Connecticut (CT) Art Trail, 200 Barlow Road, Fairfield, CT (2026)

05/29/2026

Two continents, one era, and a shared architectural legacy. 🌍🏛️

Across five galleries, the Onera Foundation is exploring the intersection of modern design and midcentury diplomacy:

✨ Treaties on De-Fences by Jorge Otero-Pailos: An immersive look at the preservation of Eero Saarinen’s Cold War-era US Embassy in Oslo, Norway. Produced in close coordination with Otero-Pailos Studio and the National Museum of American Diplomacy.

✨ The Cold War-Era US Embassy Program & Modern New Canaan: Discover how the midcentury embassies in The Hague (by Marcel Breuer) and Dublin (by John Johansen) were directly inspired by the experimental residential architecture right here in New Canaan.

Both exhibitions are on view through June 13th, 2026. If you've been meaning to visit, now is the perfect time.

🔗 Head to the link in our bio to reserve your gallery tour!

05/16/2026

The blossoms are out and the art is calling! The energy on the Trail is high with major Galas, Plein Air workshops, and the much-anticipated return of outdoor festivals. Don't forget to get your Passport stamped as you explore these world-class collections and scenic grounds. 🎟️✨

✨ EVENTS
May 16 Spring Soiree: Jazz & Celebration Fundraiser at Lyme Art Association 🥂
May 16 Access for All: Honoring AAPI Heritage at New Britain Museum of American Art
May 16 Artist Talk: John Hitchcock at New Britain Museum of American Art
May 16 The Art of Phenology Nature Workshop at Weir Farm National Historical Park
May 16 Camp MoCA Open House for Families at Museum of Contemporary Art CT
May 16 Violin & Piano Performance (Karisa & Frederic Chiu) at Museum of Contemporary Art CT
May 16–17 Outdoor Crafts Festival (41st Annual) at Bruce Museum
May 16–17 Plein Air in Old Lyme Workshop at Lyme Art Association
May 19 Chris Brubeck’s Triple Play Performance at Museum of Contemporary Art CT
May 23 Artist-in-Residence Open Studio with Ian Grieve at Weir Farm National Historical Park
May 26 French-Language Tour: Georges Braque at Bruce Museum
May 26 Sound Bath Meditation at Museum of Contemporary Art CT 🧘‍♀️
May 27 Curator’s Tour: "For Which It Stands..." at Fairfield University Art Museum
May 28 "Jazz on a Summer’s Day" Film & Q&A at Museum of Contemporary Art CT
May 28 Horsebarn Hill Walking Tour at William Benton Museum of Art
May 28 Portraiture Short Course: Caricature at Hill-Stead Museum
May 30 Art Critique with Eileen Eder at Lyme Art Association
May 30 B.A.R.K. Ranger Pet Portrait Day at Weir Farm National Historical Park 🐶🎨
May 31 "Food and Fitness" Wellness Series at Mattatuck Museum
May 31 Cinema at the Bruce: "The Harvard 5" at Bruce Museum

🎉 EXHIBITIONS OPENING
May 16 John Hitchcock: "We Are Defined by the Beat" at New Britain Museum of American Art
May 16 "A Tin Can on a String" at Lyman Allyn Art Museum
May 17 "Ship to Shore," "A Closer Look," & Jacqueline Stella at Lyme Art Association
May 26 "Birds Up Close" (CT State Museum of Natural History) at William Benton Museum of Art

👋 EXHIBITIONS CLOSING
May 17 "Ants: Tiny Creatures, Big Lives" at Bruce Museum
May 17 "Making Our Mark" at Five Points Arts
May 24 "2026 Programs Showcase" at Center for Contemporary Printmaking
May 24 Congressional Art Competition at Mattatuck Museum
May 25 "Likeness & Legacy" Portraits at Stamford Museum & Nature Center
May 25 Jennie Jieun Lee & Chenlu Hou/Chiara No at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
May 29 "Ship to Shore" Marine Show at Lyme Art Association

05/07/2026

From historic studio tours to "Museum After Dark" parties and Mother’s Day celebrations, your Passport-Journal unlocks a month of creative discovery. 🌸🎨

