Reception: Sunday, October 19, 2014, 2–5pm
The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
258 Main Street
Ridgefield, CT 06854
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday noon–5pm
T +1 203 438 4519
On Sunday, October 19, The Aldrich will continue its year-long 50th anniversary celebration at a free opening reception for seven new exhibitions that highlight not only the Museum’s legacy, but also the relationship between the era in which it was founded and our current cultural, social, and political landscape.
With perspective gained through five decades, this presentation includes three overlapping series of exhibitions that focus on the Museum’s formative years which will remain on view through April 5, 2015.
The first is part two of Standing in the Shadows of Love: The Aldrich Collection 1964–1974—a group exhibition that features iconic, historical works by Richard Artschwager, Eva Hesse, Ellsworth Kelly, Agnes Martin, and Richard Serra that represent the Museum’s early collection acquired by founder Larry Aldrich.
The second is new projects by contemporary artists whose work reflects the continuing influence of both art and culture from the 1960s and 1970s, presented in conversation with the historical pieces: Kate Gilmore: A Roll in the Way; Ernesto Neto: The Body That Gravitates on Me; David Scanavino: Imperial Texture; and Cary Smith: Your Eyes They Turn Me.
The third is two solo exhibitions featuring recent work by artists who showed at The Aldrich during the Museum’s first decade: Mary Beth Edelson: Six Story Gathering Boxes (1972–2014) and Jackie Winsor: With and Within.
Exhibitions
Standing in the Shadows of Love: The Aldrich Collection 1964–1974, Part 2
Richard Artschwager, Eva Hesse, Ellsworth Kelly, Agnes Martin, and Richard Serra
Larry Aldrich’s legacy is examined through the work of artists he championed early in their careers, a practice still honored in the mission of the Museum. Five seminal pieces will be presented in conversation with work by today’s artists.
Mary Beth Edelson
Six Story Gathering Boxes (1972–2014)
Six of Edelson’s groundbreaking story gathering boxes—an ongoing participatory project initiated in 1972 that demonstrated early vestiges of “social practice”—including a new box specially commissioned by The Aldrich.
Kate Gilmore
A Roll in the Way
A new video and site-specific sculpture that records a private performance produced at The Aldrich, documenting Gilmore’s systematic actions as she lifts heavy logs, dips them in paint, and rolls them onto a large white base.
Ernesto Neto
The Body That Gravitates on Me
A translucent organic sculpture, dangling in the Museum’s 25-foot atrium, blurs the boundaries between inside and outside, weightlessness and gravitational pull, relaxation and tension, and playfulness and formal rigor.
David Scanavino
Imperial Texture
An immersive and colorful site-specific floor sculpture and large-scale wall relief created for The Aldrich that transforms the gallery space into both an experiential installation and an engaging platform for interactivity.
Cary Smith
Your Eyes They Turn Me
A selection of paintings that vacillate between geometric and biomorphic abstraction, including Smith’s Splats, radiating works that utilize a splash-like motif, and Wonder Wheels, optically active grids that exhibit a music-like tonality.
Jackie Winsor
With and Within
The artist’s first solo museum exhibition since 1997, uniting ten works from the “Inset Wall” series; Painted Piece, an influential performative sculpture with photographs recording its creation; and videos and photos documenting the making of Fifty-Fifty and Burnt Piece.
Reception and transportation
The free opening, on Sunday, October 19, from 2 to 5pm, continues The Aldrich’s 50th Anniversary celebration. Visitors will have the chance to meet exhibiting artists, enjoy gallery tours, participate in family activities, and take in New England’s peak foliage season. Gourmet picnic fare will be available for purchase. Reservations for the Museum’s direct round trip shuttle from MoMA PS1 to the opening are available for 20 USD. Information: T +1 203 438 4519.
Museum
The Aldrich, now in its fiftieth year, is one of the few independent, non-collecting contemporary art museums in the United States, and the only museum in Connecticut devoted to contemporary art. It is one of only twenty museums in Connecticut and only 318 art museums in the country to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Museum, located at 258 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT, is dedicated to fostering innovative artists whose ideas and interpretations of the world around us serve as a platform to encourage creative thinking. All exhibitions and programs are handicapped accessible. Free on-site parking. For more information, call T +1 203 438 4519 or visit aldrichart.org.
Sponsors
The Aldrich is supported, in part, by the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts, which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Major support for Museum operations has been provided by members of The Aldrich Board of Trustees, and the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation. Cary Smith: Your Eyes They Turn Me is supported, in part, by Cynthia and Stuart Smith. Kate Gilmore: A Roll in the Way is supported, in part, by the Stanley Family Fund. The official media sponsors of exhibition openings are Ridgefield Magazine and WSHU Public Radio.
Contact
Pamela Ruggio, Communications Director: T + 1 203 438 4519 / pruggio [at] aldrichart.org