit westportplayhouse.org.
Texture and Transparency: Visual Tours of Philip Johnson’s Glass House
Architectural photographer and filmmaker Michael Biondo and creative reality capture duo Michael Robison and Dallas Bennett (aka MYND Workshop) have collaborated to create an episodic series of short visual tours of the Glass House, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This video series seeks to create an ambient and intimate tour of Philip Johnson’s Glass House property in New Canaan, CT. These films are unique in the sense that they combine film and the use of point cloud technology to allow for a tectonic and artistic examination of the buildings in order to better understand the architecture and site design. Biondo’s breathtaking video manages to capture those visceral experiences which one may come across when visiting the 49-acre property. These scenes offer the textures and light which define the sensual and emotional nature of Johnson’s work. In contrast, MYND Workshop’s animations speak to the layers and transparencies which Johnson often referred to when speaking about the design of the various buildings on the site, allowing for a design perspective that has never been seen before. For more, visit theglasshouse.org.
Pictured: Still image from video “Texture and Transparency: Visual Tours of Philip Johnson’s Glass House” by Michael Biondo and creative reality capture duo Michael Robison and Dallas Bennett (aka MYND Workshop) on theglasshouse.org.
New Britain Museum of American Art presents Meditations on Paintings and other Digital Offerings
A virtual garden of new experiences await at nbmaa.org, including art activities, mindfulness tours, digital events, and an in-depth look at special exhibition In Thread and On Paper: Anni Albers in Connecticut. New on their website is Meditations on Paintings – Guided by Maura O’Shea, Manager of Education Programs, slow down and take a closer, meditative look at select works from their permanent collection. In the first episode, they examine Alice Baber’s Path of Jaguar, and are guided through the composition with the artist’s rhythmic use of color and shape. Anni Albers: Experiments is a pre-recorded lecture and will be available on their website in full on Thursday, May 28 at 5:30 p.m. In this collaborative lecture, Fritz Horstman, exhibition curator and Education Director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, and Karis Medina, Associate Curator of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, examine the theory and practice of Anni Albers. Curatorial Chat | Faith Ringold: In their fifth weekly Curatorial Chat, Associate Curator Lisa Williams highlights the power and joy in human expression as seen in Mama Can Sing by artist Faith Ringgold. Part of her “Jazz Series” stories, this bold and colorful work depicts the image of a liberated black woman, her powerful voice represented with vibrations of blue and gold. For more, visit nbmaa.org.
Westchester Italian Cultural Center of New York’s Live-Streamed and On-Demand Webinars
Westchester Italian Cultural Center of New York (WICCNY) has created a series of low-cost and free live-streamed and on-demand webinars, now available on their website. Upcoming live webinars include: Gladiators & Chariots: Entertainment in the Roman Empire – May 26 at 1pm, Camilla Calhoun tells the story of her memoir: The White Moth – May 28 at 7pm, Love That Moves the Sun: The Passionate & Challenging Life of Vittoria Colonna – June 1 at 2pm, Performance LIVE from Italy: Cristiana Pegoraro – June 11 and 20. For more, visit wiccny.org.
VSVN x Wave Hill Collaboration
From May 10 – 19, 10 artists from Wave Hill’s 2020 Winter Workspace program will be sharing their studio practice on Virtual Studio Visit Network’s (VSVN) Instagram Live every day at 2PM. Wave Hill’s Eileen Jeng Lynch and Jesse Firestone kicked off the program on Saturday May 9, with a conversation about studio visits and the VSVN x Wave Hill collaboration. Audio/visual recordings of these visits will be archived on their website after the final presentation. Artists Featured: Andrea Haenggi, Stephanie Alvarado, Kymia Nawabi, LoVid Hinkis-Lapidus, Beatrice Modisett, Linda Lauro-Lazin, Ezra Benus, Elizabeth Velazquez, Maya Ciarrocchi , May 19 – Samanta Batra Mehta. Visit instagram.com/virtualstudiovisitnetwork for each presentation and for more, visit wavehill.org.
