The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

Located in the heart of Ridgefield is a valuable institution for both contemporary art and public space. Not simply a sculpture garden, and not just a series of galleries, The Aldrich provides artists with the unique opportunity to present their work indoors and out. Recent exhibitions, including Frank Stella’s Stars, A Survey and 52 Artists: A Feminist Milestone, have spanned the galleries and the grounds, connecting artists work through the Museum’s galleries and into the public realm.

The Museum’s campus, which extends from Main Street to behind the 2004 building, is a unique space to experience works of contemporary art outdoors. In addition, the Museum provides a significant open space to the community of Ridgefield, bookending the town’s central corridor with Ballard Park. During the pandemic, The Aldrich saw the use of its outdoor space increase dramatically, as visitors from around the community and around the country explored works of art on view outdoors. The Museum embarked on this new Master Plan to meet the expanding needs of our audience.

While the Museum’s campus is well-utilized, The Aldrich understands the significant limitations of the site, including lack of accessible walkways, significant grade changes, and limited sightlines. The Cambridge, MA-based landscape architecture firm STIMSON was engaged and tasked with the goal of identifying the character of the site and its resources and developing a plan for its improvement. With this new plan, The Aldrich can focus its resources on creating a beautiful, universally accessible, native landscape designed for community engagement with works of art in the heart of historic Ridgefield.

STIMSON conducted workshops with Museum stakeholders to solicit guidance and input on the site design. The design team and the Board’s Sculpture Garden Committee developed a list of clear goals for the garden design:

• Accessibility and inclusion for all
• Expand the platform for artists with flexibility for exhibitions, events, programming, and community use
• Environmental stewardship

Building STIMSON’s plan for The Aldrich would be transformative for the Museum, linking the inside of the Museum with the campus and dramatically expanding the Museum’s ability to use the three-acre site.

• The Master Plan will make approximately 50% more space available to artists and the community. The Aldrich is currently limited when installing work outdoors, as sculptures need to be able to be experienced from a distance or accessible via a short walk on grass from the building. New spaces in the Garden, linked by accessible pathways, including the Secret Garden, Pollinator Pathway, and Boardwalk, significantly expand the number of sites where works of art can be installed and enjoyed, expanding what artists are able to realize at The Aldrich.
• The Amphitheater adds an entirely new programmatic space to the Museum, providing a natural venue for The Aldrich’s presentation of dance, music, and community programs. The Amphitheater also provides a natural gathering place for visitors and adds seating to the Garden, something that is currently lacking.
• Because of significant grade changes, a large portion of the campus is currently entirely inaccessible and thus is completely unused by the Museum. The Master Plan’s circular pathway will allow visitors to walk or utilize a wheelchair from Main Street around the entirety of the campus, giving visitors a significantly expanded opportunity to explore the site.
• Environmental stewardship is a priority for the Museum and the Master Plan, and remediation of invasive species, storm water management, and planting native species, are key features of the project, which will improve biodiversity and the site’s overall health.

Most importantly, the Master Plan makes the Museum’s entire campus—and all the works of art and programs we present—accessible to the broadest audience. This dramatic change is in service of the artists whose work we support and is in the spirit of connecting their work with our community.

Based in Cambridge and Princeton, MA, STIMSON’s work is shaped by local culture, context, and ecology. Recent projects include the Hackley School, the Florence Griswold Museum, and Harvard University. They were the 2021 American Association of Landscape Architects Firm of the Year.

The Aldrich has established a $3.25 million budget to make the Master Plan a reality. This expense includes:

• Extensive demolition and construction
• Removal of invasive species
• Planting of trees, bushes, and perennials throughout
• Furniture
• Wayfinding signage
• Legal and town permit fees

Generous support from the Museum’s community is necessary to bring this ambitious project—which will dramatically transform The Aldrich—to life. Should you be interested in learning more about naming opportunities or how to get involved, please contact:

Cybele Maylone
Executive Director
cmaylone@thealdrich.org
203-438-4519 x 116

The Master Plan was supported by generous grants from the Anne S. Richardson Fund and the Leir Foundation.