MARCH 18 UNTIL SUMMER 2022 TUESDAY – THURSDAY 11 – 4PM
As the Impressionist movement took hold in the United States, artists flocked to Connecticut for inspiration.
Join us as we celebrate the opening of a major exhibition featuring dozens of works by American Impressionists who called Connecticut home.
Champagne Opening Gala – Friday, March 18 at 7 pm
Cost: $40 members; $50 non-members
Purchase your tickets HERE
Register at museumofdarien.org or
call 203.655.9233 for information
State of Inspiration: Connecticut’s Art Colonies
Museum of Darien: New Exhibition Features Top American Impressionists
DARIEN, CT, February 14, 2022— As the Impressionist movement took hold in the United States during the late 1800s, Connecticut became a magnet for artists looking for inspiration.
A new exhibition, State of Inspiration: Connecticut’s Art Colonies, featuring works by the state’s top Impressionists, will open with a Champagne Reception on Friday, March 18 at 7 p.m. at the Museum of Darien, 45 Old Kings Highway North, Darien.
Featuring 40 paintings from the collection of Tom and Marianne Davies of New Canaan, the exhibition explores the unique appeal that Connecticut offered to young artists returning to the United States after studying abroad.
Many of these artists opted to settle in six communities that evolved into Connecticut’s Art Colonies: Cos Cob, Silvermine, Westport, Old Lyme, Mystic and Kent.
Clusters of artists gravitated to the East Coast to be close to major cities, exhibit their work and attract prospective clients. Painting en plein air in the countryside was also priority for these Impressionist artists.
“Connecticut was an ideal location. Not only was it close to Boston and New York, it also offered a multitude of appealing coastal and pastoral settings,” Davies explained.
As artists continued to visit, many eventually established homes and encouraged friends and fellow artists to do the same.
“Not to be overlooked, another major benefit the state offered at that time was cheap rent,” said Davies.
Established in 1953 as the Darien Historical Society, the Museum of Darien welcomes all ages to experience and discover the crafted objects, narratives and works of art that have shaped this community. We tell Darien’s story, from its earliest beginnings as Middlesex Parish to the prosperous community we know today.
Come celebrate our town story with us! To learn more about supporting the town’s history, visit our website: museumofdarien.org or call us at 203.655.9233
For more information, visit: museumofdarien.org
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