The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

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A group of students in the Museum's Sculpture Garden by a green lawn chair.

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As an artist-centered institution, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is guided by the belief that artists are innovative thinkers, who offer unique perspectives on our world. Learning at The Aldrich engages visitors of all ages with artworks and ideas from these artists, fostering a public space for critical discourse.

Funders

Generous support for Education and Public Programs is provided by Bank of America; Cohen and Wolf; Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts; Connecticut Humanities; Fairfield County Bank; Gage Fund; Gary and Susie Singer Arts & Culture Foundation; Goldstone Family Foundation; Robert M. Lofberg and Nicole J. Nigh; Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation; Pamela F. and Robert J. Morganti Charitable Foundation; Ridgefield Rotary Club; Ridgefield Thrift Shop; The Ruth Krauss Foundation; and Wadsworth Russell Lewis Trust Fund.

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Public Programs

Participate in a broad range of programs designed to deepen understanding and engagement with the works of art on view, focused on interactive experiences around contemporary culture.

The Studio

The Studio is a dedicated space for learning and making for visitors of all ages to explore ideas, questions, and materials that relate to our current exhibitions.

Children and Family Programs

The Aldrich offers a variety of engagement opportunities for families, inviting peer-to-peer learning and intergenerational exchange.

Teen Programs

We are invested in the artists, leaders, and thinkers of tomorrow by providing opportunities for teens to engage with contemporary art and museum careers through Aldrich Teen Fellows and Internships.

School Programs

The Aldrich partners with preschools, elementary, middle, and high schools, universities, community groups, and home-schooled individuals to collaborate on guided tours, professional development workshops, and additional programs.

Accessibility Programs

The Aldrich supports access to our exhibitions for individuals with a range of abilities through multiple partnerships with regional organizations, reciprocal Museum memberships, scholarship opportunities, and free admission for SNAP/EBT card holders and veterans.

Group Tours

We offer guided tours of current exhibitions by an Aldrich Educator for groups of five or more.

Camp Aldrich

Camp Aldrich runs each summer for three week-long, full-day sessions led by Museum Educators and practicing artists. Campers explore the Museum’s three-acre campus and incorporate ideas from current exhibitions and relevant themes into their art, culminating in a celebratory exhibition in The Studio at the end of each session.

Selected Upcoming Events

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September 12 at 6:00 pm to September 26, 2024 at 7:15 pm | Public Programs

Meditation Series: An Introduction to Zazen

Join us for evening guided meditations in the galleries of the current exhibition Elizabeth Englander: Eminem Buddhism, Volume 3 led by Kristen Davis, the ino (head of the meditation hall) at Brooklyn Zen Center’s Boundless Mind Temple.

September 18, 2024 at 1:00 pm | Group Tours

Seniors-Only Tour

Join us for this in-person gallery tour of highlighted works from our current exhibitions, guided by Education and Access Specialist Holly Lapine, reserved specifically for senior adults ages 60 and above!

September 18, 2024 at 2:30 pm | Group Tours

Contemporary Connections

Join us and the Alzheimer’s Association, Connecticut Chapter at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum as we explore our featured contemporary artists while offering the opportunity to connect with others who are also living in the beginning stage of dementia and their care partners.

September 21, 2024 at 10:30 am | Children and Family Programs

Story Time for Kids: Have You Ever Seen a Flower? Written and illustrated by Shawn Harris

Bring your budding artists to The Aldrich for Story Time, in collaboration with the Ridgefield Library! Together, we will explore the work of artist Winnie Truong who explores themes like botany, science fiction, feminism, and our ecology. Perfect for families with children ages 6 and under.

September 21, 2024 at 1:00 pm | Third Saturdays, Free Admission, Group Tours

All Ages Discovery Tour

Have you ever looked at contemporary art and wished you knew what it meant? Have you ever entered a museum not knowing where to start? If you answered yes, this free, interactive, and judgment-free tour of our current exhibitions guided by a Museum Educator is perfect for you!

September 29, 2024 at 2:00 pm | Group Tours

All Ages Discovery Tour

Have you ever looked at contemporary art and wished you knew what it meant? Have you ever entered a museum not knowing where to start? If you answered yes, join Education Assistant Antonio Paone for a free tour of the exhibitions designed to activate your curiosity and engage your attention.

October 16, 2024 at 1:00 pm | Group Tours

Seniors-Only Tour

Join us for this in-person gallery tour of highlighted works from our current exhibitions, guided by Education and Access Specialist Holly Lapine, reserved specifically for senior adults ages 60 and above!

October 18, 2024 at 7:00 pm | Public Programs

RSO Quartet in Concert Inspired by Layo Bright: Dawn and Dusk

We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra to present the RSO Quartet for a performance inspired by current exhibition, Layo Bright: Dawn and Dusk. The quartet features the four principal string players of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, violinists Jorge Avilia and Mialtin Zhezha, violist Suzanne Corey-Sahlin, and cellist Nick Hardie.

