Charly Palmer, A Man, 2006, acrylic on wood with mixed media. Collection of The Amistad Center for Art & Culture

Art Celebrates Civil Rights Movement  

In January, the United States Postal Service released Charly Palmer’s portrait of New Haven-born civil rights icon Constance Baker Motley as a forever stamp. The portrait of Judge Motley extends Palmer’s celebration of the Modern Civil Rights movement. Palmer’s I Am A Man series responds to imagery created by major photographers of the Movement. Influences include Moneta Sleet Jr., Gordon Parks, Leonard Freed, and Builder Levy’s Union Justice series from the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers strike that was Martin Luther King Jr.’s final action. Palmer enlivens those memories with a gradual infusion of color, texture, and the detail of altered perspectives. Find Palmer’s A Man in The Amistad Center for Art & Culture exhibition FreedomWays: From Jubilee to Juneteenth.

The Amistad Center for Art & Culture at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 600 Main Street, Hartford. AmistadCenter.org; 860-838-4089

Ancient Burying Ground Tours

Join us for guided tours this summer! Learn more about the colonial settlers, see the iconography and artwork, and hear the stories of how people lived and passed away hundreds of years ago, including Native, African, and African-American burials.

The Ancient Burying Ground is a public historic site that is open to the public daily, located at the corners of Main and Gold Streets in downtown Hartford.

The Ancient Burying Ground, P.O. Box 347, Hartford. theancientburyingground.org; 860-337-1640

ASCH Is For You!

Since 1970, the Association for the Study of Connecticut History (ASCH) has been promoting the study of the history of Connecticut via meetings and conferences. Its publication, Connecticut History Review, is the only academic, peer-reviewed journal devoted to the history of Connecticut. ASCH serves academic scholars, museum professionals, history buffs, graduate students, and educators.

Visit ASCH-CTHistory.org

 

 

What’s New at CCSU

Find CCSU alums working across the state! Teachers! Fall 2024 includes piloting our NEH funded place-based learning class about the history of people color in Connecticut. Practitioners! We are currently developing a certificate in Cultural Resource Management. Stay tuned or Contact Leah Glaser, glaserles@ccsu.edu for more information about CCSU Public History.

History Department, Central Connecticut State University; ccsu.edu/history/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cemetery Steeped in History

Discover the history, art and natural beauty of Hartford’s Cedar Hill Cemetery on one of its popular thematic tours. Learn about a famed barnstormer, well-known suffragist, Mark Twain’s best friend, a Pulitzer Prize winning poet, and more. Marvel at rare and notable trees, majestic monuments, and intriguing stories of cemetery residents. Guided walking tours last approximately 90 minutes. Tour routes include small hills and uneven ground. A variety of topics, ranging from Remarkable Women to Stories in Stone, are available throughout the summer. Tour admission is $10.00 and free for Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation members. For more information and to register for programs, visit cedarhillfoundation.org.

Cedar Hill Cemetery, 453 Fairfield Avenue, Hartford. cedarhillfoundation.org; 860-956-331

CT League of Museums’ Conference

Save the date for the Connecticut League of Museums’ 2024 Annual Conference, “Unity and Belonging,” Monday, June 3 at Central Connecticut State University. Join over 200 museum people, organizations, and businesses from across the state and region for a day of interdisciplinary discussion, inspiration, and connection, plus a fun-filled exhibitor hall. For more information, including the call for session proposals, visit ctleague.org.

clho.org

Hike Through History!

We’re “Hiking Through History” this summer! Grab your walking shoes and hit the trails with Museum of Connecticut History Curator Patrick Smith. In this fourth year of the Hiking Through History program, we’ll continue our exploration of Connecticut at locations that offer both scenic beauty and interesting tales: Hartford’s African American History (June 21), Enfield Historic District (July 12), Downtown Hartford (August 2), Barn Island Preserve in Stonington (September 6), and Lovers Leap State Park in New Milford (October 18). Hikes begin at 10 a.m. and are approximately two hours in duration. It’s free to participate, but registration is required. Contact Patrick at Patrick.j.smith@ct.gov for more information. The Museum of Connecticut History is located within the Connecticut State Library, 231 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106. Visit Museumofcthistory.org to learn more about us!

