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The Wadsworth Atheneum’s history of presenting outdoor sculpture on its Hartford grounds dates back nearly 100 years.
Join us as we celebrate a storied past and an exciting present, with the installation of the immense Monolith (Optic) by Conrad Shawcross—as part of his MATRIX 179 project—on the museum’s Main Street lawn. Another public sculpture, the towering 30 (2018) by Sean Scully created in anticipation of his forthcoming Landline exhibition, will follow soon.
These new additions will be situated among other notable sculptural features in Hartford’s downtown, including Tony Smith’s Amaryllis (1965), Alexander Calder’s Stegosaurus (1973) on the Alfred E. Burr Memorial, and Carl Andre’s Stone Field Sculpture (1977) along the north edge of the Center Church’s Ancient Burial Ground. An installation celebrating the enduring legacy of outdoor sculpture in Hartford will be on view adjacent to MATRIX 179.
Schedule of Events
1:30-6pm | Make Music Hartford Day
Hartford-based musicians kinds play on the front lawn as part of the global Make Music Day event, presented in Hartford by the Greater Hartford Arts Council.
3-5pm | Outdoor Art Activity
Help build a communal sculpture with Build-It Disks.
4-5pm | Ask About Art: Sculpture
Talk with docents at sculptures inside and outside of the museum.
5-6pm | MATRIX 179 Opening Reception
Be the first to experience Conrad Shawcross’s MATRIX 179 exhibition.
6pm | MATRIX Gallery Talk
Artist Conrad Shawcross discusses MATRIX 179, his first museum exhibition in the Americas.
All outdoor programs plus the MATRIX 179 Opening Reception and Gallery Talk are free and open to the public. Guests heading inside to visit the galleries prior to 4pm will be charged regular museum admission.
IMAGE: Conrad Shawcross, Monolith (Optic), 2016, Stainless and galvanized steel.