New Britain Museum Of American Art Annual Report 2009 - 2010 Table of Contents 3 Director’s Report 6 The Collection 18 Exhibitions and Installations 20 Museum Publications 22 Education and Public Programs 26 Finance, Development, and Visitor Services 32 Annual Donors 43 Staff , Trustees, Advisors 46 Volunteers 48 Financial Report Support for the Museum’s operations, exhibitions and education programs are provided in part from the Dr. Pauline M. Alt Education Fund, Bailey Family Fund for Visiting Exhibitions, Martha Pease Bronson Endowment Fund, Charles & Elizabeth Buchanan Fund, Building & Furnishings Fund, Chase Family Curator of American Art Fund, Harold and Jean Clarke Memorial Endowment Fund, Elizabeth & Stanley M. Cooper Fund, Margaret M. Cooper Fund, Docent Yellow Bus Fund, Education Fund, Endowment Fund, Henry Sage Goodwin Fund, Harold M. & Charlene Gray Fund, Holiday Decorating Fund, Grace Judd Landers Fund, Robert Lehman Lecture Fund, Martha & Henry Pelton Fund, Catharine M. Rogers Lecture Series Fund, Helen Talcott Stanley Fund, and the Elizabeth Wick Fund. The growth and conservation of the collection is provided through the income from the Barstow Fund, Alice Osborne Bristol Fund, William F. Brooks Fund, Jane & Victor Darnell Fund, General Purchase Fund, Stephen B. Lawrence Fund, Sanford B.D. Low Illustration Fund, Edward A. & Mary W. Mag Fund, Members Purchase Fund, Joseph H. & Janet L. Myers Fund, Luda S. Piecka Fund, Charles F. Smith Fund, Alix W. Stanley Fund, John Butler Talcott Fund, funding from the Helen P.G. and John Vibberts Fund at the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain, and the Paul W. Zimmerman Purchase Fund. Cover: Students enjoy performance time with their hand-made puppets and backdrops during MetLife Summer Art Adventures led by teaching artist Jonathan Keezing. opposite: Assistant Curator Alexander Noelle leading a tour of The Great American Watercolor. Director’s Report Enormous strides were made in 2009-10 towards Overall, we have also achieved success in attracting new securing the Museum’s fi nancial stability. Although $5 audiences to the Museum. On June 30, we had 5,476 million was added to the endowment as a result of the members from 335 zip codes. Although overall capital campaign concluded three years ago, the trustees attendance declined from the previous year, we were and staff realized that it would be absolutely essential to fortunate to have as part of our overall attendance add an additional $15 million in order to defray the fi gures the 27,183 visitors who attended performances additional costs incurred through the construction of at TheaterWorks in downtown Hartford and also the Chase Family Building, which eff ectively doubled enjoyed visiting the Gallery of American Art which the size of the Museum, and achieve other priorities of displayed fi ve distinctly appealing exhibitions over the the Long Range Plan. A feasibility study was completed last calendar year. two years ago and the Museum launched its Fund for American Art. Unfortunately, the current economic Aggressive programming has been the key to the climate, during which the stock market has proven very Museum’s success. On any particular Saturday, volatile and unemployment has soared, is far from ideal. hundreds of visitors take advantage of the free morning Nevertheless, in the last year the Museum received funded by the American Savings Foundation while in through gifts and bequests over $3 million and the the afternoon visitors might take advantage of a fi lm, Fund for American Art now includes over $4 million guided tour, reception, or a lecture to name only a few in recent donations. of the possible events designed to entice the general public and our membership to the Museum. Most of The late Jay Bruemmer, who came to the Museum these events relate directly to the changing exhibitions often and was a steadfast supporter, bequeathed the or the permanent collection. In all, over 20 distinctive equivalent of over $3 million and Martin Gotowala left shows were mounted in the McKernan, Davis, Cheney, an estate worth $745,000. More and more, it is critical and Low Galleries, as well as in the Stanley Works that we pursue planned gifts and to this end the Center. A full listing of these exhibitions drawn from Museum’s Heritage Society has expanded to include a wide variety of diff erent periods and covering many over 70 donors. By leaving a planned gift, our patrons diverse subjects is provided in this report. can make maximum use of certain tax credits and preferences. At a time when other museums are My particular favorite exhibition was The Great American struggling to maintain an even budget, the New Britain Watercolor, a survey of watercolors drawn from our Museum can be very proud that our expenses exactly permanent collection. For over 10 years, I have wanted equal our income and that our endowment has grown to display some of the seldom-seen masterpieces acquired through the generosity of Jay Bruemmer, over the last