✨ EVENTS
Season Opening (House, Studios & Barn) at Weir Farm National Historical Park 🌲
May 7: "One Degree of Separation: Jazz in CT" Talk at Museum of Contemporary Art CT
May 7: "Fine Art of Restoration" (Part I) at Stamford Museum & Nature Center
May 7: Lunch with a Purpose (Julie Wainwright) at Grace Farms, CT
May 7–10: Mindful Market Pop-up Lounge at Grace Farms, CT
May 8: Patti LuPone: "Songs From a Hat" at Hill-Stead Museum 🎭
May 8: Triple Exhibition Opening Reception at Five Points Arts
May 8: "Making Our Mark" Opening at Five Points Annex
May 9: Plein Air Demo with William P. Duffy at Lyme Art Association
May 9: Kids Health Discovery Day at Bruce Museum
May 9: Stone Wall History Tour at Weir Farm National Historical Park
May 9: Community Stitching Day at Greenwich Historical Society
May 9: Ask a Curator Day with Camilo Alvarez at Mattatuck Museum
May 9: Land & Seascapes Oil Workshop at Lyme Art Association
May 10: Mother’s Day Concert: "Songs My Mother Taught Me" at New Britain Museum of American Art 🎶
May 10: Mother’s Day at the Museum (Free Admission for Moms!) at Museum of Contemporary Art CT
May 11: History Hikes Wellness Debut at Mattatuck Museum
May 14: "Looking for Jackie" Fashion Icons Lecture at
May 14: "Fine Art of Restoration" (Part II: Live Evaluations) at Stamford Museum & Nature Center
May 14: Westport Writers’ Workshop at Museum of Contemporary Art CT
May 14: Portraiture Short Course: Renaissance Art at Hill-Stead Museum
May 15: America 250th Kick-off & "About Face" Opening at Mattatuck Museum 🇺🇸

🎉 EXHIBITIONS OPENING
May 2: BFA Thesis Exhibition (Round 2) at HAS Galleries
May 8: Hugh O’Donnell, Stephanie Lanter, and Group Shows at Five Points Arts
May 9: "A Nation of Vision" at Silvermine Arts Center

👋 EXHIBITIONS CLOSING
May 10: "Uman: After all the things..." at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
May 10: Leonardo Drew & Ursula von Rydingsvard at Bruce Museum

04/24/2026

Never miss a masterpiece! 🎨✨

Looking for the inside scoop on the best exhibitions, hidden gems, and exclusive events across Connecticut? Let us do the planning for you.

When you join the CT Art Trail Newsletter, you’re getting a monthly curated guide to the state’s most vibrant exhibitions and significant cultural moments delivered straight to your inbox. From "America 250" highlights to grand openings at our 30+ member museums, you'll be the first to know what’s happening in our galleries and beyond.

📩 The best of Connecticut arts and culture is just one click away. Join our community of art lovers and stay inspired all year long!

🔗 Sign up at ctarttrail.org today!

04/23/2026

Honoring 90 years of art, nature, and community! 🏛️✨

The Stamford Museum & Nature Center is celebrating its landmark anniversary with a must-see exhibition: "Likeness & Legacy: Portraits from the SM&NC Permanent Collection." This collection brings together standout paintings, sculptures, and prints spanning over 70 years of collecting—many donated by local Stamford residents. It’s a vivid look at the faces and stories that have shaped our region and our nation. 🇺🇸

Exhibition Highlights:
✨ A striking portrait by John Singer Sargent with an incredible history (confiscated by the N***s during WWII).
✨ Rare sculptural studies of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt by Gutzon Borglum (the visionary behind Mount Rushmore).
✨ A bold, expressive portrait of sculptor Alberto Giacometti by his friend, Soshana.
✨ Newly restored works on view for the first time in decades!

Don't miss the chance to stand face-to-face with Borglum’s Colossal Head of Abraham Lincoln. Captured in a moment of quiet introspection, Lincoln’s own son called it “the most extraordinarily good portrait of my father I have ever seen.”

📍 Stamford Museum & Nature Center
https://www.stamfordmuseum.org/exhibitions-and-adults/now-on-exhibit/

Bring your 2026 CT Art Trail Passport to celebrate this anniversary!

04/21/2026

Get ready to hop into the vibrant creative heart of the "Park City!" 🌸🎨

The festivities are in full swing with the Spring Art Hop, a city-wide celebration featuring open studios, live demonstrations, and pop-up galleries. It is the perfect time to go behind the scenes, meet the talented artists of Bridgeport, and discover the hidden gems within the city's historic factory buildings and creative spaces.