Connecticut State Library, 231 Capitol Avenue, Hartford. Ctstate.library.org; 860-757-6500

New Season of CT Forum

The Connecticut Forum wrapped up a fabulous 2023-2024 season that featured Ken Burns, Liz Cheney, Marcus Samuelsson, and more. For tickets and details about their exciting 2024-2025 season, visit ctforum.org!

The CT Forum is a non-profit organization serving Connecticut and beyond with live, unscripted conversations among renowned experts and celebrities and community outreach programs. Their mission is to encourage the free and active exchange of ideas in forums that inform, challenge, entertain, inspire, and build bridges among all people and organizations in our community. For more info, email info@ctforum.org, or call 860-509-0909.

Connecticut Forum, 750 Main Street, Hartford. ctforum.org; 860-509-0909

A Look Into Literary History

What do comic books, Noah Webster’s first dictionary, and the recipe for pumpkin pie have in common? They’re all a part of Connecticut’s literary history! Now on view at the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, Connecticut’s Bookshelf invites you to discover the history behind the stories. From the 1700s to today, explore the evolution of what we read – and how! Investigate the early roots of true crime, Marvel at the modern comic book, try your craftsmanship at bookbinding, and consider: What belongs on the shelf? And who gets to decide? Plan your visit today!

Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, 1 Elizabeth Street, Hartford. connecticutmuseum.org; 860-236-5621

Monument to Beloved Animal Companion

They say dogs are a man’s best friend, but George Dudley Seymour’s favorite companion was a horse named Thomas Hooker Bones. Bones was a retired war horse who served in the Mexican Border War. A native of Missouri, he resided in Hartford before Seymour, who purchased and restored the Nathan Hale Homestead, decided to make the Homestead Bones’ home, too. For 20 years, Bones was an admired figure at the Homestead. Described by Seymour as “a fine character, a great gentleman, a good friend, and a noble and rarely accomplished horse,” Bones’ 1937 death was a great loss. Upon his passing, Seymour constructed a stone monument on the property in his memory, which is now a favorite spot to visit at the Homestead. Join us to discover more about this trusty steed and his final resting place. Visit ctlandmarks.org for tours and programs!

Connecticut Landmarks; ctlandmarks.org

Connecticut’s Hidden History of Slavery 

It’s a history lesson many of us didn’t get in school: Slavery has deep roots in Connecticut and across New England. Enslaved people helped build the foundation of much of this state. The history of Northern slavery has been locked away, erased.

Now, stories of the enslaved are being uncovered and reclaimed. Connecticut Public explores this hidden history in a special series on radio, TV, podcast and online, Unforgotten: Connecticut’s Hidden History of Slavery, which features historians, experts and descendants of the enslaved. Learn more at ctpublic.org/unforgotten

Connecticut Public; ctpublic.org

Boating Adventures

Discover the wonders and history of the Connecticut River at the Connecticut River Museum! Experience nature aboard RiverQuest, our eco-tour boat, and uncover history aboard Onrust. Plus, be sure to explore the Museum’s 50th Anniversary exhibit about navigation, Getting There: Wayfinding on the Water in the Pre-Modern Age.

Connecticut River Museum, 67 Main Street, Essex. Ctrivermuseum.org; 860-767-8269

 

 Lawton S. Parker, La Paresse, 1913. Oil on canvas, 50 x 60 in. Florence Griswold Museum, Gift of the M. Christine Schwartz Collection, 2023.23.1

Impressionism Exhibition

From June 1 through September 8, the Florence Griswold Museum presents Impressionism 150: From Paris to Connecticut & Beyond to celebrate the sesquicentennial of the first independent exhibition of the French Impressionists, “Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers, etc.,” which opened in Paris on April 15, 1874. Impressionism 150 locates the role of Connecticut artists and settings in this narrative. Which artists and critics were driving the roller coaster of responses? Works created by artists in both French and Connecticut settings are juxtaposed, while new acquisitions are highlighted alongside gifts by Lyme Colony artists to Florence Griswold. The recent gift, La Paresse, which Lawton Parker painted in Giverny and brought to Old Lyme, is featured to consider different perspectives on the nude in French and American contexts as it relates to Impressionism, and to explore the impact of French Impressionist colonies on their American counterparts.

Florence Griswold Museum, 96 Lyme Street, Old Lyme. 860-434-5542; florencegriswoldmuseum.org

Slavery Exhibit & Nowashe Village

Join the Friends of Wood Memorial Library & Museum this summer as they unveil a new in-person exhibit Researching Slavery: Uncovering Complicated Colonial Narratives, accompanied by an informative and educational discussion and performance. Also this summer, enjoy our fourth season of programming in Nowashe Village.  Details at www.woodmemoriallibrary.org and www.Nowashe.org.

Wood Memorial Library, 787 Main Street, South Windsor. 860-289-1783; WoodMemorialLibrary.org

 John Henry Twachtman (1853-1902) Front Porch, ca. 1896-99. Oil on canvas. 20 x 16 inches. Greenwich Historical Society, Museum Purchase in Honor of Dr. Susan G. Larkin with funds from Sally and Larry Lawrence, Mary Ellen LeBien, Isabel and Peter L. Malkin, John E. Nelson, David and Lindsay Ormsby, Lucy and Lawrence Ricciardi, Davidde and Ronald Strackbein, Reba and Dave Williams, Lily Downing and David Yudain

Twachtman Painting Acquisition on View

Greenwich Historical Society announces the acquisition of an important work by American Impressionist painter John Henry Twachtman (1853-1902), a central figure to the Cos Cob art colony. Front Porch (ca. 1896-99) is a vibrant depiction of the south entrance of Twachtman’s house on Round Hill Road in Greenwich, where he lived with his family beginning in 1889. The painting will be on view to visitors in the Greenwich Historical Society’s Permanent Collections Gallery beginning in May 2024. Support for the acquisition came from a number of generous donors who dedicated their support in honor of scholar and art historian and long-serving Trustee Dr. Susan G. Larkin, who has made indelible contributions to knowledge and appreciation of the Cos Cob art colony and its artists. Further information may be found by accessing the John Henry Twachtman Catalogue Raisonné, a free online resource of all known works by Twachtman  (jhtwachtman.org).

Greenwich Historical Society, 47 Strickland Road, Cos Cob. greenwichhistory.org; 203-869-6899

Social Justice Tours

The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center is a museum like no other. We offer immersive, social justice focused tours and programs that explore the life and legacy of Harriet Beecher Stowe by bringing the past into the present through discussion. The Stowe Center engages in difficult conversations in order to better understand history and the present, as well as build toward a better future. Civic engagement, literary activism, social justice, and historic contextualization help us better understand the systems that created and supported enslavement and also those systems that cooperated to dismantle it. Because we continue to struggle with issues today that Stowe and those who influenced her wrote to protest in the 19th century, the relevance of our mission remains urgent. Join us and share your thoughts.

Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, 77 Forest Street, Hartford. 860-522-9258; HarrietBeecherStoweCenter.org

 

Scavenger Hunt through the City

Hartford Public Library is offering a special scavenger hunt to introduce residents to the history and culture of Hartford. It will highlight notable attractions, events and people throughout Hartford. Starting June 1, at the start of the Library’s Summer Learning program, participants can pick up an entry form at any Library branch or visit hpl250.org to print out an entry form online. There are sixteen locations to visit – nine historic sites and the seven Library branches. All are visible from the outdoors, so you can stop by at any time, during the week or on weekends. When you finish, return your entry to any branch. Everyone with a correct entry will receive a thank you gift and also will be entered into a drawing for grand prizes of $100 and $50 gift cards. The deadline to enter is August 17. Want a sneak peek? The cannon on the State Capitol grounds is from what civil war battle? Come and join the hunt!

