home of american impressionism

Florence Griswold Museum
Calendar of Events

Join us for our exciting offerings. Reservations required unless otherwise noted. Call (860) 434-5542, ext. 111 or email frontdesk@flogris.org.

Have you been to the Museum recently? Upload photos to Flicker, or comment about the the events and exhibitions on Facebook or the Museum's Blog.

A "*" designates a child-friendly event.

New Creative Workshops

Tuesday, February 9, 11am
Workshop 1: Extravagant Greeting Cards
Tuesday, March 16, 11am
Workshop 2: Accordian Books and More
Tuesday, April 20, 11am
Workshop 3: Trading Card Collages
$20 (members $18); series $55 (members $48)

Come experience the thrill of creating something personal and beautiful with your own two hands at these fun and creative sessions. Geared for adults,the workshops include the materials and instruction needed to create a series of hand-crafted products.

*TEDDY BEAR TEAS

Thursday, February 11, 11am and 2pm
Lovey-Dovey, Honey-Bunny Teddy Bear Tea Party
Fee: $14 per pair (child and adult)/(members $12);
additional guests $7/(members $6)

Share the excitement of Valentine’s Day with your little ones at this fun teddy bear tea party. Enjoy stories and crafts, yummy FUNwiches and treats. Children can bring their favorite stuffed animal.

EXHIBITION LECTURE

Saturday, February 13, 11am
Footprints in the Snow: Sewell Sillman at Black Mountain College
Mary Emma Harris, Director of the Black Mountain College Project

$7 (members $5) *
*does not include Museum admission

Join Mary Emma Harris, author of The Arts at Black Mountain College and co-author of the Museum’s catalogue Pushing Limits, as she recreates Sewell Sillman’s Black Mountain experience with Josef Albers, Buckminster Fuller, and an avant-garde community of kindred spirits.

Tell + Show Gallery Discussions

Amanda C. Burdan, George B. Tatum Curatorial Fellow
Included with Museum Admission

Transforming the galleries into learning laboratories, Amanda C. Burdan will both TELL about Sillman’s distinct approach to color, line, and time with the work on exhibit as well as SHOW using hands-on examples of Sillman’s creative lessons and artistic practices.

Sunday, February 14, 2pm
“Red on Edge”: Color Theory in Practice

Sunday, March 7, 2pm
“Reflecting on a Line”: Sillman’s Surfaces

Sunday, March 28, 2pm
“Treading a Measure”: The Time Element in Sillman’s Work

*WINTER WONDERMENT

A Three-Day School Vacation Event for Families
Wednesday, February 17 - Friday, February 19, 10am-5pm

Bring your family to the Museum during school vacation week for some minds-on, hands-on creative wintertime fun.

GUIDED TOURS FOR FAMILIES

10:30am, 11:30am, 2:30pm, and 3:30pm
Tours start in Education Center

WINTER CRAFTS IN EDUCATION CENTER

Daily, 10am-5pm
Hands-on creativity inspired by the season

FUN SCAVENGER HUNTS

Daily, 10am-5pm
In the Krieble Gallery & Griswold House

SHADOW PUPPET SHOW

Thursday, February 18, 11am and 2pm
Tickets: $5 each. Advance tickets required

Shadows Around the World
Nappy’s Puppets

Join master shadow puppeteer Jim “Nappy” Napolitano for a fun and informative trip around the world as he shares the history of shadow puppets through performance, shadows, and song.

ART+DESIGN LABS FOR ADULTS

Education Staff and Interns
Included with Museum Admission

Experience the art lessons “problems” that Sewell Sillman practiced under esteemed teachers such as Josef Albers and later taught at Yale, the University of Pennsylvania, Black Mountain College, and the Rhode Island School of Design. Facilitated by interns from Connecticut College, come try your hand at color optics, intriguing drawing exercises, and time-based creative activities.

Sunday, February 21, 2-4pm
The Problem of Color

Sunday, March 14, 2-4pm
The Problem of Line

Sunday, April 11, 2-4pm
The Problem of Time

*NEW READING PROGRAM

Mondays, February 22, March 22, and April 19, 9:30am
Reading with Miss Julie: Stories & Art Hour

Julie Riggs, Museum Educator
Fee per adult/child couple: $7 (members $5)

Bring your preschooler to the Museum for a reading of a specially selected children’s book read in the Museum galleries before heading over to the Hartman Education Center to make a related hands-on craft.

