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Leonardo Drew
TWO PROJECTS
Front lawn: June 4 – November 14, 2021
Main Street lobby: June 18, 2021 – January 2, 2022
Raised in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and now residing in Brooklyn, New York, artist Leonardo Drew responds to a longstanding fascination with the life cycle of material decomposition and transformation in his work. Drew’s two-part project includes Number 82S (2021)—an expansive sculptural work the artist refers to as an “explosion” for the museum’s Main Street lobby, and Number 81S (2021)—an outdoor, interactive sculptural landscape spanning the museum’s front lawn. Originally realized in 2019 as a commission for Madison Square Park in New York, City in the Grass has been modified for the Wadsworth’s expanse on Main Street. Drew’s participatory art sculpture is created for public interaction, a place for rest and reflection as much as performance and play. Drew invites and encourages visitors to engage with it directly in order to fulfill its purpose. Join us for programs that creatively and physically activate the sculpture throughout the summer and fall.
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
July 2 | Summer Lawn Party: Battle of the DJs
July 10 | Second Saturdays for Families: Weathered Materials
July 30 | Live Music & Summer Film Series: King Kong
August 6 | Summer Lawn Party: Jam Out
August 6 | Live Music & Summer Film Series: A Raisin in the Sun
August 13 | Live Music & Summer Film Series: Gloria
August 20 | Live Music & Summer Film Series: Beasts of the Southern Wild
September 17 | Summer Lawn Party: Featuring Cafeteria Radio DJs
October 14 | The Emily Hall Tremaine Lecture in Contemporary Art with Leonardo Drew
MULTIMEDIA EXTRAS
Two-Projects Time-lapse
Time-lapse photography captures the installation process of these two major works by Leonardo Drew. Running time: 16 minutes: 59 seconds. Put together by animating over 30,000 still images.
An Interview with Leonardo Drew
In this short interview with the artist, Drew discusses his inspiration, process, and two-part project at the Wadsworth.
Featured image: Installation view of Leonardo Drew’s Main Street lobby sculpture; Above: Children engaging with Leonardo Drew’s Number 81S; Headshot: Image by Randy Dodson. Courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
This exhibition was made possible through major support provided by the estate of James B. Lyon and generous support from Agnes and Billy Peelle.
Sustaining support for the Wadsworth Atheneum provided by the Greater Hartford Arts Council’s United Arts Campaign with support from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts.