Paper #3 – Katelyn Westervelt

On June 16 I went to The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT with my mom. When arriving at the front desk we were greeted by very lovely and knowledgable people who told us about the exhibition they currently have going on, as well as inform us that educators get to visit for free! As I am a student I had a very small amount to pay to visit, and my mom didn't have to pay anything since she is a teacher. At the end of the trip we got some postcards and such to give a bit back to the museum for such a lovely experience, and that is something I have collected at all the museums I have gone to this summer semester so far! We worked our way around the museum, just following the general path it showed, since all of the pieces were within the same exhibition going on. The exhibition is called "52 Artists: A Feminist Milestone", and it showcases 52 different female artists, some of whom had their work in the Aldrich back in the 1970s, some of whose work is here for the first time this year, and some of whom have both! My mom, whose birthday is today as I am typing this, has always been an incredibly strong and powerful woman figure in my life, so getting to go visit this museum with her to celebrate women artists was incredibly special and empowering.

Chassis. Lea Cetera. American, 2021. Steel, hardware, motor, gears, resin, mineral oil, corn syrup, wax dye, food coloring.

Composition with 35 Golden Doorknocker Impressions. LaKela Brown. American, 2021. Plaster and acrylic.

Dimensions: 69 x 45 x 2 1/4 inches.

Anywhere, Everywhere. LJ Roberts. American, 2022. Steel, light box with Duratrans prints, television, 16mm film transferred to digital, rocks dug from the grounds of The Aldrich and the lawn of the artist's camp counselor in Ridgefield.

Coral Hairstreak. Tourmaline. American, 2020. Dye sublimation print.

Dimensions: 30 x 30 1/2 inches.

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum was founded in 1965 by art collector and fashion designer Larry Aldrich. This museum is one of the oldest contemporary art museums in the United States, and is one of the few independent, non-collecting institutions in the country. This is the only museum within the state of Connecticut that is solely dedicated to the presentation of contemporary art. Aldrich's art collection centered around Impressionist and Expressionist art, but later shifted towards the era of Contemporary art. Throughout his life, Aldrich made donations to the MoMA and Whitney. Aldrich also founded the SoHo Center for Visual Arts in NYC which ran until 1990. The museum was originally housed in the landmark "Old Hundred" building from 1783 which now houses the administrative offices for the museum. The Aldrich occupies a 17,000 square foot space, and since its founding has had a free 2-acre outdoor sculpture garden behind the museum. The museum also acknowledges that it rests on the ancestral homelands of Wappinger and Munsee Lenape Peoples. 

Connect the Dots: Mapping the Highwater Hazards and History of Boulder Creek. Mary Miss. American, 2007. Mixed media.

Dimensions: Variable.

Inlet. Merrill Wagner. American, 2010. Rust-preventive paint on steel; 4 pieces.

An Afternoon Making Quaranzines with Apex for Youth. Susan Chen. Chinese, 2022. Oil on canvas.

Dimensions: 80 x 100 inches.

Mix, Stir, Pour. Barbara Zucker. American, 1972. Poured plaster.

Barbara Zucker, born in Philadelphia, PA, is an American artist and professor whose works have been showcased around the country. Having taught at a handful of different colleges and creating amazing sculptures at the same time, Zucker has made a name for herself within the contemporary art world. The piece pictured above was one of my favorite's from the day – I haven't exactly been able to put my finger on why this sculpture caught so much of my attention, but I found it really intriguing. I think the fact that it was on the ground, and made me feel both big and small at the same time had a lot to do with it. Though I couldn't find the exact dimensions of this piece, know it was at least 5'4" bottom to top, because that's how tall I am and I'm guessing it was at least my height. The detail work and intricacies of this piece made me want to get as close as possible, so that I could see how she possibly layered these plastered pieces on top of one another to look exactly like lily pads (that was all I could imagine while looking at this piece in person). Zucker states that she pours hundreds of plaster "puddles" and then assembles them on the floor using a process of mixing to replace welding or carving, which leaves these sculptures. Zucker co-founded the A.I.R. Gallery, which is the first women's co-operative gallery in the US, in 1972.

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.

I highly recommend visiting The Aldrich during this course, especially while this exhibition is going on. If not just for class, but to learn something new and appreciate how far we have come as a society to have an entire museum put on a show dedicated just to talented women artist who are finally getting their recognition.