Virtual Tour of Weather Report at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum with Curator Richard Klein
Take in a Virtual Tour of Weather Report on The Aldrich Contemporay Art Museum’s website. The exhibition reveals the sky as a site where the aesthetic, the romantic, the political, the social, and the scientific co-exist and inform one another. The depiction of weather phenomena in the visual arts is traditionally linked with either landscape painting or photography, but in the last two decades artists have increasingly turned to other media to explore weather and, by extension, the larger subject of the Earth’s atmosphere. Featuring the work of Bigert & Bergström, Barbara Bloom, Sara Bouchard, Josh Callaghan, Nick Cave, Violet Dennison, Bryan Nash Gill, Andy Goldsworthy, Nancy Graves, Ellen Harvey, Ayumi Ishii, Jitish Kallat, Kim Keever, Byron Kim, Damian Loeb, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, Colin McMullan, Hitoshi Nomura, Pat Pickett, Sean Salstrom, and Jennifer Steinkamp, and an installation by researchers Amanda Bunce, Joel Salisbury, and Michael Vertefeuille. For virtual tour and more, visit aldrichart.org.
Pictured: Still image from Video: Virtual Tour of “Weather Report” with Curator Richard Klein
Clay Art Center presents “Connections – A Response to COVID-19: Through Clay and Words”
Virtual Exhibition, 
Connections – A Response to COVID-19: Through Clay and Words – Clay Art Center presents responses from ceramic artists, nationwide, to the current situation we all find ourselves in, brought about by the health concerns of COVID 19. Their Virtual Connections Exhibition features works that are made from various media, and submitted as digital photos only. A message from the participant accompanies the selected shown works. The digital entries are showcased here on our website, with ongoing submissions being accepted until July 15. This is part one of a two-part exhibition process. Part two of Connections will be a collection Ceramic Postcards, realized from the original digital entries, exhibited in the gallery at Clay Art Center at a later date. To offset the challenges of access to studios, kilns and workspaces, they are presenting the ceramic artistic process in its entirety – from sketch to firing. For more, visit clayartcenter.org.
Music From Copland House presents Coping… with Copland House
Music from Copland House’s online offering, Coping … with Copland House is a periodic feature inspired by Aaron Copland’s often-stated belief that music is an affirmation of life … particularly relevant during these challenging weeks. Enjoy favorite video recordings they’ve collected from their travels across America’s musical landscape. 3/24 – Simple Gifts; 4/6 – Spellbound; 4/17 – Sounds and Sweet Airs that Give Delight; 4/22 – Needing a Friend?; 4/29 – Raising the Roof!; 5/2 – Making the Crossing. Sign up on their email list to receive mailings announcing new features. For more, visit coplandhouse.org.
Pictured: still video image from John Harbison: What a Friend We Have in Jesus, from Songs America Loves to Sing (2004) Music from Copland House: Linda Chesis, flute; Derek Bermel, clarinet; Curtis Macomber, violin; Alexis Pia Gerlach, cello; Michael Boriskin, piano Live from Louisville Chamber Music Society
Bruce Museum 2020 Annual Crafts Festival Virtual Tour
The Bruce Museum’s Outdoor Crafts Festival, held annually one week before Memorial Day weekend, was established in 1986 to compliment the Museum’s Arts Festival which was started in 1982. From modest beginnings, the outdoor festival has grown into a beloved annual Bruce event drawing artists from across the country. Artists undergo a rigorous jury process to ensure that the festival is fresh, varied and balanced between categories. The 2020 festival dates were set for May 16 and 17, but in light of the development of the COVID-19 pandemic the Bruce had to cancel this year’s show. Instead, they invite all to take a virtual stroll through the 2020 crafts festival. You will also find links to the artists’ websites to view more work and to shop. For more, visit brucecraftsfest20.org.
