NBMAA NBMAA 2017 WINTER 2016 SUMMER Vistas del Sur: Masterpieces of The Traveler Artists’ Landscapes Sanford B.D. Low of Latin America from the Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Illustration Collection Collection NEW/NOW: Ansel Adams: Yosemite Valley Sanford Biggers Howard Rackliffe The Shaker Gallery: Focus On: New Media: Shaker Woodenware Part I Maya Jeffereis 2016-2017 ANNUAL REPORTANNUAL NBMAA NBMAA 2017 SPRING 2016 FALL Samuel F.B. Morse’s “Gallery of the Louvre” As We See It: The & the Art of Invention Collection of Gail and Nor’Easter: The 47th Annual Ernst von Metzsch Juried Exhibition New Media: New Media: William DeLottie Kevin Kelly California Dreaming: Ed Moses, Billy Al Bengston NEW/NOW: & Ed Ruscha Sanford Biggers ANNUAL REPORT CHAIRMAN’S & DIRECTOR’S REPORT 6 COLLECTIONS 10 EXHIBITIONS & INSTALLATIONS 18 MUSEUM PUBLICATIONS & PRESS 20 COVERAGE EDUCATION PROGRAMS 24 VISITOR EXPERIENCES 30 FINANCE 34 DEVELOPMENT 38 MEMBERS 44 CORPORATE/INSTITUTIONAL/LIBRARY MEMBERS 54 DONORS TO MUSEUM OPERATIONS 56 ADDITIONAL DONATIONS & GIFTS 60 NBMAA FUNDS/ADDITIONS TO FUNDS/ HERITAGE SOCIETY 68 STAFF, TRUSTEES, ADVISORS 72 VOLUNTEERS 76 OUR THANKS TO NBMAA SUPPORTERS Jay and Lorraine Breummer Memorial Fund NBMAA M. Stephen Miller and Director & CEO Min Jung Kim cut the ribbon with visitors at the opening for Focus On: Shaker Woodenware (Part II) NBMAA Most recently, in May 2017, the Museum presented The The Museum presented works by NBMAA Members in our Grand Tour—the first iteration in a series of exhibitions Nor’Easter: 47th Annual Juried Exhibition, which received entitled Architecture as Muse, derived exclusively from an impressive 1,107 entries by 405 artists from across the CHAIRMAN’S & our permanent collection and presenting diverse views of United States. We are grateful to juror Sarah Fritchey, architecture by artists, architects, and illustrators. Curator of Artspace in New Haven, for her thoughtful selection of 88 works, which was no easy task, given the The Museum hosted a number of exhibitions spotlighting exceptional quality of the submissions. First, second, DIRECTOR’S REPORT contemporary artists: Eric Aho: An Unfinished Point in and third prizes were awarded to Tracy Hoffman, Cecil a Vast Surrounding, featuring paintings that bridged Gresham, and Anita Balkun respectively. Juror’s Choice was landscape and portraiture, abstraction and representation; awarded to John Buron, and Visitor’s Choice was awarded contemporary art-making with historical research; as to Rashmi Talpade. well as NEW/NOW: Sanford Biggers, which comprised a site-specific poured-sand floor rug inspired by quilts and In the countless artistic, educational, development, and Masterworks from our permanent collection were Tibetan mandalas. The closing of Biggers’s exhibition was EDUCATION community initiatives that the New Britain Museum of requested for inclusion in significant exhibitions world- celebrated with an inspiring Community Day, in which American Art undertakes, we proudly celebrate our status wide. Notably, our Georgia O’Keeffe’s East River from the visitors had the opportunity to watch a breakdancing Our Education Department oversaw the organization of as the oldest Museum dedicated solely to American Art and 30th Story of Shelton Hotel, 1928, has been showcased in demonstration, mingle, and bottle sand from the artwork numerous exhibitions that celebrated the work of budding our mission to explore and present diverse representations an international retrospective of O’Keeffe’s work, which as a take-home memento of the show. Our New Media local artists from area school districts of New Britain and of of America and American Art. This past year in particular, traveled this year to major institutions, including the Tate series included dynamic and experimental video works Berlin. Providing a platform to highlight the work of area we strove to do so through a variety of approaches: Modern, London; Kunstforum Wien, Vienna; and finally the by Connecticut natives Kevin Kelly and Williams DeLottie. youth, these exhibitions brought together families and Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada. Raphaelle Peale’s We were delighted to showcase the contemporary extended members of the community to celebrate visual By adhering to the language established in our 2016 Bowl of Peaches, 1816, was featured close to home, in the realist collection of Gail and Ernst von Metzsch in As art and arts education. We are grateful to our generous revision of our Collections Management Policy (CMP), exhibition An American Place: The Art Colony at Old Lyme, We See It: The Collection of Gail and Ernst von Metzsch, sponsors, including Webster Bank, who make these which states that: “The NBMAA will acquire artwork by presented at the Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, accompanied