The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

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

Learn

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; Connecticut Humanities; Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation; The Cowles Charitable Trust; David T. Langrock Foundation; Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts; Fairfield County Bank; Gage Fund; Goldstone Family Foundation; The Leir Foundation; 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.

Pages


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

See all
July 29 at 9:30 am to August 2, 2024 at 4:00 pm | Camp Aldrich

Camp Aldrich: Week 3 (Grades 4 to 6)

Join us at The Aldrich for a full-day, week-long arts experience with Museum Educators and a practicing teaching artist. Campers explore the Museum’s three-acre campus, learn in the galleries, and incorporate the world around them into their art.

August 17, 2024 at 10:30 am | Third Saturdays, Free Admission, Children and Family Programs

Story Time for Kids: Olu and Greta by Diana Ejaita

Bring your budding artists to The Aldrich for Story Time! Together, we will explore the work of artist Layo Bright, who makes sculptures of glass, oftentimes inspired by her family from Nigeria. Then, we will read Olu and Greta, written and illustrated by Diana Ejaita. Finally, we will move to The Studio to create our own paper cutouts inspired by the book’s fabulous illustrations!

August 17, 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!

August 21, 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 25, 2024 at 1:00 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.

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.

December 4, 2024 at 1:00 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.