ArtsWestchester presents The Lawrence Salley Photography Award 2020 Virtual Exhibition
Established in memory of Lawrence Salley by ArtsWestchester and the African American Men of Westchester, they are proud to present their first-ever virtual exhibition featuring the photographic work of Arnold Kastenbaum, the 2020 Lawrence Salley Award winner and the eight finalists in this year’s competition. From pure abstraction to photojournalism, the nine photographers gathered in this virtual exhibition represent the varied practices of contemporary photography, and the deep talent of the Hudson Valley’s creative community. Exhibiting Artists: Arnold Kastenbaum, Margaret Fox, Howard Goodman, Alan Haywood, Barry Mason, Gina Randazzo, Joseph Squillante, John Verner. For more information visit artswestchester.org.
Pictured: Margaret Fox, “Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse with Kayaker”, 2019. Image courtesy the artist
Performing Arts Center at Purchase College presents The PAC in Your Living Room
Keeping true to their mission to “inspire, engage, and spark critical conversations,” these new offerings from the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College will include a range of live, recorded, and curated events, education, and entertainment. Offerings include: Resources for Teachers & Families – Regular emails full of creative ideas and engaging content for all ages and grade levels, plus a resource page on our website; Coffee Hour Conversations – Virtual gatherings for arts leaders to discuss the most pressing issues of the day; PAC-TV – creating and hosting original content on their You Tube channel: interviews, archived performances, sneak peaks of new work, and other surprises and Behind The Scenes Blog – Regular features include Meet The PAC Staff, Five Questions, Backstage with Christy Havard, Community Partner Stories, plus event photo galleries and more. For more, visit artscenter.org.
Nassau County Museum of Art: Virtual Tour of “Blue” & More
Explore the virtual offerings of the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn, New York. Now available on their website is a Virtual Tour by Museum Director Charles Riley of the exhibition Blue, which includes works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Odilon Redon, Paul Klee, David Hockney, Jeffrey Gibson, Helen Frankenthaler, Hiroshige, Yves Klein, Roy Lichtenstein, Deborah Turbeville and much more. The exhibition is scheduled to be on view through July 5, 2020, so sign up on their mailing list, follow them on social media and plan a visit when they re-open. For more about this exhibition and others, as well as their related online offerings, visit their website at nassaumuseum.org.
Pictured: Exhibition installation in Gallery 2 of “Blue”: Artists (left to right): Helen Frankenthaler, Jeffrey Gibson, Sean Scully, Susan Vecsey, Callum Innes. Photo Credit: NCMA Staff, image courtesy Nassau County Museum of Art
Thomas Cole National Historic Site: Digital Content & Outdoor Experiences
Visit Thomas Cole National Historic Site in Catskill, New York in person for a self-guided grounds tour, and online, to explore their digital offerings including their Sunday Salon Video Release: Professor Elizabeth Hutchinson’s talk entitled, “Thomas Cole in Haudenosaunee Country,” and learn about untold stories in the transformation of Mohawk land into American territory. Take the Interactive Tour: learn how Cole became the leader of an informal alliance of landscape artists now known as the Hudson River School. Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, Frederic E. Church, Sanford Gifford, Jasper Cropsey, and other painters, along with literary figures such as William Cullen Bryant and James Fenimore Cooper, established a notion of America as “Nature’s Nation,” a concept that still resonates with artists, environmentalists, and landscape enthusiasts to this day. Visit the Virtual Gallery of over 140 images of artworks, and Journey through Cole’s landscapes: locate the places that inspired Thomas Cole and his contemporaries. For all of this and more, visit thomascole.org.
