Calendar of Events

In the early sixteenth century, artists in the Low Countries carved intricate miniatures from boxwood as symbols of religious devotion for their wealthy Christian patrons. Today, these carvings produce an uncanny effect on museum visitors—they stop people in their tracks and demand to be remembered.
Why do these tiny treasures from half a millennium ago have such an outsized impact today? Barbara Drake Boehm, The Paul and Jill Ruddock Senior Curator of the Met Cloisters, Emerita, explores the world of these small wonders and ponders their mesmerizing effect. Free with required reservation.
Presented in partnership with the Design and Decorative Arts Council with additional support provided by the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation Fund at the Wadsworth Atheneum.
Image: Attributed to Adam Dircksz and workshop, Miniature coffin, c. 1500–1530. Boxwood, metal (possibly silver), ink or paint. Gift of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and The Evelyn Bonar Storrs Trust Fund

In 1965, choreographer and filmmaker Yvonne Rainer premiered Parts of Some Sextets at the Wadsworth Atheneum with a cast of ten performers and twelve mattresses. The work marked a pivotal aesthetic shift in the artist’s approach to movement and helped usher in a radical shift in contemporary dance. Nearly six decades after its presentation here and a subsequent presentation at Judson Dance Theater, the work’s impact continues to be felt through a recent revival and continued scholarship. To celebrate the publication of Remembering a Dance: Parts of Some Sextets, 1965/2019 (Performa / Lenz Press / Wadsworth Atheneum, 2023), Rainer returns to the Wadsworth in conversation with dancer, choreographer, and longtime collaborator Emily Coates. The artists reflect on Rainer’s pioneering career, discuss the process of reconstructing Parts of Some Sextets for the Performa 19 Biennial in New York, and consider the landscape of contemporary dance.
Free with required reservation. A book signing follows the conversation.
Presented in partnership with Performa and sponsored by the Auerbach Library Associates at the Wadsworth Atheneum. Additional support is provided by the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation Fund at the Wadsworth Atheneum.
Image: Yvonne Rainer, Parts of Some Sextets, 1965/2019. Performa 19 Biennial. Photo by Paula Court, 2019. Courtesy Performa

Celebrate spring at the Wadsworth during our 40th Annual Fine Art & Flowers. Stunning floral arrangements by florists, garden clubs, and interior designers are shown alongside the works of art that inspired them. A $5 surcharge is added to all admissions during this springtime fundraiser presented by the Friends of the Wadsworth Atheneum.

Celebrate spring at the Wadsworth during our 40th Annual Fine Art & Flowers. Stunning floral arrangements by florists, garden clubs, and interior designers are shown alongside the works of art that inspired them. A $5 surcharge is added to all admissions during this springtime fundraiser presented by the Friends of the Wadsworth Atheneum.

Celebrate spring at the Wadsworth during our 40th Annual Fine Art & Flowers. Stunning floral arrangements by florists, garden clubs, and interior designers are shown alongside the works of art that inspired them. A $5 surcharge is added to all admissions during this springtime fundraiser presented by the Friends of the Wadsworth Atheneum.