Hartford History Center at the Downtown Library, Hartford Public Library, 500 Main Street, Hartford. 860-695-6297; hplct.org

Hill-Stead’s Famous Visitors

Did you know President Theodore Roosevelt, Impressionist artist Mary Cassatt, author Henry James, and photographer Gertrude Käsebier are among the list of famous people who visited Hill-Stead Museum? Come visit us this summer and experience the magic of the breakthrough architectural masterpiece of our founder Theodate Pope Riddle (1867-1946), like these VIP’s did back in the day. The Colonial Revival home is filled with the Pope family’s world-class Impressionist collection, Japanese woodblock prints, and more than 2,000 decorative objects.

The surrounding 152 acres are stunningly beautiful in the summertime. Come take a walk or bring refreshments for a picnic with unparalleled views! Guided tours of the museum (Wed-Sun, 10 am – 4 pm) and/or free access to the grounds (every day, 7:30 am – 5:30 pm).

Hill-Stead Museum, 35 Mountain Road, Farmington. hillstead.org; 860-677-4787

Annual Green Corn Festival

Corn is an integral part of the annual life cycle of Native American people. When the first tender ears are ripe for picking it is cause for celebration. Welcome the first corn of the season with exciting activities including drumming, dancing, children’s activities, music, vendors, stories and more at the Institute for American Indian Studies’ 19th Annual Green Corn Festival. While enjoying the dancing and activities, get some refreshments from featured food vendors. Join the fun at our Nineteeth Annual Green Corn Festival, from 12:00 – 4:00pm on August 18, at the River Walk Pavilion in Washington Depot. For more information, please visit our website at iaismuseum.org, or email events@iaismuseum.org.

Institute for American Indian Studies, 38 Curtis Road, Washington. wigwamescape.org; 860-868-0510

The walled garden at KTM&HC, c. 1915. Photograph by Wurtz Brothers.

New Tour at Keeler Tavern

Visit KTM&HC this summer to take our new tour, “Creating Community”! Learn about the immigrants, longtime town residents, and wealthy summer vacationers who lived and worked on our site in the early 20th century. The interactive experience showcases KTM&HC’s collection strengths in period textiles and photography. Purchase tickets at keelertavernmuseum.org.

Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center, 152 Main Street, Ridgefield. 203-438-5485; Keelertavernmuseum.org

Pre-Revolutionary House Museum in KentKent Historical Society’s Seven Hearths Museum is open weekends during the summer. The pre-Revolutionary house, located in the heart of the Flanders Historic District, boasts Kent’s original fur-trading post and general store. Check kenthistoricalsociety.org for specific opening information.

Kent Historical Society, 4 Studio Hill Road, Kent. 860-927-4587; kenthistoricalsociety.org

Restored Victorian Library

In 1869, members of Lebanon’s First Congregational Church raised $706.03 and built a free-standing library building to serve as Reverend Orlo Hynes’ office and hold the books acquired since Governor William Buckingham established a special book fund in 1864. Buckingham, then a newly elected senator sent, walnut bookcases he ordered in Baltimore to be installed in the library. Church members kept detailed records of everything acquired for use in the new space.

Furnishings included a carpet, stove, walnut study table and lounge. “An excellent portrait of the noble founder was presented by his daughter Mrs. Eliza B. Aikens in November 1870.”

In 2012, the Church donated the library building to the Lebanon Historical Society which used these records to recreate this documented Victorian interior. Since its move and restoration, the Pastor’s Library has been open by appointment and on Saturday afternoons during the Summer.

Lebanon Historical Society, 856 Trumbull Highway, Lebanon. historyoflebanon.org; 860-642-6579

Historical Stitching Showcased

Samplers are more than thread stitched through cloth. As objects of art, samplers tell stories of creativity, instruction, and skilled work. As historical records, they document the lives and experiences of thousands of young women, histories that might otherwise remain unknown.

With Their Busy Needles: Samplers and the Girls Who Made Them showcases works from the sampler collection of Alexandra Peters, displayed alongside examples from the Litchfield Historical Society’s textile collection. Peters, a sampler historian and collector, serves as guest curator of the exhibit which will be on display through December 1st.

The Litchfield Historical Society is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free!