*ART+DESIGN LABS FOR KIDS

Education Staff and Interns
Included with Museum Admission

Drop into the Hartman Education Center on the following Sundays to enjoy a variety of artistic experiences derived from art school lessons and skill-building exercises. Each lab dedicated to one aspect of Sewell Sillman’s work: color, line, and time. Program included with Museum Admission.

Sunday, February 28, 1-5pm
Hue Knew! Color Theory for Kids

Sunday, March 21, 1-5pm
Swirly, Whirly, Wavy: Experiments with Line

Sunday, April 18, 1-5pm
Tickity-Tockity: Marking Time with Creativity

“Fully Awake” Hot Air Club Event

An Evening Inspired by the American Avant-Garde

Friday, March 5, 6:30pm
Fee: $35 (members $25)

In celebration of the new exhibition, Sewell Sillman: Pushing Limits, join us for an artful evening inspired by the avant-garde artists and writers of Black Mountain College who transformed American culture during the 1940s and 50s. Dress like an artist, try your hand at art and design exercises in the exhibition, and taste edibles and drinkables before screening the documentary about the impact that Josef Albers, Buckminster Fuller, Robert Rauschenburg, and others had on revolutionizing art in America. View Trailer

The Hot Air Club is generously sponsored by All-Pro Automotive, the Graybill Family; and Centerbrook Architects and Planners.

FILM SCREENING

Wednesday, March 10, 7pm
Off-Site Screening at Connecticut College
(free to Connecticut College Staff and Students with ID)
Register Online

Thursday, March 11, 11am
On-Site Screening at Florence Griswold Museum
Register Online

Fully Awake: Black Mountain College
Cathryn Zommer, Filmmaker

$7 (members $5) *
*does not include Museum admission

Join documentary filmmaker, Cathryn Zommer for an introduction and screening of her film Fully Awake: Black Mountain College (2008), a new documentary film about the experimental college based in North Carolina from 1933 to 1957. Artists such as Sewell Sillman, Josef Albers, Buckminster Fuller, Robert Rauschenburg, and others, were impacted by the experimental and creative nature of the school. During its short existence the school significantly affected the American art scene, creating revolutionary new modes of music, literature, theater, and the visual arts. View Trailer

LANDSCAPE LECTURE SERIES

Thursday, March 18
2pm
Nocturnal Landscape: Art Inspired by the Nighttime Sky
David Madasci, Artist and Professor of Physics Emeritus, University of Connecticut, Avery Point
$7 (members $5) *
*does not include Museum admission

Join artist and former professor of physics David Madasci for an illustrated lecture about art inspired by the nighttime sky. To honor the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s use of the telescope (2009), Madasci’s presentation features stunning artwork from the 17th century to the present that shows man’s creative musings about the mysterious and majestic heavens above.

TRAVEL OPPORTUNITY

Tuesday, March 23
8:30am
Women & Art: A Study Day at the Metropolitan Museum
$85 (members $75)

Join Museum members and friends for a day in New York at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The day will include a guided tour of the permanent collection on the theme of Women & Art. The remainder of the visit will be a self-guided exploration of the museum including their new exhibition of art by aristocratic Victorian women in Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage. Read More

Landscape Lecture Series

Thursday, March 25
2pm
Stories in Stone:
How Geology Influenced Connecticut History and Culture
Jelle Zeilinga de Boer, Harold T. Stearns Professor of Earth Science Emeritus, Wesleyan University
$7 (members $5)

Connecticut's geologic diversity has played an important role in our state's history. Based on his new book, de Boer will share his research in an illustrated lecture to reveal the physical landscape of Connecticut and its impact on the cultural and economic history of the region. A book signing will follow the event.

*SPECIAL DRAWING EVENT

March 27 through April 3
Included with Museum admission

The Hartman Education Center is the creative headquarters for Draw On! @ the FGM, a week-long celebration of drawing. Museum visitors and community members alike are invited to participate in a variety of fun and informative drawing activities. This drawing-based event is perfectly timed to coincide with two exhibitions at the Museum that feature drawings, Sewell Sillman: Pushing Limits and Drawing Practices.

SHOP EVENT

Saturday, April 24, 11am-3pm
Handmade in Connecticut: Springtime Artisan Event

The Museum’s shop will expand into Marshfield House for this one-day event that will feature handmade art and crafts from some of Connecticut’s finest artisans. Ceramics, jewelry, and small works of art will be for sale, perfectly timed for Mother’s Day.

Florence Griswold Museum Calendar of Events