What's On
Fragile Earth: The Naturalist Impulse in Contemporary Art
Current Exhibition
Something to celebrate!
What's happening to the Museum's grounds?
When you visit the Museum you’ll notice a chain link fence between the gallery and the Lieutenant River. And a LOT going on! The groundwork is being laid for an exciting new addition to the Museum’s landscape, the Artists’ Trail.
June 14
Garden Luncheon
The day is devoted to celebrating all things floral with 200 garden-loving guests, beginning with Blooms with a View in the Krieble Gallery, which pairs stunning floral arrangements with key works on view from the summer exhibition. Guests will then enjoy a delicious lunch under a festive tent.
Current & Upcoming
Exhibitions
June 1 to September 8
Fragile Earth: The Naturalist Impulse in Contemporary Art
Fragile Earth showcases the diverse approaches taken by ecologically concerned artists today, illustrating the powerful role they play in advocating for environmental causes. The Florence Griswold Museum has commissioned four leading contemporary artists to create new work that incorporates and responds to the natural world. The exhibition builds on the success of the Museum’s 2017 exhibition, Flora/Fauna: The Naturalist Impulse in American Art, which surveyed the history of American artist-naturalists from the 19th to mid-20th centuries.
Ongoing Exhibition
An American Place
During the first two decades of the 20th century, the village of Old Lyme, Connecticut was the setting for one of the largest and most significant art colonies in America.
September 28, 2019 - January 26, 2020
Nothing More American: Immigration, Sanctuary, and Community an Exhibition by Matthew Leifheit
This exhibition envisions presenting Matthew Leifheit’s photos in conjunction with traditional paintings of the Old Lyme church and similar meetinghouses drawn from the Museum’s permanent collection, with selected loans. The title, Nothing More American, comes from artist Lorado Taft’s description of Hassam’s painting Church at Old Lyme as “nothing more American on all the continent,” a sentiment that resonates both with the historic image of the church and with the relationship of immigration to the American dream
Current & Upcoming
Seasonal Events
June 1 through 16
GardenFest
Visitors to the Museum understand immediately the site’s appeal to the artists who stayed at “Miss Florence” Griswold’s boardinghouse over a century ago. Her house, gardens, and river view were favored subjects of her artistic boarders. Highlights include, the annual Garden Luncheon and Blooms with a View.
Join us for this exciting series of events that take place in and around the Museum’s historic gardens. This annual event is a ten-day celebration of the site’s historic gardens, featuring special events, and family activities. Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of activities for all ages and interest levels. Most events are free with Museum admission.
July 26 and 27
Old Lyme Midsummer Festival
Old Lyme's Midsummer Festival celebrates the town's artistic heritage with two days of festivities!
Join us Friday night for an outdoor concert and dancing, or take part in Saturday’s activities, which include art exhibitions and sales, food trucks, musical performances, artisan fairs, book signings and sales, domestic farm animals, and hands-on kids’ activities.
September 28 through October 27
Wee Faerie Village
It’s a bird! It’s a plane. No, it’s Super-Faerie! Flying high and heading home to the special place where he and his fellow superfaeries live. Get ready to explore SUPERTOPIA: Wee Faerie Superheroes’ Headquarters and Hideaways - over three-dozen faerie-scaled creations!
History Blog
Online
Collections
A New England Identity
Hartford Steam Boiler Collection
The paintings and sculptures in this exhibition are by artists who lived and worked in Connecticut from the late Colonial period to the early 20th century.
In Situ
The Painted Panels
During the first summers of the Lyme art colony the artists began to paint scenes on the door panels of the boardinghouse.
Race into the Past
Fox Chase
One of the most celebrated works of art at the Florence Griswold Museum is the frieze-like painting titled The Fox Chase (1905) created by Henry Rankin Poore.
Museum
Campus
Begin your visit at the Krieble Gallery.
The Late Georgian mansion was transformed from a wealthy sea captain’s home into a boardinghouse for some of the most noted names in American Impressionism.
The Museum’s grounds invite exploration.