October 19, 2024 at 10:30 am | Third Saturdays, Free Admission, Children and Family Programs

Story Time for Kids: Maybe You Might by Imogen Foxel and illustrated by Ann Cunha

Bring your budding artists to The Aldrich for Story Time, in collaboration with the Ridgefield Library! Together, we will explore the work of Layo Bright, who uses glass to create dynamic flowers, often inspired by important women in her life. Then we will read Maybe You Might written by Imogen Foxel, illustrated by Ann Cunha.

October 19, 2024 at 1:00 pm | Third Saturdays, Free Admission, Group Tours

All Ages Discovery Tour

Have you ever looked at contemporary art and wished you knew what it meant? Have you ever entered a museum not knowing where to start? If you answered yes, this free, interactive, and judgment-free tour of our current exhibitions guided by a Museum Educator is perfect for you!

October 20, 2024 at 1:00 pm | Public Programs

Glass Mosaic Workshop: Inspired by Layo Bright

Join us for an exciting one-day introduction to glass mosaics inspired by the current exhibition Layo Bright: Dawn and Dusk! Participants will learn basic techniques such as cutting glass and adhering and creating shapes to compose unique designs.

November 12, 2024 at 6:00 pm | Public Programs

Talk: The Art of Memory and How to Preserve Yours

Join us for a special evening featuring a talk led by Kristen Cusato, Director of Communications and Research Champion from the Alzheimer's Association. Kristen will highlight the role that art and music play for those with dementia and their care partners.

November 14, 2024 at 6:00 pm | Public Programs

Workshop: Interacting with Color with Fritz Horstman

Join Albers Foundation Education Director Fritz Horstman for a hands-on workshop exploring some of the topics in his new book Interacting with Color: A Practical Guide to Josef Albers's Color Experiments. Using Color-aid paper, participants will engage with color relativity, the illusion of transparency, and other color phenomena featured in Josef Albers's seminal Interaction of Color, to which Horstman's book is a companion.

November 17, 2024 at 12:00 pm | Free Admission, Public Programs

Community Day in Celebration of the Sculpture Garden

The community is invited to join us for a free afternoon at The Aldrich to celebrate the opening of the newly renovated campus and Sculpture Garden!

November 17, 2024 at 12:30 pm | Free Admission, Children and Family Programs

Community Day Storytime

Bring your budding artists to The Aldrich for Story Time, in collaboration with the Ridgefield Library! Together, we will explore the work of artist Martha Diamond, whose brand-new exhibition at The Aldrich features paintings of buildings. Then, we will read the story Windows by Julia Denos, illustrated by E. B. Goodale. Finally, we will gather in the studio to paint buildings and windows!

November 20, 2024 at 1:00 pm | Group Tours

Seniors-Only Tour

Join us for this in-person gallery tour of highlighted works from our current exhibitions, guided by Education and Access Specialist Holly Lapine, reserved specifically for senior adults ages 60 and above!

November 24, 2024 at 2:00 pm | Group Tours

All Ages Discovery Tour

Have you ever looked at contemporary art and wished you knew what it meant? Have you ever entered a museum not knowing where to start? If you answered yes, join Education Assistant Antonio Paone for a free tour of the exhibitions designed to activate your curiosity and engage your attention.

December 4, 2024 at 11:00 am | Group Tours

Virtual Contemporary Connections

Join us and the Alzheimer’s Association, Connecticut Chapter virtually as we explore our featured contemporary artists while offering the opportunity to connect with others who are also living in the beginning stage of dementia and their care partners.

December 21, 2024 at 10:30 am | Third Saturdays, Free Admission, Children and Family Programs

Story Time for Kids

Bring your budding artists to The Aldrich for Story Time, in collaboration with the Ridgefield Library! Together, we will explore the work of artist Miles Huston. Miles’ artwork on view currently deals with themes of agriculture in America. We will read the story Farmhouse, written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. Then we will head to the studio to create farm-themed puppets!

December 21, 2024 at 1:00 pm | Third Saturdays, Free Admission, Group Tours

All Ages Discovery Tour

Have you ever looked at contemporary art and wished you knew what it meant? Have you ever entered a museum without knowing where to start? If you answered yes, this free, interactive, and judgment-free tour of our current exhibitions guided by a Museum Educator is perfect for you!

December 29, 2024 at 2:00 pm | Group Tours

All Ages Discovery Tour

Have you ever looked at contemporary art and wished you knew what it meant? Have you ever entered a museum not knowing where to start? If you answered yes, join Education Assistant Antonio Paone for a free tour of the exhibitions designed to activate your curiosity and engage your attention.