Litchfield Historical Society, 7 South Street, Litchfield. litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org; 860-567-4501

Imna Arroyo, Eleggua – Balance of the World, metal scale ready-made balance, wood, paper and board, 2022. Image courtesy of Celeste Acevedo Fuster.

In Yoruba mythology, the deity Eleggua, also referred to as Esu or Elegba, is said to provide access to the path to one’s destiny. Puerto Rican artist Imna Arroyo’s art explores connections between the African continent and its diaspora in an on-going endeavor to reclaim a lost and scattered heritage. Opening Paths, on view at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum June 29 – September 22, explores the artist’s emergence and path forward. The exhibition showcases works in various disciplines and mediums from Arroyo’s early years (1968-1980’s) when she began to assert her uniquely expressive Afro-Caribbean agency, through her 2022 mixed-media installation, Eleggua, dedicated to Yoruba Orisha Eshu/Elegguá, representing the crossroads of the world and the opening of the paths. Opening Paths reflects the artist’s connectedness to her Afro-Caribbean heritage, giving voice to the stories and rich traditions of her ancestors as she “…finds solace in the belief that art-making can be a form of healing.”

Lyman Allyn Art Museum, 625 Williams Street, New London. 860-443-2545; lymanallyn.org

 Sarah Ewalt Spencer (American, 1766-1842). Missing and Murdered Indigenous Children’s Journey to the Milky Way, 2022. Pieced and quilted fabric. John and Susan Horseman Foundation.

Quilts Containing Stories

Monuments play a role in creating memories, but quilts tell a powerful story as well. Mattatuck Museum will weave a narrative between the traditionally feminine utilitarian domain and political by using revolutionary patterns to make radical statements, presenting Stitching the Revolution: Quilts as Agents of Change, on view this summer through August.

Mattatuck Museum, 144 West Main Street, Waterbury. 203-753-038, ext. 130; mattmuseum.org

Under the Sea

Visit Voyage to the Deep – Underwater Adventures at Mystic Seaport Museum from June 8 through September 2, 2024. Based on French author Jules Verne’s 1870 classic, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, this exhibition brings to life the adventures of Captain Nemo, his fantastical submarine, and the mythical world he inhabited. Explore marine habitats and creatures, submarine operations, diving equipment, and maritime archaeology centered around the fantasy world of the giant Nautilus submarine. On board, visitors will discover the inner workings of a deep-sea vessel, take up the controls at the helm, look through the periscopes, crank the propeller, test out the bunks, and explore Captain Nemo’s Cabinet of Curiosities, full of incredible marine specimens! Voyage to the Deep – Underwater Adventures is a traveling exhibition from the Australian National Maritime Museum, toured internationally by Flying Fish, and at Mystic Seaport Museum this summer only.

Mystic Seaport Museum, 75 Greenmanville Avenue, Mystic. mysticseaport.org; 860-572-0711

 Justin Favela, CONERICOT, 2024, Paper, cardboard, and glue, New Britain Museum of American Art

Piñata-Inspired Mural On View

Brilliant colors, tissue paper, cardboard, and untold stories converge in Do You See What I See? featuring works by Las Vegas-based artist Justin Favela. Nestled throughout the galleries of the New Britain Museum of American Art, this exhibition, on view through December 1, 2024, is an exploration of the artist’s quest to see himself and the vibrant Latinx community represented within the Museum’s esteemed collection.

CONERICOT, Favela’s piñata-inspired mural, draws inspiration from depictions of Latin America from the permanent collection. His immersive installation alludes to the beauty of those landscapes, as well as the fantasies that often color Americans’ perceptions of these underrepresented cultures.

Do You See What I See? extends its presence throughout the Museum with several reinterpretations of nineteenth- and twentieth-century paintings and works on paper, which bring past and present into conversation.

