The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

If art is your passion and you’d like to share it with your family, then consider the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Conn.

Years ago, as an art student, I used to frequent the Aldrich for study and relaxation. The museum had a permanent collection of contemporary art, which had been amassed by its founder Larry Aldrich. I remember especially loving the pieces displayed in the outdoor sculpture garden.

Recently my wife and I decided to revisit the Aldrich with our two children.

After a short but pleasant drive through picturesque Ridgefield, we arrived at the museum. For an instant, I was slightly dumbfounded; the quite small museum of my youth was gone. In its place was an exquisite modern structure. Soon it was apparent that the changes at the Aldrich involved more than the building’s façade.

More Than Skin Deep

The interior entrance space was huge and contained several engaging exhibits. My first impression was that unlike my visits of long ago, today, the museum was bustling. Several families were already milling about and somewhere in the recesses of the museum I could hear a workshop in session.

“Kids,” I said, “This is not your father’s Aldrich Museum.” They responded with their usual nonplused expressions and then took off to explore.

Their first stop was the whimsical “One Piece at a Time” by Canadian artist Jonathan Brand. The exhibit features a partially reconstructed Ford Mustang and its engine block made of carefully folded and glued paper. This piece pays homage to a Johnny Cash song about an auto factory worker who removes parts of a Cadillac “one piece at a time” and reassembles them as a fully functioning car in his garage. “One Piece at a Time” is a fun and colorful piece that invites speculation on our industrial culture and how it influences our folklore.

Brand’s work is one of many pieces that comprise the “united states” exhibit, a collection of interconnecting exhibits about the disparities and similarities embodied in our country. The pieces in this exhibit are too numerous and varied in execution to describe here, but all are engaging, thought provoking and in many cases contain a certain “tongue in cheek” attitude and much insight. This is also a very appropriate way to describe the museum’s new direction for the 21st century. The Aldrich engages a wide variety of visitors by offering an eclectic mix of art from standing exhibits to performance art and videos.

A True Community Museum

While we didn’t plan ahead carefully enough to take advantage of the workshop being held during our visit, we did manage a peek and saw that the studio was packed with parents and kids happily working under the direction of an artist. The Aldrich has a very proactive program of community outreach and art education through workshops, seminars and lectures.

Programs such as Makers Night, incorporates hands-on sessions where visitors can meet with working artists and actually “get their hands dirty” making art with a variety of materials and techniques.

The teen programs feature a number of opportunities for teens interested in art. The Varsity Docent Program offers teens intern level training within the museum. There are also portfolio reviews, workshops and critiques for aspiring young artists.

The Great Outdoors

No visit to the Aldrich is complete without a stroll through the sculpture gardens. During our visit the “FOUND outside” exhibit was on display. We especially enjoyed Jason Clay Lewis’ “Black Tide Tower,” a dark and imposing sculpture combining modern industrial oil drums emblazoned with a frieze of silhouettes of exposed rusted metal, depicting scenes of medieval warfare. The kids also enjoyed the spatial relationships established by Saul Melman’s “Best of All Possible Worlds.”

Bob Berry is a freelancer writer and illustrator.

www.bobberryillustration.com.