Pictured, clockwise from top left: View from the porch of the 1815 Main House of the Catskill Mountains, Photo credit: Adam T. Deen; 1815 Main House, Photo credit: Rachel Stults; Aerial view of the campus, Photo credit: Devin Pickering. Images courtesy Thomas Cole National Historic Site
Hudson Valley Writers Center Online Classes
Hudson Valley Writers Center is now offering their scheduled intensive classes online using Zoom. Their workshops run as multi-session series or one-day “intensives” and they host writing workshops year-round, weekdays, evenings and weekends. Workshops typically run in four to six week sessions or as one-day intensives. Their instructors are highly-credentialed experienced teachers and published authors. Become a member and save on classes, browse their online bookstore, and subscribe to their newsletter to stay informed about their new classes and events.
For more and to register visit writerscenter.org.
Quick Center for the Arts at Fairfield University presents Quick Sessions
Quick Sessions offers virtual connections and performances with world-renowned artists, musicians, and educators, available free of charge from the Quick Center for the Arts at Fairfield University. Programs offered include: Gershwin with Orin Grossman, Opera and Performance with Nora Chipaumire, Pilobolus Dance Company, #UNLOAD: Ending Gun Violence, Behind the scenes with Carey Weber, the Frank and Clara Meditz Executive Director of the Fairfield University Art Museum, “Theatre in the Time of Crisis” with Cheryl Wiesenfeld, Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) LIVE, Marti Talks Theatre, Movers & Shakers in South African Theatre, Aria Exploration With Erik Novoa and HAPPY HOUR: Art Café goes GLOBAL with Helen Klisser During. For schedule and more information visit quickcenter.fairfield.edu.
Branching Out with Wave Hill
Working from their homes, Wave Hill’s staff has been creatively collaborating to transform the types of programs that you would enjoy at Wave Hill into activities that you can see and do from home. Some of their instructors—Gabriel Willow, Sara Hart, Wennie Huang and Benjamin Swett—have embraced the chance to connect with with the public in this new way. Also participating are some of the organizations that regularly partner with Wave Hill, such as the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, who has enthusiastically agreed to be part of this initiative. Branching Out, a new page on their website, uses their new and improved website, as well as all social media platforms, to reach you. Here is a sampling of what you can expect from them this spring: Neighborhood Naturalist, Depth in Distance, Adult Workshops, Watch & Listen, Visual Arts, Caregivers as Educators Learning Series, Wellness and Nature Activities for Home. Be sure to sign up for their emails and Be sure to follow them on social media—Instagram, Facebook and Twitter—to hear about new things to do and see each week. For more, visit wavehill.org.
Photo by Ngoc Minh Ngo, courtesy Wave Hill
“Gerhard Richter: Painting After All” at Met Breuer – Online Exhibition Tour and Film
Devoted to one of the greatest artists of our time, Gerhard Richter: Painting After All considers Richter’s six-decade-long preoccupation with the dual means of representation and abstraction to explore the material, conceptual and historical implications of painting. Spanning the entirety of Richter’s prolific and innovative career, the exhibition presents over one hundred works that focus on his specific commitment to the medium, as well as his related interests in photography, digital reproduction, and sculpture. Tour the exhibition online and see images from the exhibition.
Presented in conjunction with The Met Breuer exhibition, the documentary film Gerhard Richter Painting is available for viewing via The Met’s website and will remain available to stream through early July. Much of this documentary is set in Richter’s studio in Cologne, where the filmmaker quietly observed the artist’s painting process, and in particular how he creates his large abstract series. The film follows Richter through mesmeric cycles of painting, viewing, and judging. Interspersed throughout are shorter sequences from historical interviews and footage of other aspects of Richter at work, including his interactions with curators, assistants, and family. Filmed principally in 2009, the documentary concludes with the artist completing a large series of mostly white abstract paintings. For this and more, visit metmuseum.org.
