Two Exhibitions Are Now Open At Housatonic Museum of Art

BRIDGEPORT —Housatonic Museum of Art, at 900 Lafayette Boulevard, is currently offering two shows, both on view until April 18.

“Freedom: A History of US,” an exhibit of copies of documents and photographs that help define the concept of American freedom from 1776 to 1968, will have its opening reception on Thursday, March 20, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm., in the museum’s Burt Chernow Galleries. Guests will have an opportunity to view the exhibit, hear period songs sung by music historian Cyd Slotoroff, accompanied by Stacy Phillips, and enjoy light refreshments.

The 48 panels in “Freedom: A History of US,” are arranged in five historical themes, from the founding era and Civil War to the 20th Century. On display are copies of a wide range of items, many not previously available to the public, from a photograph of Abraham Lincoln’s death mask to an early image of Susan B. Anthony.

Other items include a 1776 printing of The Declaration of Independence, pages from a diary of an African-American Civil War soldier, a watercolor sketchbook of a New York Civil War soldier, pages from the speeches of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr, and rare photographs of slaves fleeing the South. The Civil War figures prominently in the exhibit as a pivotal moment when Americans redefined the meaning of freedom.

The exhibit, sponsored by General Electric and presented by Picture History, is a companion to the 16-part PBS series Freedom: A History of US, which aired locally in January and February. The traveling exhibit was developed by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, home to the largest private collection of American history documents in the world; and by The Meserve-Kundardt Collection, a massive private collection of historical photographs.

“We may not realize the many ways in which freedom can be defined and that even today, it continues to evolve,” says Gus Serra, GE’s manager of community relations and communication. “By using personal as well as public materials, this exhibit poignantly shows the tremendous strides America has made in working toward freedom, but with the realization that there is more to be done.”

Also on view is “The 35th Anniversary Adjunct Faculty Art Exhibit: Woven Into The Fabric.” A mosaic of styles, this exhibition features the work of Housatonic Community College’s adjunct art faculty. The exhibitors – who include Tom Anastasio of Monroe; Vince Baldassano of South Salem, N.Y.; Judy Corrigan of Trumbull; Gus Moran of Fairfield; John O’Conner of East Elmhurst, N.Y.; Carmine Picarello of South Norwalk; Anthony Rizzolo of Newtown; Tom Scippa of Fairfield; Dan Seiple of New York City; and Mary Burk Smith of Wallingford – are offering works in a wide variety of media.

The exhibit will be presenting a variety of works that include paintings, photographs, sculpture and box constructions, among other works. It dovetails perfectly with the theme of the college’s 35th anniversary theme, “Woven into the Fabric of the Community.”

“The work of the adjunct faculty is woven into both the fabric of the collective creativity of the art department faculty as well as into the fabric of the college itself,” says Professor Ronald Abbe, coordinator of the college’s art program. “It is also woven into the fabric of the community in a temporal and historical sense. The latter is especially appropriate since a collection of photographs and documents that define freedom from 1776 to 1968 will be on display concurrently with the art exhibit.”

Docent-led tours for school groups are available, and teacher materials and resources can be accessed on the museum’s website, www.HousatonicMuseum.org.

The museum is open Monday to Wednesday and Friday, 8:30 am to 5:30 pm; Thursday, 8:30 am to 7 pm; Saturday, 9 am to 3 pm; and Sunday, noon to 4 pm.

Admission to the exhibit, reception, and school tours is free. For more information call 203-332-5052.