Calendar of Events

Artist Stephanie Syjuco uses photography as a means of reframing the museum collection and exploring America’s colonial history in her MATRIX exhibition. Syjuco will discuss her process of working with the museum’s registration, photography, and conservation departments, bringing to light the complexities of collection stewardship and the role art plays in shaping our view of history. Join us in the galleries before the program for a first look at the exhibition. Free with required reservation.

5pm gallery viewing, 6pm artist talk

Join us at the museum to celebrate Latinx heritage and culture with art making, storytelling, and performances. Admission is free noon-2 pm on Second Saturdays. Design a Carnival mask with Multi-Cultural Learning Center Bomba de Aquí. Participate in an interactive dance presentation by Proyecto Cimarron, a Puerto Rican Bomba Performance Group based in New Haven. Watch students from Marinera Dance Academy demonstrate traditional Peruvian dance. Please note: Due to The Hartford Marathon, parking bans and road closures will be in effect throughout the day on Saturday, October 8, 2022. 

Únase a nosotros en el museo para celebrar el patrimonio y la cultura latinx con la creación de arte, la narración de cuentos y las actuaciones. Diseña una máscara de Carnaval con el Centro de Aprendizaje Multicultural Bomba de Aquí. Participe en una presentación de danza interactiva a cargo del Proyecto Cimarrón, un grupo puertorriqueño de interpretación de la bomba con sede en New Haven. Vea a los alumnos de la Academia de Danza Marinera realizar una demostración de danza tradicional peruana. Tenga en cuenta: Debido al Maratón de Hartford, el estacionamiento estará prohibido y las calles estarán cerradas todo el día del sábado 8 de octubre de 2022.

From the dustbin of American design, Amber Cowan creates glass sculptures that tell stories of self-discovery, escapism, and loneliness. Come meet this internationally acclaimed glass artist and see how she uses recycled, upcycled, and second-life American pressed glass to create her diorama-style sculptures through various techniques such as flameworking, hot-sculpting, and glassblowing. Free with required reservation. 

5pm gallery viewing, 6pm artist talk

This program is sponsored by the Trinity College Fine Arts Department (James and Isabelle English Endowment).

Glass artists come together for a rodeo-style Hot Shop glass fest! Take part in an afternoon full of demonstrations by local glassblowers who master nature’s most volatile medium. Bring your crew for artmaking, live music, and a chance to step close to the fire (but not too close!) as we celebrate makers during this free lawn party. 

Program supplies are generously donated by S&S Worldwide. We acknowledge the permission of the Trustees of the Ella Burr McManus Trust for the use of the Alfred E. Burr Memorial.

Presented in partnership with Mobile Glassblowing Studios. 

Artists Stephanie Syjuco (MATRIX 190) and Byron Kim (MATRIX 125) discuss their respective MATRIX exhibitions, their creative practices, and how they approach themes of identity, representation, and history in their work. MATRIX Past and Present is an ongoing series of conversations leading up to the 50th Anniversary of the MATRIX exhibitions program at the Wadsworth in 2025. Virtual program. Free with required registration. 
 

Curator Brandy Culp shows off the glorious new installation of historic silver objects in our brand new Silver Vault. Domestic silver objects from the 19^th and 19^th centuries reveal their secrets! Availability is limited. Email invitations will be sent with registration links.

Tour Fired Up: Glass Today with one of our knowledgeable docents and learn how artists transform humble materials into striking works of art in the exhibition. Explore color & light at our hands-on light tables and then create your own stained glass artwork! Admission is free from noon-2pm on Second Saturdays. Family-friendly tours take place at 12:15 & 1:30pm.

Glass is a medium full of magic and possibility, especially in the hands of artists pushing themselves to innovate with technique, material, and inspiration. See the exhibition with curator Brandy Culp for a closer look at the art form and the stories glass objects can tell. Availability is limited. Email invitations will be sent with registration links.

Ease into the new year with a slow art afternoon. Take a stroll through the museum and practice close looking with your favorite artwork. Learn about Mohegan culture and history through storytelling and tribal artifacts in a presentation by specialists from The Tantaquidgeon Museum. Use a variety of mixed materials to design a happiness scrapbook and document the moments that bring you joy. Admission is free from noon-2pm.

Celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through art making, performances, and tours for all ages. Explore The Amistad Center for Art & Culture’s exhibition Art and Activism at Tougaloo College during its final day in Hartford and learn how art can catalyze social justice. Free admission all day.   

ART MAKING
Work alongside the Public Art for Racial Justice Education team in a portable mural highlighting national leaders of the civil rights movement.
Join muralists from RiseUp for Arts and add your mark to their “Piecing It Back Together” artwork.
Conversation Starters: Demonstrate the power of your voice and create a sign that showcases your unique opinion.
Soar Together: Did you know that the dove symbolizes peace? Use a variety of colors, shapes, and textures to decorate a dove ornament that carries your hopeful vision for the future.

PERFORMANCES
Enjoy a performance by singer Elizabeth Lyra Ross in The Amistad Center for Art & Culture. 1pm
A special recital by Dejavé Dance Company reveals collaborative choreography at work and inspires everyone to move. 2:30pm
Listen to an uplifting presentation by the Voices of Hartford vocal ensemble. 3:15pm

FAMILY TOUR Eyes on Art | 12:15 pm, meet in the Main Street lobby

Presented in partnership with The Amistad Center for Art & Culture. Generously supported by Talcott Resolution.