by a beautiful exhibition catalogue published meaningful events possible. artists who are American citizens; or have produced CT; while Gary Thomas Erbe’s Today’s Special, 1970, has in collaboration with Gallery Naga, Boston. a significant body of work while living in the United been presented in exhibitions dedicated to the artist at The Moreover, we enjoyed watching our American Savings Art States; or contribute to illuminating the evolving story Heckscher Museum of Art, Huntington, NY, as well as the Exhibitions focusing on historic artists Samuel F.B. Morse & Education Wing flourish in its first full year, welcoming of the United States of America and the notion of what Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH. and New Britain native Howard Rackcliffe were proudly children and adults alike into bustling studio classes is ‘American’ through the visual arts;” showcased at the Museum in FY17; in addition to an led by NBMAA staff and visiting artists. In response to Several permanent collection galleries were reinterpreted installation of photographs by Ansel Adams celebrating the growing demand, our Education Department rose to Through our permanent collection installations, which to offer fresh perspectives of our highlights and lesser- Centennial of the National Park Service, organized as part the challenge of meeting the needs and interests of are periodically refreshed to present highlights as known works. In the Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman of a long-term-loan of the artist’s iconic Yosemite portfolio our expanding community, offering an ever-expanding well as rarely seen works to encourage evolving Foundation Gallery, our installation of Colonial Portraiture to the NBMAA. We were especially delighted to present the range of educational programs for visitors of all ages, interpretations of our permanent collection and the was bolstered by examples of family portraits by Joseph first exhibition initiated by Min Jung Kim during her tenure including studio classes and workshops, lectures, gallery history of American art; Badger; as well as exceptional paintings by Samuel F.B. as Director & CEO at the Museum, Vistas del Sur: Traveler talks, music, theater, film, art and literature programs, Morse, Gilbert Stuart, John Trumbull, among others. Flora Artists’ Landscapes of Latin America from the Patricia outreach programs, guided tours for children and adults, Through our range of special exhibitions, Humphrey Bentley Gallery was reinstalled to reflect the Phelps de Cisneros Collection. A milestone exhibition, it was and professional development services for teachers. which present wide-ranging perspectives, both growing art market following the American Revolution, our first collaboration with the Patricia Phelps de Cisneros These programs achieve a number of notable goals: while contemporary and historical, on our national identity in which art patronage expanded beyond an interest in Collection of Latin American Art, recognized as one of the strengthening the Museum’s education mission, these and artistic contributions; portraiture to a demand for landscapes, still lifes, and most exemplary and comprehensive collections of Latin initiatives offer opportunities for lifelong learning in the allegorical paintings. American art in the world, as well as the first NBMAA show arts; employ artists, educators, art historians and other Through educational offerings, public programs, and to offer bilingual labels and tours in English and Spanish. professionals; and contribute to the cultural fabric of the community outreach and partnerships, which engage a Internally, our staff began an extensive collections analysis, The exhibition welcomed distinguished visitors, including city and region. In further thanks to American Savings Bank, dynamic and ever-expanding audience of all cultures, in which our permanent collection will be thoroughly former president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, we continue to offer free admission to visitors on Saturday races, and ethnicities. researched in order to better identity strengths as well William Luers; Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the mornings throughout the year, welcoming families and as gaps that may exist in our representation of important neighbors, as well as newcomers from far and wide. Our roots as part of the New Britain Institute—an Museum of Modern Art, John Elderfield; Director of the Los American artists, artistic schools, and art historical Angeles County Museum of Art, Michael Govan; Director organization established by New Britain’s city founders in Highlights of the year included a strong demand for tours. movements. Through our collections analysis, we hope to of Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Matthew D. Teitelbaum,