But the inspiration doesn't stop there! From gallery openings to neighborhood festivals, there is something happening all season long.

🗓️ Check out the full calendar of events at: bridgeportarttrail.org/calendar

Bridgeport is a cornerstone of the Connecticut art scene, and we invite you to immerse yourself in its energy this spring. The CT Art Trail is proud to support our partners at the Bridgeport Art Trail and CiTY LiGhTs Gallery as they kick off an incredible season of art, music, and community.

While you’re exploring Bridgeport, don’t forget to use your 2026 CT Art Trail Passport! Visit the Housatonic Museum of Art and then head over to the local studios to see where the magic happens.

04/20/2026

What defines a face? 👤✨

The Art Museum, USJ (University of Saint Joseph) invites you to explore the complexity of identity in their latest exhibition: "About Face: Portraits and Self-Portraits from the Collection."

From traditional, lifelike portraiture to bold, abstract representations of the self, this show draws from the museum’s permanent collection to showcase how artists capture the human spirit across a wide variety of media. Whether it's a gaze caught in a sketch or an identity reimagined through color and form, these works challenge us to look a little closer at the people—and the artists—behind the frames. 🖼️🎨

🗓️ On view: April 10 – June 20, 2026
📍 Location: West Hartford, CT

Make it a day of discovery! 🚗 Use your 2026 CT Art Trail Passport for admission to the Art Museum at USJ and 29 other world-class member sites. At just $35 for 365 days of art, it’s the best way to explore Connecticut’s vibrant art scene.

04/17/2026

The doors are open! 🌿✨ The 2026 season at The Glass House has officially begun.

Now through December 26, we invite you to experience Philip Johnson’s architectural masterpiece in New Canaan as it comes alive for the spring. This season, the site offers a profound dialogue between two artistic giants with the exhibition: "Tomashi Jackson and Robert Rauschenberg: The Catch One."

In celebration of the centennial of Robert Rauschenberg’s birth, this show features newly commissioned paintings by Tomashi Jackson paired with Rauschenberg’s works from the permanent collection. It is a vibrant exploration of curiosity, legacy, and the commitment to social change—all set against the backdrop of one of the world’s most iconic modern landscapes.

🎟️ CT Art Trail Perk: Passport holders receive 10% OFF admission! Tours must be scheduled in advance and they do fill up quickly.

Whether you’re a lifelong fan of modernism or a first-time visitor, there is no better time to wander the grounds and see how light, glass, and art intersect.

Don’t have your 2026 Passport yet? Grab yours for $35 to unlock your discount here and at 30 other premier art destinations across Connecticut!

House

Image: Installation view of “Solar Elephant (Kabal American Zephyr),” 1982 by Robert Rauschenberg and “Constant Craving (Jewel Thais Williams and Friend at Jewel’s The Catch One, 1970s / Spottswood Thomas Bolling, et al., Petitioners, v. C. Melvin Sharpe, President of the District of Columbia Board of Education, et al. 1954),” 2025 by Tomashi Jackson

04/16/2026

Spring is hitting its stride on the CT Art Trail! 🌿

✨ EVENTS
Apr 16 The Glass House 2026 Tour Season Opens! The Glass House
Apr 17 Furniture Connoisseurship: Early High Chests at Yale University Art Gallery
Apr 18 Access for All: ¡Viva Puerto Rico! and Museum After Dark: Chinchorreo Party at New Britain Museum of American Art
Apr 18 Music at Grace Farms: Dianne Reeves at Grace Farms, CT
Apr 19 Springtime Sculpture Walk at William Benton Museum of Art
Apr 19 "Journey into the World of Tea" Ceremony at Hill-Stead Museum
Apr 21 Meditation and Mindfulness in the Museum at Fairfield University Art Museum
Apr 21 Cold War Embassies Book Talk at New Canaan Library via Onera Foundation
Apr 22 Emerging Artist Talks (MFA Students) at William Benton Museum of Art
Apr 23 MFA Thesis Exhibition Opening Reception at William Benton Museum of Art
Apr 23 Fabricating Large-Scale Sculpture at Lippincott at Yale University Art Gallery
Apr 23 Gallery Talk with Danielle Scott & Imo Nse Imeh at Fairfield University Art Museum
Apr 23 ECCB Salon Series: Performance & Talk at Museum of Contemporary Art CT
Apr 23 & 25 Special Themed Tour: Hill-Stead's Household Staff at Hill-Stead Museum
Apr 24 Open Fridays: Prints, Drawings & Photos at Yale University Art Gallery
Apr 25 Earth Day Celebration at Grace Farms, CT
Apr 25 Artist-in-Residence Open Studio with Lori Larusso at Weir Farm National Historical Park
Apr 25 CT’s First Death & Dying Symposium at Mattatuck Museum
Apr 25 Ballet Hartford Performance: "Giselle Suite" at Hill-Stead Museum
Apr 25 Family Day: Reimagined Flags at Fairfield University Art Museum
Apr 29 Environmental History of Long Island Sound Lecture at Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Apr 30 Sketching in the Galleries at Yale University Art Gallery
Apr 30 Curator’s Tours: "For Which It Stands..." at Fairfield University Art Museum