Center for Contemporary Printmaking Weekly Outreach Series
CCP (@contemprints) has announced their social outreach series, a schedule of social media broadcast highlighting the very best in printmaking. Join them throughout the week on Instagram and Facebook for demonstrations, discussions, artist spotlights, and much more. Their weekly lineup is as follows – MEMBER MONDAYS: CCP Member artists disclose their processes, showcase their work, and share their printmaking experiences in the current moment. DISCUSSION TUESDAYS: Using prints as the lynchpin, CCP staff members pose a question for you to consider. WORKSHOP WEDNESDAYS: CCP instructors bring demonstrations and tutorials administered by staff and their colleagues from the community. Meet a new instructor or watch them try a new process at home! CCP PROGRAM THURSDAYS: Chris Shore and Kimberly Henrikson dig deep through the real-life community support the CCP has fostered, including CCP’s Artist-in-Residence Program, the GRSM Scholarship Program for high-school students, off-site demonstrations, and hands-on learning for the public. COMMUNITY FRIDAYS: Some casual conversation to end an enriching week. Reflect, relax, and look forward to the weekend ahead. See their social media accounts at @contemprints or visit their website to learn more: contemprints.org.
Emelin Theatre Virtual Screening Room
During this time of temporary closure, Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck, New York will be offering members, patrons and supporters in the community opportunities to enjoy new film releases and support the Emelin at the same time! Stream the best in independent, international and documentary film for the price of a movie ticket, and a portion of the proceeds will go to support the Emelin Theatre. The schedule of offerings includes films from distribution partners Kino Lorber, Grasshopper Film, Film Movement, and Magnolia Pictures. For schedule and more information, visit emelin.org.
Virtual Tours: Florence Griswold House
Designed by Samuel Belcher, architect of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, and built for William Noyes in 1817, the Late Georgian-style mansion reflects the affluent, formal style of living during Old Lyme’s maritime era. It was transformed from a wealthy sea captain’s home into a boardinghouse for some of the most noted names in American Impressionism. Over 200 artists such as Childe Hassam, Willard Metcalf, and Matilda Browne found the lush countryside of Connecticut the perfect location for an American art colony. More than a remarkable building, the Florence Griswold House occupies a unique place in the history of American art. It brings alive the work of American Impressionist artists in the place where they lived and painted. The period rooms rekindle the spirit of another life and time. Virtual Tour of Florence Griswold House and Exhibition – Nothing More American: Immigration, Sanctuary and Community, an exhibition by Matthew Leifheit – with English and Spanish labels and text. Nothing More American brings together depictions of Old Lyme’s renowned First Congregational Church by 19th– and early-20th-century painters such as Childe Hassam with photographs by contemporary artist Matthew Leifheit that contemplate the meetinghouse’s evolving symbolism. For more visit florencegriswoldmuseum.org.
Images courtesy Florence Griswold Museum, Home of American Impressionism
YoFiFest Friday Flicks
Yonkers Film Festival (YoFiFest) has developed an online screening series called Friday Flicks, where they curate an evening of independent film that includes a screening and talk back with the filmmaker. All ticket proceeds from these evenings are split between YoFiFest and the filmmaker. Although each screening may be a bit different, generally the way it works is this: 1. Buy one ticket per connection (i.e. a whole family can watch from the same screen). 2. They’ll send you a link to the film(s) on Thursday. 3. You can screen the film(s) at your convenience. 4. Meet on ZOOM Friday evening, where YoFi will moderate a post-screening talkback with the filmmakers and you’ll have the chance to ask questions. For more information and film offerings, visit yofidmac.com.
Magazzino Da Casa
Magazzino Italian Art Foundation presents Magazzino da Casa, a new series of digital programs dedicated to providing insightful new encounters with postwar and contemporary Italian art and artists through exclusive content on the museum’s website and social media platforms. Developed to counter current feelings of isolation and dislocation through fostering a sense of community around Italian art and creativity, Magazzino da Casa expands the museum’s public programming into the digital sphere, with live-streamed Q&As with artists including Marinella Senatore, the presentation of unreleased films relating to recent museum projects, the digitization of past exhibition catalogues, Instagram Live lectures by leading scholars from around the world, music playlists contributed by community members on Spotify, and more. A current schedule of Magazzino da Casa programs, which will air each Saturday at 3:00 p.m. EST on Instagram Live, along with related video content accessible on Magazzino’s website, follows below. Live stream content will be available on Magazzino’s Instagram for 24 hours after the event. For more information visit magazzino.art.
