Contemporary Coalition

Established in 2002, the MATRIX Coalition was a membership group of contemporary art supporters whose annual contributions funded the groundbreaking MATRIX exhibition series. After consideration of the expansive activities of the contemporary art program, which oversees the collections and programs of art dated from 1945 to today, the group was renamed Contemporary Coalition.

The contemporary art department undertakes three MATRIX exhibitions per year, special exhibitions, permanent collection installations, conservation projects, special long-term loans, the annual Emily Hall Tremaine Lecture in Contemporary Art, and much more.

Benefits of Membership

A yearly schedule of educational and social activities developed for Contemporary Coalition members includes:

• Visits to the studios of prominent and emerging artists—past studio visits include Chuck Close, Tony Feher, Rona Pondick, and Erique Martinez Celaya
• Day trips to special contemporary art exhibitions (additional travel-related costs may apply)—past trips include the photography collection of Nancy Grover, the Braman Collection in Miami, and the Mallin Collection in Pound Ridge
• VIP passes and trips to domestic and international art fairs (additional travel-related costs may apply)—recent fairs include Frieze New York, the New York Armory Show, Art Basel Miami Beach, and the Venice Biennale
• Recognition for Contemporary Coalition-funded exhibitions and projects
• VIP invitations to contemporary art exhibition openings, salons, and activities at the Wadsworth Atheneum
• Special receptions and private dinners with MATRIX artists—most recently with Conrad Shawcross, Mierle Laderman-Ukeles, Sam Messer, and Mika Tajima