The Museum’s newly renovated 3-acre campus Sculpture Garden, which has been a venue for public sculpture for sixty years, will reopen to the public this November with an accompanying exhibition that spans the Sculpture Garden and Museum galleries.
The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is pleased to announce the reopening of their newly re-envisioned campus and Sculpture Garden on Sunday, November 17, 2024.
The presentation of public art has been an integral part of the Museum’s mission since its founding in 1964, with works by artists such as Anthony Caro, Alexander Liberman, Tony Smith, and Robert Grosvenor displayed year-round free of charge. This renovation is an extension of that legacy, prioritizing accessibility and inclusion for all, environmental stewardship, and providing artists with even greater capacity to present work at varying scales. This renovation project, led by Cambridge, MA-based landscape architecture firm STIMSON, includes a fully ADA accessible route from Main Street through the Sculpture Garden, a new amphitheater, remediating invasive species and planting native species, and implementing stormwater management. The new design will make approximately 50 percent more space available to artists, and more space for visitors to sit and enjoy the Sculpture Garden.
“Our Sculpture Garden has always been central to the Museum’s mission, but was previously unable to meet the needs of our expanding audiences…” said The Aldrich’s Executive Director, Cybele Maylone. “With this renovation, we're thrilled to showcase far more outdoor artworks in addition to new programming and activations.”
The Sculpture Garden and ground reopening will be celebrated at a Community Day on Sunday, November 17, from 12 noon to 5 pm. Admission to the Museum will be free.
This project was funded in part through the State of Connecticut Good To Great and Urban Act grants. The Master Plan was supported by generous grants from the Anne S. Richardson Fund and the Leir Foundation. Major support for A Garden of Promise and Dissent is provided by The Aldrich Council. Generous support is provided by the Further Forward Foundation. Significant support is provided by Kristina and Philip Larson and The Cowles Charitable Trust. The catalogue is supported by the Eric Diefenbach and James-Keith Brown Publications Fund. Preferred Art Logistics Provider: Crozier Fine Arts. A Garden of Promise and Dissent is curated by Amy Smith-Stewart, Chief Curator.