Founded by Larry Aldrich in 1964, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is dedicated to fostering the work of innovative artists whose interpretations of the world around us serve as a platform to encourage creative thinking. The Aldrich is one of the few independent, non-collecting contemporary art museums in the United States and the only museum in Connecticut devoted to contemporary art, and engages its diverse audiences with thought-provoking, interdisciplinary exhibitions and programs.
The Museum’s education and public programs are designed to connect visitors of all ages to contemporary art through innovative learning approaches in hands-on workshops, tours, and presentations led by artists, curators, Museum educators, and experts in related fields. Area schools are served by curriculum-aligned on-site and in-school programs, as well as teachers’ professional development training.
Originally located in the landmark 1783 “Old Hundred” building on Ridgefield’s historic Main Street that is now utilized as administrative offices, since 2004 the Museum has been housed in a 17,000 square-foot facility that features two floors of exhibition galleries and The Studio, a space for learning and making, and overlooks a two-acre Sculpture Garden.
Throughout its fifty-year history, The Aldrich has served as a laboratory for artists to engage with innovative ideas and techniques, offering a venue for new avenues of exploration for themselves and Museum visitors. Through this unique lens, the motivations, ideas, and beliefs of the artists form the character of the Museum; because of the contemporary focus, the exhibiting artists are regularly present in the galleries, accessible to the public, and a crucial part of the programming.
The Museum is a national leader in the exhibition of significant and thought-provoking contemporary art, with an emphasis on emerging and mid-career artists. Since its founding in 1964, The Aldrich’s innovative exhibitions have presented the work of more than 8,000 remarkable artists, and have often been the first to introduce the work of now-acclaimed artists, including Eva Hesse, Robert Smithson, Frank Stella, Jack Whitten, Ann Hamilton, Olafur Eliasson, Huma Bhabha, KAWS, Mark Dion, and Shahzia Sikander, among many others.