Hudson River Museum launches Museum From Home
HRM’s Museum From Home – The Hudson River Museum has launched an exciting new digital initiative, Museum From Home, for its audiences to virtually experience all the HRM has to offer. Joining other museums across the United States and abroad, the Museum will be featuring new content including engaging videos, hands-on art and science activities, lesson plans for parents and teachers, and new ways to participate and explore their exhibitions and collection. These virtual experiences will be available on the Museum’s website and shared through its social media channels using the hashtag #MuseumFromHome. There will be a variety of recorded programs and workshops available, including live-streamed programs including virtual tours with curators, workshops with artists, conversations and Q&A with experts on timely topics, and community-curated exhibitions and playlists. The HRM Collections & Exhibitions section offers new ways to dive in and discover the Museum’s permanent collection and exhibitions, past and present. Current offerings include Derrick Adams: Buoyant, Frances Hynes: Constellations, and Self in the City. Other highlights include a variety of online exhibitions on Google Arts & Culture; a special SC Hudson River Museum app, which allows users to experience ten works from the collection using super high-resolution zoom and unique storytelling features, and other social media initiatives like #HRMStaffFavorites and #ShowUsYourSketches. For more, visit hrm.org.
Clay Art Center presents Virtual Clay
Virtual Clay –
Have some fun with virtual clay lessons, demos and lectures. Although their doors are closed, they are working hard to bring the love of clay to the public via Zoom starting April 3. Learn from some of the top ceramic artists practicing today as they guide you through demos, studio tours and informative lectures. These adult ceramic sessions will cover a variety of topics to keep your clay interests fulfilled. Additionally, if you’re looking for something creative for your children to do from the comfort of home, sign up for one of our one-hour youth classes for ages 7 and up. Their instructors will guide your child through a fun instructional clay project that they will create from supplies that are available through Amazon or Michael’s curbside pick-up. For more, visit clayartcenter.org.
Bedford Playhouse presents Virtual Playhouse
Virtual Playhouse –
If there’s a silver lining on lockdown, it’s that we have an unprecedented amount of time with our families plus the opportunity to explore an exciting amount of art, film and culture online. Bedford Playhouse’s Virtual Playhouse will provide a selection of films from their ‘Laugh Out Loud’ Comedy Film Series, Environmental Film Series, Classic Tuesdays with John Farr series, as well as author events and more. Films can be enjoyed at home with online streaming services and new releases via magnoliapictures.com, then afterwards viewers can join with the community via ZOOM to discuss — just like we normally would at Bedford Playhouse. For their list of current offerings, visit bedfordplayhouse.org.
Stamford Symphony Channel
Stamford Symphony Channel – The Stamford Symphony Channel on the Stamford Symphony website is a free virtual hub of classical music and entertainment that was inspired by a desire to connect and serve the community through music during the trying times of the coronavirus crisis. The channel will include previously recorded performances, solo serenades from home, informal practice videos by Stamford Symphony’s musicians as well as articles and vlogs and more. Russell Jones will be hosting talks with orchestra members to learn about their lives, music, hobbies and all the things they do when they are not on stage at the Palace Theatre. This channel will be continuously updated with fresh content, ensuring that there will be no limit to musical entertainment as the COVID-19 situation progresses. For more, visit stamfordsymphony.org.
Pictured, top row: Russell Jones, President and CEO, photo by Bryan Hamilton and Michael Stern, Music Director, photo by David Sussan. Bottom: Stamford Symphony, photo by David Sussan. Images courtesy Stamford Symphony.