🖼️ EXHIBITIONS OPENING
Apr 16 "Tomashi Jackson & Robert Rauschenberg: The Catch One" at The Glass House
Apr 17 "Ship to Shore" & "A Closer Look" at Lyme Art Association
Apr 18 BFA Thesis Exhibition (Round 1) Opening Reception at Hartford Art School
Apr 26 2026 Programs Showcase Opening Reception at Center for Contemporary Printmaking
Apr 26 "About Face: 250 Years of American Portraiture" at Mattatuck Museum

🏁 EXHIBITIONS CLOSING
Apr 23 "2026 Instructors Salon" & "Under Wraps" at Silvermine Arts Center
Apr 25 Deadline for Ellen Harvey’s "Disappointed Tourist" Submissions at Museum of Contemporary Art CT
Apr 30 "The Great Wave: Japonisme at Hill-Stead" at Hill-Stead Museum

04/03/2026

The CT Art Trail is in full bloom! 🌸 April brings a fresh wave of creativity to our member sites, from immersive "Museum After Dark" parties to restorative meditations and high-stakes BFA thesis exhibitions. Whether you are looking to master a new craft or dive into the history of American diplomacy, there is an adventure waiting for every Passport holder this month.

✨ EVENTS
Apr 4: Free First Saturday: B&W Studio Art at Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Apr 4: "Breaking Glass" Solo Play Reading at Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Apr 6–10: Spring Break "School's Out" Day Camp at Mattatuck Museum
Apr 8: Community Conversation on Immigration at Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Apr 9: Artful Evening for Adults at Fairfield University Art Museum
Apr 9: National Poetry Month: Art + Sound at Museum of Contemporary Art CT
Apr 9: "Impressionist Gourmet" Conversation at Hill-Stead Museum
Apr 9–10: "Visualizing Sound" Art Workshop at Museum of Contemporary Art CT
Apr 11: Free Admission Day & Block Print Workshop at Mattatuck Museum
Apr 11: Land & Seascapes Watercolor Workshop at Lyme Art Association
Apr 11: Nature Workshop: Berry Fruit Gardening at Grace Farms, CT
Apr 11: "Making Buddhist Images" Film & Book Talk at Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Apr 12: Chef’s Palate: Shaping the American Palate at Grace Farms, CT
Apr 13: Virtual Meditation with Jackie DeLise at Fairfield University Art Museum
Apr 13: Film Screening: "Carving the Divine" at Fairfield University Art Museum
Apr 13–17: April School Recess Creativity Camp at Museum of Contemporary Art CT
Apr 14: Children’s Program: Cute Cow Craft at William Benton Museum of Art

🖼️ EXHIBITIONS OPENING
Apr 6: 2026 Studio Art + Digital Media MFA Thesis Exhibition at William Benton Museum of Art
Apr 9: Opening Reception: "About Face" at Art Museum, USJ
Apr 10: "About Face: Portraits & Self-Portraits" at Art Museum, USJ

🏁 EXHIBITIONS CLOSING
Apr 10: "An Exhibition in Five Acts" at Lyme Art Association
Apr 12: "Facades of New London" & "Photography and the Painted Image" at Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Apr 12: "Staff Favorites from the Collection" at Mattatuck Museum

Image: Clara Driscoll, designer, Tiffany Studios, New York, Daffodil Junior Floor Lamp, 1899 – 1908. Leaded glass, bronze. On loan from The Mark Twain House and Museum. (On view in Louis Comfort Tiffany in New London)

Connecticut (CT) Art Trail

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