century so that the general public would Martin Gotowala, and others. havean idea of the richness of our holdings. Annual Report '09-'10 3 Traditionally, we have been champions of American for many decades. Mrs. Stout was the granddaughter illustration and are fortunate to have mounted a of the Museum’s founder and a generous donor to the retrospective of the illustrations of Wendell Minor, one capital campaign. Harrold de Groff served on many of the nation’s leading illustrators. The John Haberle trustee committees and was an arbiter of good taste. exhibition provided us with an opportunity to place within the context of his career several key works in our At the end of the year, Maura O’Shea, Deputy Director, collection. Guest Curator M. Stephen Miller organized resigned from the Museum. During her 10 years at the one of the most beautiful and most educational surveys Museum, she tackled many formidable challenges. She of Shaker ingenuity; many of these objects were drawn was successful as curator of education and as a thoroughly from his personal collection as well as from the major professional art administrator, earning the respect of Shaker sites in New England. The Shaker exhibition the Board, staff , and our many volunteers and members. represented a departure as the objects on display were It will be very diffi cult to fi ll her shoes. furnishings and other decorative arts objects. To round out the series of off erings, we displayed over 160 photographs primarily by contemporary photographers from the collection of my brother Christopher S. Hyland. During the year the Museum produced two outstanding catalogues. John Haberle: American Master of Illusion and Inspired Innovations: A Celebration of Shaker Ingenuity will add signifi cantly to the scholarship of a neglected American artist and of the role of the Shakers and their infl uence on American culture. Both publications will be distributed nationally by the University Press of New England. Over the last several years, the Museum has published many other catalogues. The exhibition that generated more enthusiasm on the part of young visitors and adults was Ruthie Davis Shoes: Couture, Futuristic Design. The NEW/NOW artists provided a jolt to our aesthetic sensibilities and fulfi lled the mandate of NEW/NOW which is to tap in to the imaginations of emerging artists. Fay Ku, Sam Gibbons, Sandra Allen, Kwabena Slaughter, and Elana Herzog were chosen from the hundreds of applicants who send their materials annually to the Museum. The collections grew through gift and purchase and as Renowned photographer Thomas Barbèy poses by some of his pieces at the opening reception usual we loaned a number of works to museums both in for the The Christopher Hyland Collection of Photography, By Way of These Eyes: The Sublime, Exotic and Familiar. this country and abroad. As always, I am most grateful to the nearly 400 The Museum is fortunate to have a very highly volunteers who works as docents and in capacities too organized and focused Board of Trustees. In 2009, numerous to mention. We note with sadness the deaths Rhoda Chase, Coleman Levy, Dr. Timothy McLaughlin, of Alan Ettinger, Alberta Catlin, Martha Mainer, former and Michael Schweighoff er rotated off the Board and trustee Harrold de Groff , Frances Stanley Stout, Cherry Dr. Peter Byeff , Halsey Cook, Dr. Martin Cooper, Howard, Charlotte Gleason, and Jay Bruemmer. Many and Grant Jones were elected as new Board members. of these individuals have been involved with the Museum Already they have made a considerable diff erence to the 4 New Britain Museum of American Art institution. Similarly, John Barnes, Jonathan Baron, individuals who annually commit their time and Rita Heimann, Michael Maglaras, Kevin McNamara, resources allowing us to fund our exhibitions and to Mary Piazza, William Rees, Karen Ritzenhoff , and pay for the maintenance of the Chase Family Building Marzena Silpe were appointed to the Council of Advisors, and the Landers House. from which the Museum has consistently drawn its trustees. We are most grateful to all of the members, Warm regards, the corporate donors, and the foundations that have granted money to support specifi c projects. Well-run museums aspire to a healthy mix of fundraising income, earned revenue, donations, and endowment support, Douglas Hyland Kathryn Cox and the New Britain Museum is on target with healthy Director Chairman of the Board streams of income from each of these sources. This of Trustees success is attributable directly to the thousands of Photo by P. Vanderwarker AnnualAnAnnunualal ReportRepeporort '09-'10'0'09-9-'1'10 5 The Collection Acquisitions Bill Armstrong (b. 1952) Carl Broemel (1891-1984) 2010.21 LIC Buddha #704, n.d. Quinces Bait for a Bachelor, c. early-late 1960s H Etel Adnan (b. 1925) C-print, 20 x 24" Oil on board, 12 x 23" Oil on canvas, 27 x 15" Untitled, 2000 2009.106 2009.92 2010.23 LIC Oil on canvas, 10K x 13I" Gift of the artist Untitled [Fishermen Rendering Fish, The Displaced Missile, c.