New Britain Museum of American Art: Curator Tour: Anni Albers in Connecticut
Online Curator Exhibition Tour
– While the Museum remains closed through these coming weeks, the New Britain Museum of Art in New Britain, Connecticut is pleased to present new ways to access their galleries, special exhibitions, and permanent collection. Enjoy a video walkthrough of In Thread and On Paper: Anni Albers in Connecticut, led by Fritz Horstman, Director of Education of the Josef Anni Albers Foundation and curator of the show, to get a sneak peek of the exhibition before they re-open to the public! NBMAA eMuseum: Enjoy virtual tours available through eMuseum, including collection-based Special Exhibitions such as Art and Artists of Monhegan Island: Selections from the Charles J. and Irene Hamm Collection of Coastal Art and Kara Walker: Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War. Revisit your favorite works, and browse by genre, from Regionalism and Realism, American Impressionism, to early Modernism. For more information about the exhibition, visit nbmaa.org.
New York Botanical Garden: NYBG at Home
NYBG At Home – During these challenging times, the power of plants connects people and provides inspiration more than ever. While the New York Botanical Garden’s gates may be temporarily closed, their virtual gates are wide open. They are inviting the NYBG community near and far to stay connected through their collections’ vast digital resources, creative educational programs, and many other online offerings. As spring unfolds, we will bring you the brightness and color of the season, a reminder of how the natural world brings us joy. For more information visit nybg.org.
Bruce Museum Goes Digital
Bruce Museum Goes Digital – While Bruce Museum’s physical doors are closed, stay connected and engaged with Bruce Museum at Home. All three exhibitions now offer Virtual Tours – On the Edge of the World: Masterworks by Laurits Andersen Ring from SMK—the National Gallery of Denmark, Under the Skin, and House on the Hill: The Changing Face of the Bruce Museum. These new online programs will offer the same commitment to promoting the understanding and appreciation of Art and Science as all of the Museum’s regular programs and events. Some of the features now available online include – Bruce at Home Family Activities, Collection Favorites and Exhibition Favorites. There are links to access highlights of the Bruce Museum permanent collection, blogs from their Science Department connecting their exhibitions to recent discoveries and insights from the field in Storage Room No. 2. Also, Audio Tours: plenty of art and science exhibitions from the Bruce Museum at your fingertips. First, re-visit a past popular exhibition, Madagascar: Ghosts of the Past, and you can also visit the public sculptures and nature surrounding Bruce Park through this NEW mobile website. Along with all this, pre-recorded lectures are available on YouTube and Vimeo. For more, visit brucemuseum.org.
Jacob Burns Film Center: JBFC at Home
JBFC AT HOME – Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, New York has moved swiftly to find alternative ways to engage with the community and share the cinematic stories we all hold so dear. Thanks to the hard work and collaboration of the JBFC staff—all working remotely to observe social distancing guidelines—they are proud to present a plethora of content for their patrons, including new releases and curated film lists that can be streamed from home, hands-on activities perfect for families and kids of all ages, and resources to make working and watching from home more enjoyable. Now available: The JBFC’s Virtual Screening Room, Curated Streaming Suggestions, JBFC Education Activities & Resources, Jacob Burns FilmCast, The JBFC on YouTube, JBFC Mixtapes, Creative Culture and Vimeo Recommend. For more, visit burnsfilmcenter.org.
Katonah Museum of Art: Virtual Offerings
Katonah Museum of Art Virtual Offerings – Following the suspension of all activities, the staff at Katonah Museum of Art in Katonah, New York have been working hard on designing alternative means of delivering events and programs to the community in order to maintain some continuity for the children, adults and families they serve. They have adapted several services to a virtual format, here are some of their new offerings: For Bisa Butler: Portraits, there is a Slideshow and Virtual Tour available from their website. The slideshow includes an overview of the works in artist Bisa Butler’s first solo museum exhibition, as well as the inspiration behind each one. The Virtual Tour is a great way to get a sense of the scale and intricacy of Butler’s monumental yet intimate quilted portraits, and offers a look at the work of David Schwittek in the Spot Gallery and Tijay Mohammed in the Learning Center. Kids Activities: Download projects inspired by the Bisa Butler: Portraits exhibition. Join their mailing list and follow them on social media to learn more about additional resources. For more, visit katonahmuseum.org.