New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington Street, New Britain. Nbmaa.org; 860-229-0257

 

New Haven, Yale, and Slavery

New Haven Museum’s newest exhibition, Shining Light on Truth: New Haven, Yale, and Slavery, is presented by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library and Yale University Library and on view through August 30, 2024. The exhibition draws from findings in areas such as the economy and trade, Black churches and schools, the 1831 Black college proposal, and memory and memorialization in the 20th century and today. The exhibition has a special focus on stories of Black New Haven, including early Black students and alumni of Yale.

Featuring archival images of materials from Beinecke and other collections and connects to items in the New Haven Museum collections, the exhibition introduces visitors to some of the unheralded builders of Yale, celebrates early Black writers, and showcases women who were local pioneers in Black education early in the 19th century.

New Haven Museum, 114 Whitney Avenue, New Haven. newhavenmuseum.org; 203-562-4183

Support Noah Webster House

There has never been a better time to become a Noah Webster House member! Join today and enjoy free museum admission, exclusive pricing to museum programs, 10% discount at our West Hartford Gift Shop, and 25% off facility rentals! Become a part of the Noah Webster House family today at noahwebsterhouse.org/membership.

Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society, 227 South Main Street, West Hartford. noahwebsterhouse.org; 860-521-5362

How Does Technology Shape Society?

Technology has never developed more rapidly than now. Join Connecticut’s Old State House for a summer series, “Ctrl+Shift+Democracy: The Impact of Technology on Society and Governance,” on Thursdays, July 11, 18, and 25, from 6:00-7:30 pm. Topics include: How A.I. Is Changing Government, Big Data and You, and How the Digital Divide Impacts Equity. Explore how technology has changed how government operates and what regulations policymakers deem necessary. Can technology help eliminate inequality or make it worse? Hear from industry experts and educators and engage in a World Café discussion.

Connecticut’s Old State House offers year-round programs, tours, exhibits, and events for adults and children. Visit our calendar at ctoldstatehouse.org, follow us online, or sign up for email updates at bit.ly/CTOSHupdates.

Connecticut Democracy Center at Connecticut’s Old State House, 800 Main Street, Hartford. CTOldStateHouse.org; 860-522-6766

 (Pictured: YWCA, 56 Beach Street, Bridgeport then and now. Source: Preservation Connecticut & David Palmquist, “Bridgeport a Pictorial History” (Norfolk VA: Donning, 1981))

Explore the Green Book

Preservation Connecticut is proud to announce that our work on Green Book sites in Connecticut is live on “The Architecture of the Negro Traveler’s Green Book” website! This public architectural history project hosted by the University of Virginia discovers and documents the history and status of sites and supports their preservation. Through the work of two talented interns and our dedicated staff, we were able to research and submit information on 59 sites. Information is continuously added and updated to this interactive site. Please visit community.village.virginia.edu/greenbooks/ to learn more!

Preservation Connecticut; PreservationCT.org

Slater Museum Refresh

You are invited to visit world-class wonders under one roof of Slater Memorial Museum. The Museum features 10 newly-refreshed and reinstalled permanent exhibition galleries that showcase familiar and brand-new pieces from its permanent collections representing artwork from around the globe. Visitors can view exhibitions including Casts of the Ancient World, showcasing the museum’s collection of 19th-century plaster casts as well as a local and regional collection of artwork spanning the 19th and 20th centuries. This year of 2024, we will be welcoming visiting exhibitions from the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts and Connecticut Women Artists! Visit slatermuseum.org for our current hours of operation and up-to-date information on the latest exhibition announcements and programs!

Slater Memorial Museum, 108 Crescent Street, Norwich. 860-887-2506; slatermuseum.org

Hepburn’s Portrayal of Coco Chanel

On December 18, 1969, Katharine Hepburn walked on stage and did something she had yet to do in her 30-year career. She sang. She was performing in the new musical Coco about the life of Coco Chanel, with music by Andre Previn and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. The temporary exhibit, Kate as Coco, will tell the story of this Tony-nominated musical, featuring three costumes associated with the production, a Katharine Hepburn self-portrait as Coco, personal letters from Miss Hepburn, and other artifacts related to the production. On exhibit May 14 – Nov 15, 2024, at the Katharine Hepburn Museum.