Pictured: Installation view of “Bisa Butler: Portraits”, photo by Margaret Fox. Image courtesy Katonah Museum of Art
Avon Theatre Online
AVON ONLINE – Though nothing can ever replace the joy and inspiration that comes from experiencing the best of independent cinema in the beautiful and historic Avon Theatre in Stamford, Connecticut – today’s challenges can’t keep them from sharing wonderful films. With that goal in mind, they are proud and excited to offer AVON ONLINE – their new virtual cinema. Enjoy their first run independent films, provided through the generous partnership with their friends at Magnolia Pictures. Details on their film offerings are on their website, as are the instructions for accessing these films on computers/tablets, etc. Please enjoy, sign up on their mailing list to stay tuned for additional offerings, and follow The Avon on social media: Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. For more, visit avontheatre.org.
Hudson Valley MOCA .EDU Exhibition Images Online
Exhibition Images Online – This exhibition at Hudson Valley MOCA in Peekskill, New York showcases work by 14 art faculty from eight higher education institutions throughout the Hudson Valley, whose practices offer a critical perspective on the current state of affairs in contemporary art and an indication of what is yet to come. On view is an eclectic mix of two- and three-dimensional pieces, including video and installation, abstraction and representation, ranging in scale from intimate to monumental. For more, visit hudsonvalleymoca.org.
Installation view of “.edu: Art Faculty of the Hudson Valley” by Adam Chau, Museum Manager, courtesy Hudson Valley MOCA
Jazz Forum @ Home
Weekly posted performances – The Jazz Forum Club is excited to launch Jazz Forum @ Home, a virtual Jazz Forum experience. Every Thursday while they are closed, they will share Jazz and Brazilian videos, archival photos, interviews and more on their YouTube channel. They also post live-streaming performances on their Facebook page. For more: YouTube.com and Facebook Live page.
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art – Savor: A Revolution in Food Culture
Mobile Tour – Savor: A Revolution in Food Culture – Savor explores the details and events behind this transformation. Rare objects, from early cookbooks and gardening manuals to tureens in the forms of cauliflowers and chickens, reveal fascinating histories and stories about advances in horticulture, surprisingly modern philosophies on healthy eating, and a shift to more informal dining. For more: thewadsworth.org.
Carp Tureen and stand, England, Chelsea, c. 1755. Soft-paste porcelain, enamels. Gardiner Museum, Toronto, Canada. Courtesy of Michele Beiny. Photo by Michele Beiny/Richard Goodbody
Yale University Art Gallery – James Prosek: Art, Artifact Artifice
James Prosek: Art, Artifact and Artifice – This talk about this exhibition, recorded on February 27, 2020, is titled “Human and Animal Art Worlds.” It includes Richard O. Prum, William Robertson Coe Professor of Ornithology at Yale University and the artist, James Prosek. The program was in conjunction with the exhibition James Prosek: Art, Artifact, Artifice, which brings together objects from the collections of the Gallery, the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, and the Yale Center for British Art. It places Prosek’s work in dialogue with a wide range of both man-made objects and those produced by billions of years of evolution, or what naturalist Charles Darwin described as “endless forms most beautiful.” For more recorded lectures and programs, visit the Yale University Art Gallery’s YouTube channel.
Pictured: James Prosek, “Bird Spectrum” 2009 from the exhibition “Art, Artifact, Artifice” at Yale University Art Gallery. Photo by Laura Schroeder
Online Articles: Recommended Virtual Tours, Art Podcasts and More
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