The Katharine Hepburn Museum is open Tues. through Fri., 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is free with a suggested donation of $5 to support the care and preservation of the collection.

The Katharine Hepburn Museum, 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook. 860-510-0473; thekate.org/museum

Photo: John Groo

Visit the Mark Twain House

Celebrate 150 years of history and timeless stories with a visit to the Hartford home where Twain transformed American literature! Daily tours take visitors through the richly decorated spaces in the 25-room Victorian home, many featuring the exotic interiors of Louis C. Tiffany & Co. Museum artifacts include period furniture, photos, paintings and books by Darwin, Hawthorne, and others with margin notes written by Samuel Clemens. To plan your tour and learn more, visit marktwainhouse.org

The Mark Twain House & Museum, 351 Farmington Avenue, Hartford. 860-247-0998 MarkTwainHouse.org

Rozeal (Formerly iona rozeal brown), a3 blackface #70, 2004. Painting. African American Art Purchase Fund, 2004.13.2

The Power of Hair

Styling Identities: Hair’s Tangled Histories is now open at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. Hair is an integral part of us, something personal and intimate but also often one of the most visible ways we express our identity. Throughout human history, hair has been both subject and medium in art. Global in scope and including objects originating in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Europe, this collaborative exhibition between the museum and its neighbors was developed by Wadsworth staff in active partnership with our Hartford community. Works from our collection, along with contributions from local businesses, Hartford barbershop and salon patrons help to tell the story of what hair means to us personally, culturally, and societally. Hair is community. Hair is power. Hair is us.

On view through August 11 at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 600 Main Street, Hartford. thewadsworth.org; 860-278-2670

A Monument to the American Revolution

Joseph Webb, Sr., didn’t build his new mansion in Wethersfield in 1752 knowing it would become a monument to the American Revolution. Nor did Washington and Rochambeau think of it as anything other than the childhood home of his aide-de-camp, Samuel B. Webb, when they met there in 1781 to plot the campaign that would end the war at Yorktown. But as later generations searched for relics that could bring the memory of the nation’s founding into the present, the storied Webb House underwent a transfiguration.

When Wallace Nutting, famous for selling photographs of colonial scenes and reproduction antique furniture, bought the house in 1916, he commissioned hand-painted wallpapers from KorDonYunk Studio in Hartford. The parlor walls now tell a story of two generals’ momentous meeting and the events that followed at Yorktown. 108 years on, Nutting’s wallpapers are as much a part of the house’s history as Washington’s visit.

Webb Deane Stevens Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield. wdsmuseum.org; 860-529-0612

Wilton’s Notable People

Connecticut’s History, Wilton’s Story, shows Wilton’s evolution from pre-Colonial times to a small New England agricultural village to today’s suburban town. It traces the history and cultural dimensions of Wilton, and gives context for the Society’s historic buildings and collections. Connecticut’s History, Wilton’s Story will allow a visitor to learn, for instance, that the late, great jazz musician Dave Brubeck; soccer Olympian Kristine Lilly; blues and folk singer Lead Belly; American Impressionist painter J. Alden Weir; and Johnny Gruelle, author and illustrator of the Raggedy Ann books, had Wilton roots and connections. The exhibit was designed both to present the town’s history, and to act as a jumping off point for visitors to explore other sites in Wilton, such as Weir Farm, Quarry Head State Park, and Ambler Farm. This permanent exhibition is now on view at the Wilton Historical Society.

Wilton Historical Society, 224 Danbury Road, Wilton. wiltonhistorical.org; 203-762-7257

New Hartford History Website

The Hartford Heritage Project invites you to explore our new website at hartfordheritage.org. Selected by CT Explored as one of 20 history changemakers, the HHP is a place-based education initiative at CT State Capital (formerly Capital Community College). Readers of CT Explored will find information on Hartford’s early Black community (see Nutmeg Pulpit) and over 20 recordings from its Hartford History Lecture series. Browse topics like Herencias Latinas, Black Heritage Project, and the Pennington Lecture. Explore student testimonials, engagement statistics, and the history of the HHP. Check out course offerings and sign up for the HHP newsletter.